Cleeve Hurdle

The Cleeve Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in January.

In the late 1980s the event was classed at Listed level, and its full title was the Bishops Cleeve Hurdle. It was promoted to Grade 1 status in 1991, and in the following years its title was shortened to the present form. The race was initially run over 2½ miles (4,023 metres), but this has been subsequently modified several times. It was downgraded to Grade 2 status in 2004, and its distance was extended to the present length in 2005. In its analysis of that year's running, the Racing Post commented that the modified Cleeve Hurdle was "effectively replacing the long-distance hurdle formerly run at Haydock on Peter Marsh day."

The race is now a leading trial for the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Winners since 1988

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1988	Cloughtaney	7	Tony Mullins	Paddy Mullins
1989	Calapaez	5	Simon Sherwood	Brooke Sanders
1990	Beech Road	8	Richard Guest	Toby Balding
1991	Crystal Spirit	4	Jimmy Frost	Ian Balding
1992	no race 1992
1993	Muse	6	Paul Holley	David Elsworth
1994	Flakey Dove	8	Richard Dunwoody	Richard Price
1995	Mudahim	9	Norman Williamson	Chris Broad
1996	no race 1996
1997	Large Action	9	Jamie Osborne	Oliver Sherwood
1998	Mistinguett	6	Carl Llewellyn	Nigel Twiston-Davies
1999	Lady Rebecca	7	Norman Williamson	Venetia Williams
2000	Lady Rebecca	8	Norman Williamson	Venetia Williams
2001	Lady Rebecca	9	Norman Williamson	Venetia Williams
2002	Kates Charm	9	Mick Fitzgerald	Robert Alner
2003	Classified	7	Tony McCoy	Martin Pipe
2004	Crystal d'Ainay	5	Jimmy McCarthy	Alan King
2005	Patriarch Express	8	Jim Culloty	Sue Smith
2006	Fire Dragon [1]	5	Tony McCoy	Jonjo O'Neill
2007	Blazing Bailey	5	Robert Thornton	Alan King
2008	Inglis Drever	9	Richard Johnson	Howard Johnson
2009	Big Buck's	6	Ruby Walsh	Paul Nicholls
2010	Tidal Bay	9	Brian Hughes	Howard Johnson
2011	Grands Crus	6	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe

¹ The 2006 running took place at Sandown Park.

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999
  • 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • 2010, 2011

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• pedigreequery.com – Cleeve Hurdle – Cheltenham.

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races