Fighting Fifth Hurdle

The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong (2 miles and 46 yards, or 3,261 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.

Fighting Fifth Hurdle
Grade 1 race
LocationNewcastle Racecourse
Newcastle, England
Inaugurated1969
Race typeHurdle race
SponsorBetfair
WebsiteNewcastle
Race information
Distance2m 46y (3,261 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and up
Weight11 st 7 lb
Allowances
7 lb for fillies and mares
Purse£80,000 (2020)
1st: £45,016
Fighting Fifth Hurdle
2020
Epatante Sceau Royal Ribble Valley

History

The event was established in 1969, and the inaugural running was won by Mugatpura. Its title refers to the "Fighting Fifth", the nickname of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. In the year prior to the race's launch, the regiment (formerly known as the 5th Regiment of Foot) was amalgamated with three others to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

There were two triple winners of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle during the 1970s: Comedy of Errors and Bird's Nest. The latter also finished first in 1980 but after a stewards' inquiry he was relegated to second place behind Sea Pigeon.

The Fighting Fifth Hurdle was formerly classed at Grade 2 level, and for a brief spell in the 1990s it was run as a limited handicap. Its past sponsors have included Bellway Homes, Newcastle Building Society and Pertemps and the race has been sponsored by Betfair since 2019. It was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2004, and it is now the first top-grade hurdle race of the British National Hunt season.

Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):

Leading jockey (3 wins):

Leading trainer (6 wins):

  • Nicky Henderson - Landing Light (2001), Punjabi (2008), My Tent Or Yours (2013), Buveur d'Air (2017, 2018), Epatante (2020)

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
1969 Mugatpura 6 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn
1970 Inishmaan 4 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1971 Dondieu 6 Brian Fletcher Denys Smith
1972 Comedy of Errors 5 Bill Smith Fred Rimell
1973 Comedy of Errors 6 Bill Smith Fred Rimell
1974 Comedy of Errors 7 Ken White Fred Rimell
1975 Night Nurse 4 Paddy Broderick Peter Easterby
1976 Birds Nest 6 Steve Knight Bob Turnell
1977 Birds Nest 7 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1978 Sea Pigeon 8 Ian Watkinson Peter Easterby
1979 Birds Nest 9 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1980 Sea Pigeon [lower-alpha 1] 10 Alan Brown Peter Easterby
1981 Ekbalco 5 David Goulding Roger Fisher
1982 Donegal Prince 6 Phil Tuck Paul Kelleway
1983 Gaye Brief 6 Sam Morshead Mercy Rimell
1984 Browne's Gazette 6 Dermot Browne Monica Dickinson
1985 Out of the Gloom 4 Jonjo O'Neill Reg Hollinshead
1986 Tom Sharp 6 S. J. O'Neill Walter Wharton
1987 Floyd 7 Colin Brown David Elsworth
1988 Floyd 8 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth
1989 Kribensis 5 Mark Dwyer Michael Stoute
1990 Beech Road 8 Richard Guest Toby Balding
1991 Royal Derbi 6 Chris Grant Neville Callaghan
1992 Halkopous 6 Steve Smith Eccles Mark Tompkins
1993 no race 1993 [lower-alpha 2]
1994 Batabanoo 5 Peter Niven Mary Reveley
1995 Padre Mio 7 Richard Guest Charlie Brooks
1996 Space Trucker 5 John Shortt Jessica Harrington
1997 Star Rage 7 Dean Gallagher Mark Johnston
1998 Dato Star 7 Lorcan Wyer Malcolm Jefferson
1999 Dato Star 8 Lorcan Wyer Malcolm Jefferson
2000 Barton 7 Tony Dobbin Tim Easterby
2001 Landing Light 6 John Kavanagh Nicky Henderson
2002 Intersky Falcon 5 Liam Cooper Jonjo O'Neill
2003 The French Furze 9 Brian Harding Nicky Richards
2004 Harchibald 5 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2005 Arcalis 5 Tony Dobbin Howard Johnson
2006 Straw Bear 5 Tony McCoy Nick Gifford
2007 Harchibald 8 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2008 Punjabi [lower-alpha 3] 5 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2009 Go Native 6 Davy Condon Noel Meade
2010 Peddlers Cross [lower-alpha 4] 5 Jason Maguire Donald McCain Jr.
2011 Overturn 7 Jason Maguire Donald McCain Jr.
2012 Countrywide Flame 4 Denis O'Regan John Quinn
2013 My Tent Or Yours 6 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2014 Irving 6 Nick Scholfield Paul Nicholls
2015 Identity Thief 5 Bryan Cooper Henry De Bromhead
2016 Irving 8 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls
2017 Buveur d'Air 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2018 Buveur d'Air 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2019 Cornerstone Lad 5 Henry Brooke Micky Hammond
2020 Epatante 6 Aidan Coleman Nicky Henderson
  1. Bird's Nest finished first in 1980, but he was relegated to second place after a stewards' inquiry
  2. The 1993 running was abandoned because of snow
  3. The 2008 edition was held at Wetherby over 2 miles and 110 yards
  4. The 2010 edition was held at Newbury over 2 miles and 110 yards

See also

References
    • pedigreequery.com – Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Newcastle.
    • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 43. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
    • Race Recordings
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