Jan 2024
Best Of The Betfair Hurdle
Best of The Betfair Hurdle
Betfair Super Saturday returns on Saturday 10th February | Discounted tickets available until Friday 2nd February
Betfair Super Saturday never disappoints and ahead of this year’s edition we’re taking a look back at memorable winners of the day’s Betfair Hurdle race.
Read on for a nostalgia overload.
Best of The Betfair Hurdle #1 – Persian War (1968)
Arguably one of the greatest winners of the Betfair Hurdle, Persian War won the race in 1968 before going on to win three Champion Hurdles.
He is one of only two horses to win both the Betfair Hurdle and Champion Hurdle in the same year along with Make a Stand in 1997.
In 1967 he was victorious in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury – then a two-mile juvenile race – and a year later he mustered a herculean effort to win the Betfair Hurdle, then the Schweppes Gold Trophy, by carrying a 11st 13lb to victory as five-year-old.
Considered as one of the greatest hurdlers of all time, he began his career on the flat before changing trainers six times during his career.
The Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle is run in his honour at Chepstow.
Watch Persian War’s win – in 1968 – by clicking the image below.
#2 – Make A Stand (1997)
One of only two winners of the Betfair Hurdle who went on to victory in the Champion Hurdle in the same season, Make a Stand won the race in 1997 for trainer Martin Pipe and jockey Chris Maude.
The chestnut with a big distinguishable white blaze began his career on the flat for Henry Candy. He began the 1996-97 season off a mark of 114 and went on to win the Betfair Hurdle off a mark of 136. In the same season he also won the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Sandown, Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton before winning the Champion Hurdle.
Known for his front running victories, Make a Stand won 12 of his 33 career starts.
Watch Make A Stand’s 1997 win by clicking the image below.
#3 – Zarkandar (2012)
Zarkandar came out on top in the thrilling renewal of the Betfair Hurdle in 2012. Having been five lengths down at the second last and under pressure early, he was guided to victory by Ruby Walsh to go on and win by one and a quarter lengths.
Trained by Paul Nicholls, he was sent off 11/4 favourite for his first run of the season after a 316 day break following two Grade 1 victories the previous year.
Following his win in the Betfair Hurdle he went on to further Grade 1 victory, most notably the Aintree Hurdle in 2013.
Watch Zarkandar’s 2012 win by clicking the image below.
#4 – Kalashnikov (2018)
Kalashnikov was a stable star for Newmarket based trainer, Amy Murphy.
Owned by her father, Paul Murphy, Kalashnikov, ridden by Jack Quinlan, finished a mud splattered four and a half lengths clear of Bleu Et Rouge.
Kalashnikov went on to Grade 1 success over fences in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree the following season.
Watch Kalashnikov’s 2018 win by clicking the image below.
Discounted tickets are still available for Betfair Super Saturday – but only until Friday 2nd February.
What’s more, further savings are available on top of these discounts courtesy of the Racecourse’s new group ticket offering, which entitles groups of seven or more racegoers to further discounts on top of the savings available for purchasing early – so the earlier a group books, and the bigger the group is, the more they save:
A group of 7-12 racegoers attending together – 10% discount
A group of 13-29 racegoers attending together – 15% discount
A group of 30+ racegoers attending together – 20% discount
