Champions Of The Coral Challow Hurdle

Paul Nicholls & Harry Cobden

Trainer Paul Nicholls and his stable jockey, Harry Cobden, have combined to win the last four renewals of the Grade 1 Coral Challow Hurdle. Nicholls is the winning most trainer in the race having also trained Cornish Rebel to victory in 2003 and Denman in 2006.

The Nicholls/Cobden winning streak began in 2020 with subsequent King George VI Chase victor, Bravemansgame, who provided jockey Harry Cobden with his first win in the Coral Challow Hurdle. A five-year-old at the time, it was his third consecutive victory that season and a first run in graded company. A course and distance winner the month previous, Bravemansgame was sent off 5/2 joint favourite with the Evan Williams trained Star Gate.  He went on to land an impressive ten length victory with Star Gate back in second and the Alan King trained The Glancing Queen back in third.

In 2021, Nicholls and Cobden combined once again, this time with Stage Star. Owned by the Owners Group, Stage Star followed the same path as Bravemansgame having also won over course and distance the month previous. Sent off 5/4 favourite in his first start in graded company over hurdles, the five-year-old recorded a comfortable six-and-a-half length victory over the Dan Skelton trained West Balboa. The son of Fame and Glory went on to win the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the 2023 renewal of the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The third consecutive victory came with Hermes Allen. An Irish point-to-point winner, the son of Poliglote won his first start over hurdles at Stratford before winning the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. After a break of 50 days, Hermes Allen was sent off 11/10 favourite in the Grade 1 Coral Challow Hurdle and recorded a four-and-three-quarter length victory over the Jamie Snowden trained You Wear It Well, easing down to cross the line in a canter. He made his chasing debut at Newbury the following year when landing the Grade 2 Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase by six-and-a-half lengths when sent off 13/8 favourite.

Captain Teague provided Nicholls and Cobden with their fourth consecutive victory in the race when holding on to win by one-and-a-half lengths in last year’s renewal. In soft conditions, the son of Doyen, owned by Mrs Johnny de la Hey, just held on from the Neil King trained Lookaway after wandering on the run-in. The 2/1 favourite that day retuned to Newbury at this year’s Coral Gold Cup meeting to finish fourth on chase debut in the Grade 2 Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase.

Jamie Osborne & Oliver Sherwood

Trainer Oliver Sherwood and jockey Jamie Osborne combined to be the first trainer/jockey combination to win back to back renewals of Newbury’s sole Grade 1 of the National Hunt season. On New Year’s Day in 1994, Large Action was sent off 4/5 favourite under Osborne having won the Grade 2 Laurels Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham two weeks previously. Having been held up, he led from two out and went on to win by three-and-a-half lengths from the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Corrouge.

The trainer and jockey combined 12 months later to win with Berude Not To I. On New Years’ Eve, the son of Roselier was sent off 8/11 favourite to record a sixth consecutive career win. Having already won the Grade 2 Kennel Gate Castle Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot, the Challow Hurdle was Berude Not To I first start in Grade 1 company. In heavy conditions, he was eased close home to win by five lengths to Garrylough, ridden by Richard Dunwoody.

Carl Llewellyn & Nigel Twiston-Davies

Nigel Twiston-Davies has trained two winners of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle. Both victories came in 1999, both of which were ridden by Carl Llewellyn. The first victory came with the Mrs Nicholas Jones owned King’s Road who won as a six year old on January 2, 1999. A runner up in Grade 2 company in early December, the son of King’s Ride stepped up to Grade 1 company for the first time at Newbury. Sent off 11/10 favourite in heavy conditions, he recorded a two length victory ahead of Rio’s King. On New Year’s Eve of the same year, the Challow Hurdle was staged at Cheltenham. Twiston-Davies and Llewellyn combined again, this time with Bindaree. Already a Grade 2 winner at Cheltenham, the son of Roselier was sent off at odds of 5/2 and recorded a seven length victory over Barney Knows. The Challow Hurdle was to be the only Grade 1 success amongst Bindaree’s forty career starts, his most significant success came in the 2002 renewal of the Aintree Grand National when ridden to victory by Jim Culloty.