The Irish Champion 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 in late January or early February.
The event was established in 1950, and it is now one of two Irish races, along with the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, which can be seen as equivalents of the Champion Hurdle in England. The most recent winner of the Leopardstown version to win the Champion Hurdle in the same season was State Man in 2024. The Irish Champion Hurdle was sponsored by AIG Europe from 1993 to 2008, by Toshiba in 2009 and 2010 and by BHP Insurance from 2011 to 2019. The race has been sponsored by PCI since 2020 and is now part of the Dublin Racing Festival weekend.
Records Most successful horse (5 wins): Hurricane Fly – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Most successful jockey (6 wins): Charlie Swan – Nordic Surprise (1991), Istabraq (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), Like-A-Butterfly (2003) Ruby Walsh – Brave Inca (2009), Hurricane Fly (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Faugheen (2016) Most successful trainer (9 wins): Willie Mullins – Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Faugheen (2016), State Man (2023, 2024, 2025)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 1950 Hatton's Grace 10 R. J. O'Ryan Vincent O'Brien 1951 Penny on the Jack 5 B. Cooper D. St. J. Gough 1952 Domaghmore T. P. Burns Paddy Sleator 1953 Limeona 5 J. J. Rafferty D. Kirwan 1954 La Laun 6 M. R. Magee J. T. Doyle 1955 no race 1955 1956 Triomphe Eddie Harty J. Mangan 1957 Caesar's Helm 6 C. Finnegan A. C. Bryce-Smith 1958 Albany Star W. J. Brennan G. Robinson 1959 Floor Show 9 Bobby Beasley Paddy Sleator 1960 Albergo 6 S. Page Clem Magnier 1961 Albergo 7 Doug Page Clem Magnier 1962 Rainlough Toss Taaffe Tom Taaffe 1963 Winning Fair 8 Alan Lillingston George Spencer 1964 Flyingbolt 5 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper 1965 Havago 6 C. Finnegan Paddy Sleator 1966 Gypsando 7 C. Finnegan Captain C. B. Harty 1967 Mr Twomey John Kiely J. Cullen 1968 Muir 9 Ben Hannon Tom Dreaper 1969 L'Escargot 6 Tommy Carberry Dan Moore 1970 no race 1970 1971 Lockyersleigh 8 Tommy Carberry Paddy Mullins 1972 Super Day John Fowler G. St. John Nolan 1973 Captain Christy 6 Bobby Beasley Pat Taaffe 1974 Flashy Boy Tommy Carberry A. Watson 1975 Ribosaint 6 Frank Berry Phonsie O'Brien 1976 Prominent King 4 Frank Berry Kevin Prendergast 1977 Master Monday 7 John Harty L. Quirke 1978 Prominent King 6 Bobby Coonan Kevin Prendergast 1979 Connaught Ranger 5 Colin Tinkler Fred Rimell 1980 Twinburn 5 T. A. Quinn Tony Redmond 1981 Daring Run 6 Ted Walsh Peter McCreery 1982 Daring Run 7 Ted Walsh Peter McCreery 1983 Royal Vulcan 5 Jonjo O'Neill Neville Callaghan 1984 Dawn Run 6 Jonjo O'Neill Paddy Mullins 1985 Fredcoteri 9 Tom Taaffe Arthur Moore 1986 Herbert United 7 Harry Rogers Des McDonogh 1987 Deep Idol 7 Brendan Sheridan P. D. Osborne 1988 Classical Charm 5 Ken Morgan Al O'Connell 1989 Kingsmill 6 Declan Murphy Tommy Stack 1990 Nomadic Way 5 Brendan Powell Barry Hills 1991 Nordic Surprise 4 Charlie Swan Jim Bolger 1992 Chirkpar 5 Liam Cusack Jim Bolger 1993 Royal Derbi 8 Declan Murphy Neville Callaghan 1994 Fortune and Fame 7 Adrian Maguire Dermot Weld 1995 Fortune and Fame 8 Mark Dwyer Dermot Weld 1996 Collier Bay 6 Jamie Osborne Jim Old 1997 Cockney Lad 8 Richard Hughes Noel Meade 1998 Istabraq 6 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 1999 Istabraq 7 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 2000 Istabraq 8 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 2001 Istabraq 9 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien 2002 Ned Kelly 6 Norman Williamson Edward O'Grady 2003 Like-A-Butterfly 9 Charlie Swan Christy Roche 2004 Foreman 6 Thierry Doumen Thierry Doumen 2005 Macs Joy 6 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington 2006 Brave Inca 8 Tony McCoy Colm Murphy 2007 Hardy Eustace 10 Conor O'Dwyer Dessie Hughes 2008 Sizing Europe 6 Andrew McNamara Henry de Bromhead 2009 Brave Inca 11 Ruby Walsh Colm Murphy 2010 Solwhit 6 Davy Russell Charles Byrnes 2011 Hurricane Fly 7 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 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 Hurricane Fly 11 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2016 Faugheen 8 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2017 Petit Mouchoir 6 David Mullins Henry de Bromhead 2018 Supasundae 8 Robbie Power Jessica Harrington 2019 Apple's Jade 7 Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott 2020 Honeysuckle 6 Rachael Blackmore Henry de Bromhead 2021 Honeysuckle 7 Rachael Blackmore Henry de Bromhead 2022 Honeysuckle 8 Rachael Blackmore Henry de Bromhead 2023 State Man 6 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2024 State Man 7 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2025 State Man 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2026 Brighterdaysahead 7 Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott
See also Horse racing in Ireland List of Irish National Hunt races
References Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – Leopardstown Champion Hurdle – Leopardstown.