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 (2 miles 7 furlongs and 213 yards, or 4,822 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in January.
The race was first run in 1983 over a distance of 2 miles 5 furlongs and 110 yards. 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. 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 Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer1983Al Kuwait7John FrancomeFred Winter1984Buckbe5Colin BrownDavid Elsworth1985Rose Ravine6Ricky PuseyFulke Walwyn1986Stans Pride9Ronnie BegganG Price1987Abandoned because of frost 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 Balding1992Abandoned because of frost 1993 Muse 6 Paul Holley David Elsworth 1994 Flakey Dove 8 Richard Dunwoody Richard Price 1995 Mudahim 9 Norman Williamson Chris Broad1996Abandoned because of frost 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 7Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 2004 Crystal d'Ainay 5 Jimmy McCarthy Alan King 2005 Patriarch Express 8 Jim Culloty Sue Smith 2006 Fire Dragon 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 2012 Big Buck's 9 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2013 Reve De Sivola 9 Richard Johnson Nick Williams 2014 Knockara Beau 11 Jan Faltejsek George Charlton 2015 Saphir Du Rheu 6 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2016 Thistlecrack 8 Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard 2017 Unowhatimeanharry 9 Barry Geraghty Harry Fry 2018 Agrapart 7 Lizzie Kelly Nick Williams 2019 Paisley Park 7 Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle 2020 Paisley Park 8 Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle2021Abandoned because of water logging 2022 Paisley Park 10 Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle 2023 Gold Tweet 6 Johnny Charron Gabriel Leenders 2024 Noble Yeats 9 Harry Cobden Emmet Mullins 2025 Gowel Road 9 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies 2026 Ma Shantou 7 Ben Jones Emma Lavelle
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – Cleeve Hurdle – Cheltenham.
External links Race Recordings (1982, 1990-2004) youtube.com