Champion INH Flat Race
The Champion INH Flat Race is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Ireland for amateur riders which is open to horses aged four to seven years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong (2 miles and 70 yards, or 3,283 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location | Punchestown Co. Kildare, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Race type | National Hunt flat race |
| Sponsor | Race and Stay |
| Website | Punchestown |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m ½f (3,219 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Four to seven years old geldings and mares |
| Weight | 11 st 6 lb (4yo); 12 st 2 lb (5–7yo) Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | €100,000 (2021) 1st: €59,000 |
| 2022 | ||
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| Facile Vega | Redemption Day | American Mike |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ||
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| Kilcruit | O'toole | Sir Gerhard |
| 2020-2011 | ||
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| 2019 | ||
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| Colreevy | Abacadabras | Beacon Edge |
| 2018 | ||
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| Tornado Flyer | Blackbow | Carefully Selected |
| 2017 | ||
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| Fayonagh | Paloma Blue | Poli Roi |
| 2016 | ||
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| Blow By Blow | Moon Racer | Bacardys |
| 2015 | ||
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| Bellshill | Disko | Modus |
| 2014 | ||
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| Shaneshill | Silver Concorde | Value At Risk |
| 2013 | ||
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| The Liquidator | Gilt Shadow | Apache Stronghold |
| 2012 | ||
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| Champagne Fever | Melodic Rendezvous | Mozoltov |
| 2011 | ||
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| Lovethehigherlaw | Waaheb | Jenari |
| 2010-2003 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
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| Hidden Universe | Oilily | Tornedo Shay |
| 2009 | ||
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| Dunguib | Sweeps Hill | Luska Lad |
| 2008 | ||
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| Cousin Vinny | Endless Intrigue | Academy Sir Harry |
| 2007 | ||
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| Mick The Man | Woodbine Willie | Shirley Casper |
| 2006 | ||
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| Leading Run | Hairy Molly | Lord Over |
| 2005 | ||
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| Refinement | The Cool Guy | Nicanor |
| 2004 | ||
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| Geill Sli | Blazing Liss | Augherskea |
| 2003 | ||
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| Royal Rosa | Royal Alphabet | Kildare |
The event was sponsored by the bookmaker Paddy Power from 1999 to 2011, by betchronicle.com in 2012, Betdaq in 2013, attheraces from 2014 to 2016 and the Racing Post from 2017 to 2019. The current sponsor is Race and Stay. It was formerly open to horses aged four or older, but an upper age limit of seven was introduced in 2007.
The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and both races were won by Cousin Vinny in 2008. The feat was repeated the following year by Dunguib, but he was later disqualified from the Irish version after testing positive for a banned substance. Two other horses have won both races; Fayonagh in 2017 and Facile Vega in 2022.
Records
Leading jockey since 1992 (4 wins):
- Patrick Mullins - Cousin Vinny (2008), Lovethehigherlaw (2011), Bellshill (2015), Facile Vega (2022)
Leading trainer since 1992 (11 wins):
- Willie Mullins - Maringo (1995), Cousin Vinny (2008), Lovethehigherlaw (2011), Champagne Fever (2012), Shaneshill (2014), Bellshill (2015), Blow By Blow (2016), Tornado Flyer (2018), Colreevy (2019), Kilcruit (2021), Facile Vega (2022)
Winners since 1992
- All amateur jockeys.
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Tiananmen Square | 4 | Tim Hyde | Noel Meade |
| 1993 | Dramatic Touch | 5 | David Marnane | Liam Browne |
| 1994 | Aries Girl | 5 | Eoghan Norris | Pat Flynn |
| 1995 | Maringo | 6 | Tony Martin | Willie Mullins |
| 1996 | Noble Thyne | 6 | Tom Mullins | Paddy Mullins |
| 1997 | Arctic Camper | 5 | Robert Thornton | David Nicholson |
| 1998 | King's Road | 5 | Gordon Elliott | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 1999 | Our Bid | 8 | Philip Carberry | Kevin Prendergast |
| 2000 | Liss A Paoraigh | 5 | Paul Crowley | John Kiely |
| 2001 | Like-A-Butterfly [lower-alpha 1] | 7 | J. T. McNamara | Christy Roche |
| 2002 | Supreme Developer | 5 | Pat Murphy | Tony Mullins |
| 2003 | Royal Rosa | 4 | Aidan Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson |
| 2004 | Geill Sli | 6 | Alan Crowe | Noel Meade |
| 2005 | Refinement | 6 | Alan Berry | Jonjo O'Neill |
| 2006 | Leading Run | 7 | Nina Carberry | Noel Meade |
| 2007 | Mick the Man | 6 | Nina Carberry | Noel Meade |
| 2008 | Cousin Vinny | 5 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2009 | Sweeps Hill [lower-alpha 2] | 5 | J. P. Magnier | John Kiely |
| 2010 | Hidden Universe | 4 | Robbie McNamara | Dermot Weld |
| 2011 | Lovethehigherlaw | 5 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2012 | Champagne Fever | 5 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2013 | The Liquidator | 5 | Jane Mangan | David Pipe |
| 2014 | Shaneshill | 5 | Jamie Codd | Willie Mullins |
| 2015 | Bellshill | 5 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2016 | Blow By Blow | 5 | Katie Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2017 | Fayonagh | 6 | Jamie Codd | Gordon Elliott |
| 2018 | Tornado Flyer | 5 | Richie Deegan | Willie Mullins |
| 2019 | Colreevy | 6 | Jamie Codd | Willie Mullins |
| no race 2020 [lower-alpha 3] | ||||
| 2021 | Kilcruit | 6 | Derek O'Connor | Willie Mullins |
| 2022 | Facile Vega | 5 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
- The 2001 running took place at Leopardstown
- Dunguib finished first in 2009, but he was subsequently disqualified after testing positive for a banned substance
- The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
References
- pedigreequery.com – Champion INH Flat Race – Punchestown.
- racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).