The National Spirit Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fontwell Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 3 furlongs (2 miles, 3 furlongs and 33 yards or ), and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late February or early March.
The event is named after National Spirit, a dual winner of the Champion Hurdle in the 1940s. National Spirit won five times at Fontwell Park, including three successive victories in the Rank Challenge Cup. The National Spirit Hurdle was established in 1965, and the inaugural running was won by Salmon Spray. During its early years it was also won by Comedy of Errors.
For a period the race was run over 2¼ miles, and it served as a trial for the Champion Hurdle (Beech Road won both events in 1989). It was discontinued in 1994, but its title was revived for a handicap race which took place annually from 1996 to 1998. It was relaunched as a conditions race over 2 miles and 2½ furlongs in 1999, and it was extended to its present length in 2004.
The National Spirit Hurdle is now regarded as a trial for the Stayers' Hurdle. The only horse to have won both races in the same year was My Way de Solzen in 2006. Another horse to have achieved victory in both events, albeit in different seasons, was Baracouda.
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer1965Salmon Spray7John HaineBob Turnell1966Johns-Wort5Michael ScudamoreJ F Norris1967Sempervivum9Tommy JenningsFulke Walwyn1968Abandoned due to waterlogging1969Privy Seal5Clive SearleFrank Cundell1970Coral Diver5Terry BiddlecombeFred Rimell1971Varma5David MouldM Masson1972St Patrick's Blue7David MouldD Tatlow1973Brantridge Farmer5Richard RowellAuriol Sinclair1974Brantridge Farmer6Terry BiddlecombeFulke Walwyn1975Bladon5Robert KingtonFred Winter1976Comedy of Errors9John BurkeFred Rimell1977Comedy of Errors10John BurkeFred Rimell1978Kybo5Bob ChampionJosh Gifford1979Bird's Nest9Andy TurnellBob Turnell1980Snowtown Boy5John FrancomeFred Winter1981Random Leg6Bob ChampionJosh Gifford1982Mr Moonraker5Paul CarvillMiss S Morris1983Abandoned because of frost1984Cut A Dash5John FrancomeMrs N Smith1985Abandoned because of frost1986Abandoned because of frost1987Corporal Clinger8Peter ScudamoreMartin Pipe 1988 Vagador 5 Mark Perrett Guy Harwood 1989 Beech Road 7 Richard Guest Toby Balding 1990 Vagador 7 Mark Perrett Guy Harwood 1991 Al Asoof 6 Mark Richards Peter Hedger 1992 Honest Word 7 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1993 Flown 6 Richard Dunwoody Nicky Henderson 1994 1999 Lady Cricket 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 2000 Male-Ana-Mou 7 Andrew Thornton Jamie Poulton 2001 Baracouda 6 Thierry Doumen François Doumen 2002 Rouble 6 Leighton Aspell Josh Gifford 2003 Classified 7 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 2004 Starzaan 5 Timmy Murphy Hughie Morrison 2005 Blue Canyon 7 Tony McCoy François Doumen 2006 My Way de Solzen 6 Robert Thornton Alan King 2007 United 6 Leighton Aspell Lucy Wadham 2008 Lough Derg 8 Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2009 Lough Derg 9 Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2010 Trenchant 5 Robert Thornton Alan King 2011 Celestial Halo 7 Harry Skelton Paul Nicholls 2012 Third Intention 5 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard 2013 Prospect Wells 8 Daryl Jacob Paul Nicholls 2014 Kayf Moss 6 Rhys Flint John Flint 2015 Kilcooley 6 Noel Fehily Charlie Longsdon 2016 Lil Rockerfeller 5 Trevor Whelan Neil King 2017 Camping Ground 7 Joshua Moore Gary Moore 2018 Old Guard 7 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2019 Vision Des Flos 6 Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard 2020 William Henry 10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2021 Brewin'upastorm 8 Aidan Coleman Olly Murphy 2022 Botox Has 6 Joshua Moore Gary Moore 2023 Brewin'upastorm 10 Aidan Coleman Olly Murphy
See also Horseracing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
fontwellpark.co.uk – History of Fontwell Park Racecourse. pedigreequery.com – National Spirit Hurdle – Fontwell.