The Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt

National Hunt racing

National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 hurdle race

Hurdling (horse race)

A Hurdle race in England is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high. They are typically made of brush, that has some flexability. Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ....

 in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 which is open to horses

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown

Punchestown Racecourse

Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is home of the National Hunt Festival of Ireland....

 over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The present version of the race was introduced in 1999, and it was initially sponsored by Shell

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...

. Several different sponsors have followed, including Emo Oil

Emo (oil)

Emo Oil is an Irish oil distribution brand that is based in Portlaoise and is named after a village called Emo in County Laois, Ireland. While also having a market in Great Britain, the brand is used by several divisions of DCC Plc....

 and ACCBank

ACCBank

ACCBank plc is a commercial bank in Ireland that focuses on agriculture and SME lending. The bank has its origins in the Agricultural Credit Corporation set up in 1927 in the Irish Free State to finance agriculture, the bank was successful and lead to the creation of the Industrial Credit Company...

. Its current sponsor, Rabobank

Rabobank

Rabobank is a financial services provider with offices worldwide. Their main location is in the Netherlands. They are a global leader in Food and Agri financing and in sustainability-oriented banking...

, began supporting the race in 2009.

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Hurdle

Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 at Cheltenham

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

, and the last to win both events in the same year was Hurricane Fly

Hurricane Fly

Hurricane Fly is a thoroughbred racehorse. The horse is owned by George Creighton & Mrs Rose Boyd and trained by Willie Mullins. On 15 March 2011, Hurricane Fly ridden by Ruby Walsh won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham....

 in 2011. For a period the race was restricted to horses aged five or older, but the minimum age was lowered to four in 2009.

Records

Most successful horse since 1999 (2 wins):

• Hurricane Fly
  Hurricane Fly
  Hurricane Fly is a thoroughbred racehorse. The horse is owned by George Creighton & Mrs Rose Boyd and trained by Willie Mullins. On 15 March 2011, Hurricane Fly ridden by Ruby Walsh won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham....
  
   - 2010, 2011

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Leading jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 since 1999 (3 wins):

• Barry Geraghty
  Barry Geraghty
  Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...
  
   – Moscow Flyer (2001), Macs Joy (2006), Punjabi (2008)

----
Leading trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 since 1999 (3 wins):

• Willie Mullins
  Willie Mullins
  Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...
  
   – Davenport (2002), Hurricane Fly (2010, 2011)

Winners since 1999

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1999	Istabraq Istabraq Istabraq is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was most famous for his hurdling. He had an exceptional pedigree, being the produce of Sadler's Wells, a son of Northern Dancer, and a Secretariat mare making him a three-quarter brother to Epsom Derby winner Secreto. He won the Champion...	7	Charlie Swan	Aidan O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....
2000	Grimes	7	Charlie Swan	Christy Roche Christy Roche Christy Roche is a retired champion Irish flat racing jockey.Over his thirty year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Budweiser Irish Derby 3 times which he won in 1982, 1992 and 1997. His 1997 victory was on Desert King.-External links:*...
2001	Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer was a top-class National Hunt horse over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles . He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002...	7	Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...	Jessica Harrington
2002	hide=y	6	Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...	Willie Mullins Willie Mullins Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...
2003	Quazar	5	Tony Dobbin Tony Dobbin Tony Dobbin is a retired Northern Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He rode the winner of the Grand National on Lord Gyllene in 1997 and won over 1,200 races during his career in the saddle. He was the regular stable jockey for Nicky Richards...	Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England, O'Neill is the private trainer to J. P. McManus, one of the largest owners of steeplechasers and...
2004	Hardy Eustace Hardy Eustace Hardy Eustace is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Champion Hurdle in 2004 and 2005. He was trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes and owned by Laurence Byrne.-Early Career:...	7	Conor O'Dwyer	Dessie Hughes
2005	Brave Inca Brave Inca Brave Inca is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won ten Grade I races including the 2006 Champion Hurdle.-Background:...	7	Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....	Colm Murphy
2006	Macs Joy Macs Joy Macs Joy was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won several important hurdle races including three at Grade I level between 2004 and 2006. He was also known for his long series of races against the Champion Hurdler Brave Inca...	7	Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...	Jessica Harrington
2007	Silent Oscar	8	Robbie Power Robbie Power Robbie "Puppy" Power, son of Irish show-jumper Con Power, is the National Hunt jockey who rode 33-1 outsider Silver Birch to victory in the 2007 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday 14 April 2007 .-Footnotes:...	Harry Rogers
2008	Punjabi Punjabi (horse) Punjabi is a British Thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Komatie and dam, Competa. Punjabi started racing as a three year old in 2005...	5	Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...	Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire...
2009	Solwhit Solwhit Solwhit is an French thoroughbred racehorse, born to sire, Solon and dam, Toowhit Towhee. He is owned by the Top Of The Hill Syndicate and is trained by Charles Byrnes. Throughout his time as a racehorse, he has been predominately ridden by Davy Russell...	5	Davy Russell Davy Russell Davy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...	Charles Byrnes
2010	Hurricane Fly Hurricane Fly Hurricane Fly is a thoroughbred racehorse. The horse is owned by George Creighton & Mrs Rose Boyd and trained by Willie Mullins. On 15 March 2011, Hurricane Fly ridden by Ruby Walsh won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham....	6	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins Willie Mullins Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...
2011	Hurricane Fly Hurricane Fly Hurricane Fly is a thoroughbred racehorse. The horse is owned by George Creighton & Mrs Rose Boyd and trained by Willie Mullins. On 15 March 2011, Hurricane Fly ridden by Ruby Walsh won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham....	7	Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...	Willie Mullins Willie Mullins Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...

The 2001 running took place at Leopardstown

Leopardstown Racecourse

Leopardstown Racecourse is an Irish horse-racing venue. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Located in Leopardstown, County Dublin, 8km south of the Dublin city centre. The course was built by Captain George Quin and modeled on Sandown Park Racecourse...

.