91 Showlhs N

2025 Christmas Hurdle Tips, Odds & Predictions

The third of three Grade Ones to be staged on day one of Kempton's Christmas Festival is the Christmas Hurdle.

This Grade One is a key trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and many horses have completed that big-race double during this race's 60-year history.

Christmas Hurdle Odds

No odds are currently available for the Christmas Hurdle.

Christmas Hurdle Tips

When the final field has been confirmed, we'll publish our guide to the Christmas Hurdle.

2022 Christmas Hurdle Result

Position
Name
SP
1stConstitution Hill1/7f
2ndEpatante6/1
3rdHighway One O Two20/1

Christmas Hurdle Day Card

Time
Title
12:50pmNovices' Hurdle (Class 2) 2m
1:20pmNovices' Handicap Chase (Class 3) 2m4f
1:55pmKauto Star Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 3m
2:30pmChristmas Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
3:05pmKing George VI Chase (Grade 1) 3m
3:40pmHandicap Hurdle (Class 3) 2m5f

Christmas Hurdle History

The Christmas Hurdle was introduced to the Boxing Day schedule at Kempton in 1969. Run over a trip of two miles, Champion Hurdle contenders often target the Christmas Hurdle, before going on to star at the Cheltenham Festival last in the season.

Coral Diver won the inaugural running of the Christmas Hurdle, and would retain his crown at Kempton in 1971. Lanzarote then became the second two-time winner of the Christmas Hurdle in 1973 and 1975, winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham inbetween.

Jonjo O'Neill's great mare, Dawn Run won the Christmas Hurdle in 1983. Dawn Run would go on to win the Champion Hurdle that same season, before scoring a sensational victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986.

Kribensis became the first back-to-back winner of the Christmas Hurdle in 1988 and 1989, before striking in the Champion Hurdle in 1990. Jonjo O'Neill's Intersky Falcon also successfully defended his Christmas Hurdle crown in 2003.

Harchibald won the Christmas Hurdle in 2004, before winning it back as a nine-year-old in 2008. Nicky Henderson's Binocular then won the Christmas Hurdle twice, while also claiming the crown of Champion Hurdler in 2010.

Nicky Henderson is the winning-most trainer in the Christmas Hurdle, having saddled the winner on nine occasions. Henderson has won this race in seven of the last ten years, with Alan King's Yanworth and Willie Mullins' superstar Faugheen, who won the Christmas Hurdle twice, interrupting Henderson's winning run.

Champion Hurdle winner, Buvuer D'Air won the Christmas Hurdle in 2017, but suffered a surprise loss to stablemate Verdana Blue the following year.

In 2019, another Nicky Henderson mare, Epatante claimed her first Grade One in the Christmas Hurdle, before becoming the fifth Kempton winner to score in the Champion Hurdle that same season. Epatante then went off at 1/4 to retain her crown in 2020, but the favourite was upset by Silver Streak, who made all to win for trainer Evan Williams.

Epatante made up for her shock defeat the previous year by winning her second Christmas Hurdle in 2021.

Christmas Hurdle Winners

Year
Winner
2022 Constitution Hill
2021 Epatante
2020 Silver Streak
2019 Epatante
2018 Verdana Blue
2017 Buveur D'Air
2016 Yanworth
2015 Faugheen
2014 Faugheen
2013 My Tent Or Yours
2012 Darlan
2011 Binocular
2010 Binocular
2009 Go Native
2008 Harchibald
2007 Straw Bear
2006 Jazz Messenger
2005 Feathard Lady
2004 Harchibald
2003 Intersky Falcon
2002 Intersky Falcon

Faugheen wins his second Christmas Hurdle in 2015