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Liverpool Hurdle: Past Winners, Stats & History

Grand National Festival
Course:
Aintree
Mildmay Hurdle Course
Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
3m ½f
Last Winner:
Sire Du Berlais @ 16/1
Prize Money:
£250,000 (2022)

The chasers may take centre stage on Grand National Saturday, but the hurdlers aren’t left out entirely. Topping the bill over the smaller obstacles is this event, the Liverpool Hurdle, for the stayers which sees many of the contenders from the Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle lock horns once again.

This race was run for the first time in 1974 when known as the Long Distance Hurdle. It actually took place at Ascot until 2004 when it made the switch to Aintree and became known officially as the Liverpool Hurdle. Up until 2013 it was the opening race of the whole meeting on the Thursday.

Liverpool Hurdle Course Map (Mildmay Hurdle Course)

Aintree Mildmay Jumps Course Map

Liverpool Hurdle Past Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2022 Sire Du Berlais 16/1 Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh
2021 Thyme Hill 5/2 Philip Hobbs Tom O'Brien
2020 Abandoned - - -
2019 If The Cap Fits 7/1 Harry Fry Sean Bowen
2018 Identity Thief 14/1 Henry De Bromhead Sean Flanagan
2017 Yanworth 9/4 Alan King Barry Geraghty
2016 Thistlecrack 2/7 Colin Tizzard Tom Scudamore
2015 Whisper 5/1 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville
2014 Whisper 4/1 Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty
2013 Solwhit 9/4 Charles Byrnes Paul Carberry
2012 Big Buck's 2/9 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2011 Big Buck's 4/6 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2010 Big Buck's 30/100 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2009 Big Buck's 5/6 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
2008 Blazing Bailey 5/1 Alan King Robert Thompson
2007 Mighty Man 15/8 Henry Daly Richard Johnson
2006 Mighty Man 11/4 Henry Daly Richard Johnson
2005 Monet's Garden 11/2 Nicky Richards Tony Dobbin
2004 Iris's Gift 4/7 Jonjo O'Neill Barry Geraghty
2003 Deano's Beano 5/4 Martin Pipe Tony McCoy

About the Liverpool Hurdle: Top Stayers Over the Smaller Obstacles

Entrance to Aintree Racecourse
Photo © Mat Fascione (cc-by-sa/2.0)

It’s often said of the Grand National that it’s the only British horse race left that really stops the country in its tracks. It’s certainly watched by millions of people throughout Britain and beyond whilst thousands more buy tickets to Aintree Racecourse to watch the race in person.

Those who do travel to Aintree make the journey for more than just one race though. Several top level contests take place during the three day Grand National Festival including the Liverpool Hurdle, which is one of the key warm up races to the Grand National on Saturday.

Similarities With the Big One

On the face of it the Grand National and Liverpool Hurdle are two very different types of race. Look a little more closely though and there are actually a few parallels between the two.

Liverpool Hurdle & Grand National Comparison

Liverpool Hurdle Grand National
Jump Type Hurdle Fence
Number of Jumps 13 30
Race Distance 3m 149 yds 4m 2f 74yds
Maximum Field 22 Runners 40 Runners
First Run 1974 (47 races) 1839 (174 races)

The most obvious similarity is that they’re both races for stayers. The main difference is that the Liverpool Hurdle tests the competing horses and jockeys over hurdles rather than fences. In total, there are 13 hurdles for the horses to navigate during the 3 mile ½ furlong trip. It’s rare for a horse to fall on their way round but not so rare for even leading contenders to see their challenge effectively ended after hitting a hurdle hard.

Another similarity is that it takes a certain amount of experience to win both races. The average age of winner is lower in the Liverpool Hurdle but it’s not a race for very young horses. The last winner at the minimum age of five was Galant Moss in 1999. In the renewals since that race, winners have ranged from six all the way up to 11-year-old Deano’s Beano.

Chart Comparing the Average Ages of the Liverpool Hurdle and Grand National Winners up to and Including 2022

Variety Key to Liverpool Hurdle’s Success

Spring Grass

The Grand National Festival at Aintree is one of the most important National Hunt meetings of the spring. As any racing fan will tell you, there is something about spring racing that some horses love and others simply cannot get to grips with. Punters also sometimes struggle to get to grips with spring racing as horses who have shown little form earlier on in the season suddenly come to the boil.

To make things that little bit more interesting, even the leading trainers oftentimes have to change the plan for their horses during the course of the season. That’s especially true in the staying hurdle division which, at this time of year, comprises a mixture of specialist hurdlers, those tipped to have a big future over fences and more experienced horses who have made one too many chasing mistakes and have subsequently reverted to the smaller obstacles.

Same Season Form of Liverpool Hurdle Winners: 2017 – 2022

Season Horse Date Race & Course (Grade) Position Distance
2021/22 Sire Du Berlais 17/3/22 Pertemps Final, Cheltenham (G3) 11th 3m
15/1/22 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle, Warwick 4th 3m 1f
28/12/21 Christmas Hurdle, Leopardstown (G1) PU 3m
7/11/21 Lismullen Hurdle, Navan (G2) 2nd 2m 4f
2020/21 Thyme Hill 19/12/20 Long Walk Hurdle, Ascot (G1) 2nd 3m ½f
27/11/20 Long Distance Hurdle, Newbury (G2) 1st 3m
2018/19 If The Cap Fits 24/02/19 National Spirit Hurdle, Fontwell (G2) 2nd 2m 3f
26/12/18 Christmas Hurdle, Kempton (G1) 3rd 2m
24/11/18 Ascot Hurdle, Ascot (G2) 1st 2m 3½f
10/11/18 Elite Hurdle, Wincanton (G2) 2nd 1m 7½f
2017/18 Identity Thief 13/3/18 Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham (G1) 4th 2m ½f
17/2/18 Red Mills Trial, Gowran Park (G3) 2nd 2m
3/2/18 Irish Champion H’dle, Leopardstown (G1) 6th 2m
2016/17 Yanworth 14/3/17 Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham (G1) Disq. 2m ½f
18/2/17 Kingwell Hurdle, Wincanton (G2) 1st 1m 7 ½f
26/12/16 Christmas Hurdle, Kempton (G1) 1st 2m
19/11/16 Ascot Hurdle, Ascot (G2) 1st 2m 3½f

Picking the bones out of the Liverpool Hurdle from a betting perspective is doubtless difficult but it does keep intrigue and entertainment levels high among racing fans.

A Stop Off For the Best

The Liverpool Hurdle is a Grade 1 race. That always brings with it a certain amount of prestige and enough of a prize fund to attract horses of genuine top quality but the Liverpool Hurdle is held in especially high regard.

A number of horses, jockeys and trainers have played their part in the growth of the Liverpool Hurdle but none more so than the combination of Big Buck’s, Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls. Those three combined to win the Liverpool Hurdle a record four times. Those wins are in addition to his four Stayers’ Hurdles and four Long Distance Hurdle triumphs. Each of those successes came in consecutive years from 2009 to 2012 inclusive and the chance to try and take down the undisputed king of long distance hurdling unquestionably added a great deal to the Liverpool Hurdle during Big Buck’s pomp.

Big Buck’s’ Major Racing Victories

Race Grade Course (Month) Years Won
Liverpool Hurdle Grade 1 Aintree (April) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Stayers’ Hurdle Grade 1 Cheltenham (March) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Cleeve Hurdle Grade 2 Cheltenham (January) 2009, 2012
Long Walk Hurdle Grade 1 Ascot (December) 2009, 2010, 2011
Long Distance Hurdle Grade 2 Newbury (November) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Other Races of Note at Aintree

  • Aintree Bowl Chase
  • Aintree Hurdle
  • Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle
  • Becher Chase
  • Grand National
  • Grand Sefton Chase
  • Liverpool Hurdle
  • Maghull Novices' Chase
  • Manifesto Novices' Chase
  • Marsh Chase
  • Mersey Novices' Hurdle
  • Mildmay Novices' Chase
  • Sefton Novices' Hurdle
  • Top Novices' Hurdle
  • Topham Handicap Chase

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