The December Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December.
Prior to 2013 the race was named the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in honour of Istabraq, who won it four times. The race was run as the Ryanair Hurdle from 2013 to 2018 when Ryanair sponsored the race. Matheson took over the sponsorship from the 2019 running. Former titles of the event included the paddypower.com iPhone App Hurdle, Sean P. Graham Memorial Hurdle and the Bookmakers Hurdle. The race was first run in 1986, and it has held Grade 1 status since 2002. It is often used as a trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Five horses have won both races in the same season – Istabraq three times, Hurricane Fly twice and Brave Inca, State Man and Lossiemouth once each.
Records
Most successful horse (4 wins): Istabraq – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 Hurricane Fly – 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 Sharjah – 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Most successful jockey (6 wins): Charlie Swan – Novello Allegro (1992), Theatreworld (1996), Istabraq (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001) Most successful trainer (12 wins): Willie Mullins - Hurricane Fly (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Sharjah (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), State Man (2022, 2023), Lossiemouth (2025)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 1986 Derrymore Boy 4 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins 1987 Cloughtaney 6 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins 1988 Grabel 5 Willie Mullins Paddy Mullins 1989 Grabel 6 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins 1990 Grabel 7 Tony Mullins Paddy Mullins 1991 Galevilla Express 4 Colin Bowens Victor Bowens 1992 Novello Allegro 4 Charlie Swan Noel Meade 1993 Fortune and Fame 6 Brendan Sheridan Dermot Weld 1994 Boro Eight 8 Tommy Treacy Paddy Mullins 1995 Kharasar 5 Mark Dwyer Tony Mullins 1996 Theatreworld 4 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 1997 Istabraq 5 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 1998 Istabraq 6 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 1999 Istabraq 7 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 2000 Moscow Flyer 6 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington 2001 Istabraq 9 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 2002 Liss A Paoraigh 7 Barry Geraghty John Kiely 2003 Golden Cross 4 Adrian Lane Michael Halford 2004 Macs Joy 5 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington 2005 Brave Inca 7 Tony McCoy Colm Murphy 2006 Brave Inca 8 Ruby Walsh Colm Murphy 2007 Al Eile 7 Timmy Murphy John Queally 2008 Sublimity 8 Philip Carberry Robert Hennessy 2009 Solwhit 5 Davy Russell Charles Byrnes 2010 Hurricane Fly 6 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2011 Unaccompanied 4 Paul Townend Dermot Weld 2012 Hurricane Fly 8 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2013 Hurricane Fly 9 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2014 Hurricane Fly 10 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2015 Nichols Canyon 5 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2016 Petit Mouchoir 5 Bryan Cooper Henry de Bromhead 2017 Mick Jazz 6 Davy Russell Gordon Elliott 2018 Sharjah 5 Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins 2019 Sharjah 6 Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins 2020 Sharjah 7 Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins 2021 Sharjah 8 Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins 2022 State Man 5 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2023 State Man 6 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2024 Brighterdaysahead 5 Sam Ewing Gordon Elliott 2025 Lossiemouth 6 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
See also Horse racing in Ireland List of Irish National Hunt races
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – December Festival Hurdle – Leopardstown.