Liverpool Hurdle

The Liverpool Hurdle, currently run as the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle for sponsorship purposes, 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 Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furlong (3 miles and 149 yards, or 4,964 metres), and during its running there are thirteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year at the Grand National meeting in early April.

Liverpool Hurdle
Grade 1 race
LocationAintree Racecourse
Merseyside, England
Inaugurated1974
Race typeHurdle race
SponsorRyanair
WebsiteAintree
Race information
Distance3m 149y (4,964 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and up
Weight10 st 13 lb (4yo);
11 st 7 lb (5yo+)
Allowances
7 lb for fillies and mares
Purse£180,000 (2019)
1st: £101,034
Liverpool Hurdle
2019
If The Cap Fits Roksana Apple's Jade

History

The event was established in 1974, and it was originally held at Ascot. During the first part of its history it was called the Long Distance Hurdle, and it was initially contested over 3 miles. For a period it was classed at Grade 2 level.

The race was transferred to Aintree in 2004, and since then it has been named after the nearby city of Liverpool. Its original distance has been extended by 110 yards.

The Liverpool Hurdle was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2010, and it currently takes place on the final day of the three-day Grand National meeting. Prior to 2013 it was the opening race on the first day of the meeting.

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Stayers' Hurdle, and the last to win both races in the same year was Thistlecrack in 2016.

Records

Most successful horse (4 wins):

Leading jockey (5 wins):

  • Peter Scudamore – Gaye Chance (1982), Bajan Sunshine (1985), Gaye Brief (1986), Mrs Muck (1987), Pragada (1992)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

  • Martin Pipe – Pragada (1992), Sweet Glow (1994), Galant Moss (1999), Maid Equal (2001), Deano's Beeno (2003)

Winners
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1974 Moyne Royal 9 Jeff King Arthur Pitt
1975 Lanzarote 7 Richard Pitman Fred Winter
1976 Good Prospect 7 Andrew Turnell John Edwards
1977 Mark Henry 6 Tommy Stack Bill Elsey
1978 Flame Gun 6 Niall Madden[lower-alpha 1] Edward O'Grady
1979 Prominent King 7 Jonjo O'Neill Peter Easterby
1980 Derring Rose 5 Andrew Turnell Alan Jarvis
1981 Shell Burst 6 Hywel Davies Les Kennard
1982 Gaye Chance 7 Peter Scudamore Mercy Rimell
1983 Sandalay 5 Paul Charlton Peter Cundell
1984 Alastor O Mavros 5 Hywel Davies Josh Gifford
1985 Bajan Sunshine 6 Peter Scudamore Martin Tate
1986 Gaye Brief 9 Peter Scudamore Mercy Rimell
1987 Mrs Muck 6 Peter Scudamore Nigel Twiston-Davies
1988 Gaye Brief 11 Dermot Browne Mercy Rimell
1989 no race 1989 [lower-alpha 2]
1990 Battalion 6 Ben de Haan Charlie Brooks
1991 Mole Board 9 Jamie Osborne Jim Old
1992 Pragada 9 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe
1993 Sweet Duke 6 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies
1994 Sweet Glow 7 Richard Dunwoody Martin Pipe
1995 Cab on Target 9 Peter Niven Mary Reveley
1996 Pleasure Shared 8 Warren Marston Philip Hobbs
1997 Trainglot 10 Richard Dunwoody Jimmy FitzGerald
1998 Marello 7 Peter Niven Mary Reveley
1999 Galant Moss 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2000 Teaatral 6 Dean Gallagher Charles Egerton
2001 Maid Equal 10 Tom Scudamore[lower-alpha 1] Martin Pipe
2002 Spendid 10 Warren Marston Alan King
2003 Deano's Beeno 11 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2004 Iris's Gift 7 Barry Geraghty Jonjo O'Neill
2005 Monet's Garden 7 Tony Dobbin Nicky Richards
2006 Mighty Man 6 Richard Johnson Henry Daly
2007 Mighty Man 7 Richard Johnson Henry Daly
2008 Blazing Bailey 6 Robert Thornton Alan King
2009 Big Buck's 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2010 Big Buck's 7 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2011 Big Buck's 8 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2012 Big Buck's 9 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2013 Solwhit 9 Paul Carberry Charles Byrnes
2014 Whisper 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2015 Whisper 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2016 Thistlecrack 8 Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard
2017 Yanworth 7 Barry Geraghty Alan King
2018 Identity Thief 8 Sean Flanagan Henry de Bromhead
2019 If The Cap Fits 7 Sean Bowen Harry Fry
no race 2020 [lower-alpha 3]
  1. amateur jockey
  2. The 1989 running was abandoned because of snow
  3. The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[1]

See also

References
  1. "Coronavirus: Horse racing in Great Britain suspended until end of April". BBC Sport. 17 March 2020.
  • aintree.co.uk – 2010 John Smith's Grand National Media Guide.
  • pedigreequery.com – Liverpool Hurdle (Long Distance Hurdle) – Aintree.
  • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 65. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
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