- The Champion Hurdle was inaugurated in 1927, with a value to the winner of £365. The race was abandoned in 1931 due to persistent frost, in 1943 and 1944 because of the Second World War, and in 2001 because of foot and mouth disease.
- There have only been two sponsors of this great race since its inception. This statistic conceals a dramatic turn of events in 1990, when a major banking group, whose intended sponsorship was to raise the added value of the race by 66 per cent to £120,000, withdrew before its first running. The Smurfit Group stepped in at that point and has remained a loyal sponsor ever since. In 2009, the race will have total prize money of £370,000. Kappa was added to the title in 2006 to reflect the company’s new corporate identity.
- The largest field has been 24 (1964 and 1991) and the smallest three (1932). The first five runnings of the race saw a total of only 24 runners between them. The current safety limit is 28.
- The Champion Hurdle is a contest for multiple winners. Peter Easterby won the race most often as a trainer, with five victories from three horses, Saucy Kit (1967), Night Nurse (1976 and 1977) and Sea Pigeon (1980 and 1981). Vic Smyth and Fred Winter both had four wins. Nicky Henderson has also had four victories with See You Then (1985, 1986 and 1987) and Punjabi (2009) and is the most successful current trainer. A further five trainers have captured the hurdling crown on three occasions.
- Among jockeys, Tim Molony won the race most often with four victories, on Hatton’s Grace (1951) and Sir Ken (1952, 1953 & 1954). Fred Winter, Jimmy Uttley, Steve Smith Eccles and most recently Charlie Swan were each successful three times.
- The most successful owner is still Dorothy Paget, who won the race four times thanks to Insurance (1932, 1933), Solford (1940) and Distel (1946).
- Istabraq, successful in the three Champion Hurdles from 1998 to 2000, was retired after failing to become the first horse to win the race four times in 2002. The four other three-time winners are Hatton’s Grace (1949-51), Sir Ken (1952-54), Persian War (1968-70) and See You Then (1985-87).
- The race has been won seven times by entires, but only twice by mares - Dawn Run (1984) and Flakey Dove (1994).
- Four greys have won, the most recent being Rooster Booster in 2003. The others were Kribensis in 1990, Victor Norman in 1936, and Our Hope in 1938. Only one roan horse has won the Champion Hurdle, Anzio in 1962.
- Istabraq’s success in 2000 in a time of 3 minutes 48.1 seconds beat the previous Champion Hurdle record time, set by Make A Stand in 1997, of 3 minutes 48.4 seconds.
- Dessie Hughes, who trained Hardy Eustace to win in 2004 and 2005, is only the fourth person to have both ridden and trained a Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle winner, having partnered Monksfield in 1979. The others to have achieved this double were Fred Winter, Fred Rimell and Gerry Wilson.
Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle - Roll
(Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle since 2006, Smurfit Champion Hurdle 1991-2005, Waterford Crystal Champion Hurdle 1978-1990, no sponsor before 1978)
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Punjabi | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | 22/1 |
| 2008 | Katchit | Robert Thornton | Alan King | 10/1 |
| 2007 | Sublimity | Philip Carberry | John Carr IRE | 16/1 |
| 2006 | Brave Inca | Tony McCoy | Colm Murphy IRE | 7/4F |
| 2005 | Hardy Eustace | Conor O'Dwyer | Dessie Hughes IRE | 7/2JF |
| 2004 | Hardy Eustace | Conor O'Dwyer | Dessie Hughes IRE | 33/1 |
| 2003 | Rooster Booster | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs | 9/2 |
| 2002 | Hors La Loi III | Dean Gallagher | James Fanshawe | 10/1 |
| 2001 | ||||
| 2000 | Istabraq | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien IRE | 8/15F |
| 1999 | Istabraq | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien IRE | 4/9F |
| 1998 | Istabraq | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien IRE | 3/1F |
| 1997 | Make A Stand | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe | 7/1 |
| 1996 | Collier Bay | Graham Bradley | Jim Old | 9/1 |
| 1995 | Alderbrook | Norman Williamson | Kim Bailey | 11/2 |
| 1994 | Flakey Dove | Mark Dwyer | Richard Price | 9/1 |
| 1993 | Granville Again | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe | 13/2 |
| 1992 | Royal Gait | Graham McCourt | James Fanshawe | 6/1 |
| 1991 | Morley Street | Jimmy Frost | Toby Balding | 4/1F |
| 1990 | Kribensis | Richard Dunwoody | Michael Stoute | 95/40F |
| 1989 | Beech Road | Richard Guest | Toby Balding | 50/1 |
| 1988 | Celtic Shot | Peter Scudamore | Fred Winter | 7/1 |
| 1987 | See You Then | Steve Smith Eccles | Nicky Henderson | 11/10F |
| 1986 | See You Then | Steve Smith Eccles | Nicky Henderson | 5/6F |
| 1985 | See You Then | Steve Smith Eccles | Nicky Henderson | 16/1 |
| 1984 | Dawn Run | Jonjo O'Neill | Paddy Mullins IRE | 4/5F |
| 1983 | Gaye Brief | Richard Linley | Mercy Rimell | 7/1 |
| 1982 | For Auction | Mr Colin Magnier | Michael Cunningham IRE | 40/1 |
| 1981 | Sea Pigeon | John Francome | Peter Easterby | 7/4F |
| 1980 | Sea Pigeon | Jonjo O'Neill | Peter Easterby Pat | 13/2 |
| 1979 | Monksfield | Dessie Hughes | Des McDonogh IRE | 9/4F |
| 1978 | Monksfield | Tommy Kinane | Des McDonogh IRE | 11/2 |
| 1977 | Night Nurse | Paddy Broderick | Peter Easterby | 15/2 |
| 1976 | Night Nurse | Paddy Broderick | Peter Easterby | 2/1F |
| 1975 | Comedy Of Errors | Ken White | Fred Rimell | 11/8F |
| 1974 | Lanzarote | Richard Pitman | Fred Winter | 7/4 |
| 1973 | Comedy Of Errors | Bill Smith | Fred Rimell | 8/1 |
| 1972 | Bula | Paul Kelleway | Fred Winter | 8/11F |
| 1971 | Bula | Paul Kelleway | Fred Winter | 15/8F |
| 1970 | Persian War | Jimmy Uttley | Colin Davies | 5/4F |
| 1969 | Persian War | Jimmy Uttley | Colin Davies | 6/4F |
| 1968 | Persian War | Jimmy Uttley | Colin Davies | 4/1 |
| 1967 | Saucy Kit | Roy Edwards | Peter Easterby | 100/6 |
| 1966 | Salmon Spray | Johnnie Haine | Bob Turnell | 4/1 |
| 1965 | Kirriemuir | Willie Robinson | Fulke Walwyn | 50/1 |
| 1964 | Magic Court | Pat McCarron | Tommy Robson | 100/6 |
| 1963 | Winning Fair | Mr Alan Lillingston | George Spencer IRE | 100/9 |
| 1962 | Anzio | Willie Robinson | Fulke Walwyn | 11/2 |
| 1961 | Eborneezer | Fred Winter | Ryan Price | 4/1 |
| 1960 | Another Flash | Bobby Beasley | Paddy Sleator IRE | 11/4F |
| 1959 | Fare Time | Fred Winter | Ryan Price | 13/2 |
| 1958 | Bandalore | George Slack | Stan Wright | 20/1 |
| 1957 | Merry Deal | Grenville Underwood | Arthur Jones | 28/1 |
| 1956 | Doorknocker | Harry Sprague | Charlie Hall | 100/9 |
| 1955 | Clair Soleil | Fred Winter | Ryan Price | 5/2F |
| 1954 | Sir Ken | Tim Molony | Willie Stephenson | 4/9F |
| 1953 | Sir Ken | Tim Molony | Willie Stephenson | 2/5F |
| 1952 | Sir Ken | Tim Molony | Willie Stephenson | 3/1F |
| 1951 | Hatton's Grace | Tim Molony | Vincent O'Brien IRE | 4/1 |
| 1950 | Hatton's Grace | Aubrey Brabazon | Vincent O'Brien IRE | 5/2F |
| 1949 | Hatton's Grace | Aubrey Brabazon | Vincent O'Brien IRE | 100/7 |
| 1948 | National Spirit | Ron Smyth | Vic Smyth | 6/4F |
| 1947 | National Spirit | Danny Morgan | Vic Smyth | 7/1 |
| 1946 | Distel | Bobby O'Ryan | Charlie Rogers IRE | 4/5F |
| 1945 | Brains Trust | Fred Rimell | Gerry Wilson | 9/2 |
| 1943 | ||||
| 1944 | ||||
| 1942 | Forestation | Ron Smyth | Vic Smyth | 10/1 |
| 1941 | Seneca | Ron Smyth | Vic Smyth | 7/1 |
| 1940 | Solford | Sean Magee | Owen Anthony | 5/2F |
| 1939 | African Sister | Keith Piggott | Charles Piggott | 10/1 |
| 1938 | Our Hope | Perry Harding | Roderic Gubbins | 5/1 |
| 1937 | Free Fare | Georges Pellerin | Ted Gwilt | 2/1F |
| 1936 | Victor Norman | Frenchie Nicholson | Morgan Blair | 4/1 |
| 1935 | Lion Courage | Gerry Wilson | F Brown | 100/8 |
| 1934 | Chenango | Danny Morgan | Ivor Anthony | 4/9F |
| 1933 | Insurance | Billy Stott | Basil Briscoe | 10/11F |
| 1932 | Insurance | Ted Leader | Basil Briscoe | 4/5F |
| 1931 | ||||
| 1930 | Brown Tony | Tommy Cullinan | Jack Anthony | 7/2 |
| 1929 | Royal Falcon | Dick Rees | Bob Gore | 11/2 |
| 1928 | Brown Jack | Bilby Rees | Aubrey Hastings | 4/1 |
| 1927 | Blaris | George Duller | Bill Payne | 11/10F |
