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Yet another race that has fallen on hard times. The role-call from the 70s was full of legends; Persian War, Bula, Comedy of Errors, Night Nurse, Monksfield, Sea Pigeon. Now top hurdlers only run a few times each year, with carefully selected Grade 1s. Don’t know what the solution is; more lucrative handicaps, more ambitious trainers?
The sad truth is that I didn’t even realise the Welsh Champion Hurdle had been run – I always remember that it used to be run on the Easter Monday with horses coming on from the Champion Hurdle itself and then going onto the Scotish Champion at Ayr……those were the days.
Trainers are much bigger dodgepots now with their horses in the lead up to Cheltenham because they have the option to pick and chose where they go thus avoiding big clashes and of course handicaps are not even considered anymore.
Back in the days of those named greats, they rocked up in big handicap hurdles because they weren’t afraid to run them and invariably they were either the only option for them or the race was just as valuable a prize.
The Royal Dalton Hurdle aka the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock was first run in 1978 and at £20k to the winner was the 4th biggest prize behind the Grand National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle – that first running attracted the 1st three home in the Champion Hurdle (Monksfield, Sea Pigeon and Night Nurse!) with Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon also having run in the Scotish Champion Hurdle before that too. Incidentally, just 9 days after the Haydock run, Sea Pigeon turned up at Chester and preceeded to win his 2nd Chester Cup!!!
The only way I can see it changing is either if the trainers have a major change in how they approach running their horse or if something radical like making all these races they do actually turn up in, into Limited or full blown Handicaps to force trainer’s hands…..but that will never happen.
The sport doesn’t help itself, though, does it?
Moving races around the calendar, or from course to another course……this race from Easter Monday, to October. Really? Who thought that was sensible? Or the meeting at Chepstow just gone; it should work, but ITV hardly cover it, what one race id we’re lucky – a far cry from the first Saturday in October on the BBC featuring the Timeform 4yo Hurdle, and the 3m Mercedes-Benz chase.
I also recall the Charisma Gold Cup, and Ring & Brymer Hurdle run at Kempton on the same Saturday as the Champion stakes, and Cesarewitch.
Different times, sadly.
Well it seems it’s back to Chepstow in 2025 on the Sunday which is an extra day and also a Premier Raceday
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