Molyneux Hurdle
| Class | Grade 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | Aintree Racecourse, Aintree, England |
| Race type | Hurdle race |
| Website | Aintree |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m 209y |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 2 lb Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares Penalties 6 lb for winners of a Grade 1 or Grade 2 hurdle race* 4 lb for winners of a Grade 3 or Listed hurdle race* *After 30 September 2024 |
| Purse | £70,000 (2025) 1st: £41,608 |
| 2025 | ||
| Rubaud | Hamlet's Night | Tax For Max |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
| Rubaud | Brentford Hope | Aspire Tower |
| 2023 | ||
| Rubaud | Hansard | Glorious Zoff |
| 2022 | ||
| Knappers Hill | Sceau Royal | Knight Salute |
| 2021 | ||
| Sceau Royal | Teqany | Belfast Banter |
The Molyneux 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 Aintree over a distance of about two miles and one furlong (2m 209y), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in early November.
The event was established in 1992, and it was initially held at Cheltenham. It was originally contested over 2m ½f. It was transferred to Wincanton and cut to 1m 7f in 1994. The race was run as a limited handicap between 1998 and 2017 before reverting to a weight for age conditions race from 2018.[1] In 2026, the race was renamed to the Molyneux Hurdle and transferred to Aintree, to be run on the same weekend as before.[2]
Records
[edit]Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Sceau Royal - 2016, 2020, 2021
- Ruband - 2023, 2024, 2025
Leading jockey (5 wins):
- Daryl Jacob – Celestial Halo (2011), Zarkandar (2012), Sceau Royal (2016, 2020,2021), Fusil Raffles (2019)
Leading trainer (11 wins):
- Paul Nicholls – Azertyuiop (2001), Santenay (2002), Perouse (2004), Celestial Halo (2009, 2011), Zarkandar (2012), Irving (2015), Knappers Hill (2022), Rubaud (2023, 2024, 2025)
Winners
[edit]| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Morley Street | 8 | 11-08 | Richard Dunwoody | Toby Balding |
| no race 1993 | |||||
| 1994 | Valfinet | 7 | 11-02 | Richard Dunwoody | Martin Pipe |
| 1995 | Atours | 7 | 11-02 | Paul Holley | David Elsworth |
| 1996 | Dreams End | 8 | 10–12 | Rodney Farrant | Peter Bowen |
| 1997 | Pridwell | 7 | 11-06 | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe |
| 1998 | Grey Shot | 6 | 10-03 | Jamie Osborne | Ian Balding |
| 1999 | Wahiba Sands | 6 | 11-07 | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe |
| 2000 | Mister Morose | 10 | 11-10 | Carl Llewellyn | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2001 | Azertyuiop | 4 | 11-10 | Timmy Murphy | Paul Nicholls |
| 2002 | Santenay | 4 | 11-07 | Timmy Murphy | Paul Nicholls |
| 2003 | Well Chief | 4 | 10-05 | Jamie Moore | Martin Pipe |
| 2004 | Perouse | 6 | 10-05 | Christian Williams | Paul Nicholls |
| 2005 | Royal Shakespeare | 6 | 11-01 | Graham Lee | Steve Gollings |
| 2006 | Crow Wood | 7 | 10-01 | Dougie Costello | John Quinn |
| 2007 | Kings Quay | 5 | 11-09 | Dougie Costello | John Quinn |
| 2008 | Chomba Womba | 7 | 10-06 | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson |
| 2009 | Celestial Halo | 5 | 11-10 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2010 | Nearby | 6 | 10-05 | Chris Davies | Philip Hobbs |
| 2011 | Celestial Halo | 7 | 11-10 | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls |
| 2012 | Zarkandar | 5 | 11-10 | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls |
| 2013 | Melodic Rendezvous | 7 | 11-10 | Nick Scholfield | Jeremy Scott |
| 2014 | Purple Bay | 5 | 10–11 | Mikey Ennis | John Ferguson |
| 2015 | Irving | 7 | 11–10 | Nick Scholfield | Paul Nicholls |
| 2016 | Sceau Royal | 4 | 11-10 | Daryl Jacob | Alan King |
| 2017 | London Prize | 6 | 10-09 | Tom O'Brien | Ian Williams |
| 2018 | Verdana Blue | 6 | 10-11 | Jeremiah McGrath | Nicky Henderson |
| 2019 | Fusil Raffles | 4 | 11-03 | Daryl Jacob | Nicky Henderson |
| 2020 | Sceau Royal | 8 | 11-00 | Daryl Jacob | Alan King |
| 2021 | Sceau Royal | 9 | 11-06 | Daryl Jacob | Alan King |
| 2022 | Knappers Hill | 6 | 11–02 | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls |
| 2023 | Rubaud | 5 | 11–08 | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls |
| 2024 | Rubaud | 6 | 11-08 | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls |
| 2025 | Rubaud | 7 | 11-08 | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Mares the focus as BHA Jump Pattern Committee announces changes for 2018/19 season". British Horseracing Authority. 3 October 2018.
- ↑ Peter Scargill (31 July 2026). "Elite Hurdle renamed and moved from Wincanton as part of autumn jumps programme changes". Racing Post. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
- pedigreequery.com – Elite Hurdle – Wincanton.