Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle

Grade 1 race
Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle

Location	Punchestown Co. Kildare, Ireland
Race type	Hurdle race
Sponsor	Swordlestown Stud
Website	Punchestown
Race information
Distance	2m 4f (4,023 metres)
Track	Turf, right-handed
Qualification	Four-years-old and up
Weight	10 st 13 lb (4yo); 11 st 10 lb (5yo+) Allowances 5 lb for fillies and mares
Purse	€85,000 (2010) 1st: €52,700

The Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

Previous sponsors of the race have included Menolly Homes, Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Land Rover. The present sponsor, Swordlestown Stud, began supporting the race in 2010, and it is now named in memory of the stud's former owner Cathal Ryan.^[1]

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the last to win both races was Mikael d'Haguenet in 2009.

Contents 1 Records 2 Winners since 1995 3 See also 4 References

Records

Leading jockey since 1995 (6 wins):

• Ruby Walsh – Davenport Milenium (2002), Nobody Told Me (2003), Sadlers Wings (2004), Nicanor (2006), Glencove Marina (2007), Mikael d'Haguenet (2009)

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Leading trainer since 1995 (5 wins):

• Willie Mullins – Davenport Milenium (2002), Nobody Told Me (2003), Sadlers Wings (2004), Glencove Marina (2007), Mikael d'Haguenet (2009)

Winners since 1995

• Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1995	Treble Bob	5	Richard Dunwoody	Dermot Weld
1996	Castlekellyleader	7	Tommy Treacy	Paddy Mullins
1997	Istabraq	5	Charlie Swan	Aidan O'Brien
1998	Ballygowan Beauty	6	Conor O'Dwyer	Michael Hourigan
1999	Native Upmanship	6	Tommy Treacy	Arthur Moore
2000	What's Up Boys	6	Richard Johnson	Philip Hobbs
2001	Colonel Braxton [1]	6	Kieran Kelly	Dessie Hughes
2002	Davenport Milenium	6	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2003	Nobody Told Me	5	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2004	Sadlers Wings	6	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2005	Asian Maze	6	Paul Carberry	Tom Mullins
2006	Nicanor	5	Ruby Walsh	Noel Meade
2007	Glencove Marina	5	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2008	Tranquil Sea	6	Andrew J. McNamara	Edward O'Grady
2009	Mikael d'Haguenet	5	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2010	Reve de Sivola	5	Daryl Jacob	Nick Williams
2011	Spirit of Adjisa	7	Richard Johnson	Tim Vaughan

¹ The 2001 running took place at Fairyhouse.

See also

• List of Irish National Hunt races

References

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• Racing Post:
  • 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
  • 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

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• pedigreequery.com – Dunboyne Castle Champion Novice Hurdle – Punchestown.
• pedigreequery.com – Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle – Punchestown.
• racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).