Swinton Handicap Hurdle

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Short description Template:Jockey colours header Template:Jockey colours row |} Template:Jockey colours collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours footer The Swinton Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs (1 miles, 7 furlongs and 144 yards or ), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.

The event was established in 1978, and it was initially sponsored by Royal Doulton. The winner of the inaugural race collected just over £20,000, making it the fourth most lucrative prize behind the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. Subsequent sponsors have included Swinton Insurance (1985–93), Crowther and Merewood Homes (1994–2003), Betfred (2006–07) and Totesport (2008–11). The present sponsors, Pertemps, began supporting the race in 2012. The Swinton Handicap Hurdle takes place at a meeting which features both jump and flat racing, and outside of the main National Hunt season (October-April), is the highest graded race in the calendar.

Records

Most successful horses (2 wins):

• Dreams End – 1994, 1997
• Eradicate – 2010, 2011

Leading jockeys (2 wins):

• Andy Turnell – Beacon Light (1979), Secret Ballot (1982)
• David Bridgwater – Winnie the Witch (1991), Tragic Hero (1996)
• Graham Lee – Coat of Honour (2005), Blue Bajan (2008)
• Paul Moloney – Barizan (2013), Ballyglasheen (2014)
• Adam Wedge - Silver Streak (2018), Black Poppy (2023)

Leading trainers (4 wins):

• Martin Pipe – Corporal Clinger (1985), Tragic Hero (1996), Rainbow Frontier (1998), Acambo (2006)
• Evan Williams - Barizan (2013), Ballyglasheen (2014), John Constable (2017), Silver Streak (2018)

Winners

• Weights given in stones and pounds.

Year	Winner	Age	Weight	Jockey	Trainer
1978	Royal Gaye	5	10-00	Colin Tinkler	Fred Rimell
1979	Beacon Light	8	11-01	Andrew Turnell	Bob Turnell
1980	No Bombs	5	10-09	Jonjo O'Neill	Peter Easterby
1981	Gaye Chance	6	10–10	Sam Morshead	Fred Rimell
1982	Secret Ballot	8	10-03	Andrew Turnell	Bob Turnell
1983	no race 1983 Template:Efn
1984	Bajan Sunshine	5	10–13	Peter Scudamore	Martin Tate
1985	Corporal Clinger	6	10-03	Paul Leach	Martin Pipe
1986	Prideaux Boy	8	11-02	Michael Bowlby	Graham Roach
1987	Inlander	6	10-08	Steve Smith Eccles	Reg Akehurst
1988	Past Glories	5	11-09	Paddy Farrell	Bill Elsey
1989	State Jester	6	10-00	John Quinn	Bill Elsey
1990	Sybillin	4	10-01	Derek Byrne	Jimmy FitzGerald
1991	Winnie the Witch	7	10-02	David Bridgwater	Ken Bridgwater
1992	Bitofabanter	5	11-01	Tom Taaffe	Arthur Moore
1993	Spinning	6	11–00	Jimmy Frost	Ian Balding
1994	Dreams End	6	11–04	Michael Hourigan, Jr.	Philip Hobbs
1995	Chief Minister	6	11-06	Peter Hobbs	Thomas Dyer
1996	Tragic Hero	4	10-09	David Bridgwater	Martin Pipe
1997	Dreams End	9	11–11	Leighton Aspell	Peter Bowen
1998	Rainbow Frontier	4	10-00	Charlie Swan	Martin Pipe
1999	She's Our Mare	6	10-00	David Casey	Tony Martin
2000	Mirjan	4	10-06	Tony Dobbin	Len Lungo
2001	Milligan	6	11-04	Norman Williamson	Venetia Williams
2002	Intersky Falcon	5	11–10	Liam Cooper	Jonjo O'Neill
2003	Altay	6	09-11	Padge Whelan	Richard Fahey
2004	Macs Joy	5	10-00	Timmy Murphy	Jessica Harrington
2005	Coat of Honour	5	10-00	Graham Lee	Howard Johnson
2006	Acambo	5	10-04	Andrew Glassonbury	Martin Pipe
2007	Leslingtaylor	5	09-11	Dougie Costello	John Quinn
2008	Blue Bajan	6	10-08	Graham Lee	Andrew Turnell
2009	Joe Jo Star	7	11-00	Brian Hughes	Richard Fahey
2010	Eradicate	6	10-01	David Bass	Nicky Henderson
2011	Eradicate	7	11-05	Jeremiah McGrath	Nicky Henderson
2012	Red Merlin	7	11-03	Jason Maguire	Donald McCain, Jr.
2013	Barizan	7	10-06	Paul Moloney	Evan Williams
2014	Ballyglasheen	4	10–10	Paul Moloney	Evan Williams
2015	War Sound	6	10-06	Ciaran Gethings	Philip Hobbs
2016	Gwafa	5	11-00	Richie McLernon	Paul Webber
2017	John Constable	6	11-02	Davy Russell	Evan Williams
2018	Silver Streak	5	10-02	Adam Wedge	Evan Williams
2019	Le Patriote	7	11-12	Sam Twiston-Davies	Richard Newland
	no race 2020 Template:Efn
2021	Copperless	6	10-04	Aidan Coleman	Olly Murphy
2022	N'golo	7	10-09	Gavin Sheehan	Ann Duffield
2023	Black Poppy	7	10-05	Adam Wedge	Kerry Lee
2024	Pickanumber	6	10–07	Dylan Johnston	Olly Murphy
2025	Our Champ	7	11–08	Freddie Gordon	Chris Gordon

See also

• Horse racing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races

References

• Racing Post:
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• pedigreequery.com – Swinton Handicap Hurdle – Haydock.
• racenewsonline.co.uk – Swinton Handicap Hurdle (2007).

External links

• Race Recordings (1980, 1982, 1986-2003) youtube.com