WBX Hurdling Triple Crown: The Three Races

WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle
Known as a major early season trial for the Cheltenham Festival, Newcastle's WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle has become a championship race in its own right in recent years and its elevation to Grade 1 status in 2004 was no surprise given the glittering list of hurdling superstars who have won this prize before - including the mighty Sea Pigeon and his old rival Birds Nest.


Following inclement weather and the subsequent abandonment of racing at Newcastle seven days previously, the 2008 WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle saw a small but select field of six face the starter at Wetherby for the rescheduled running that witnessed Nicky Henderson’s Punjabi make seasonal reappearance.

Always travelling strongly, the five-year-old, and odds on favourite, kept on strongly to the line to beat 2007 Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity by a head and in the process claim the first leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown.

The 2009 running of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle will carry total prize money of £100,000, making it the most valuable renewal of the race to date.

williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle
Kempton's williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle is perhaps the most compelling test of pure speed in the jumps racing calendar. The Sunbury track’s tight turns and flat profile make the Christmas Hurdle a unique contest and continually asks searching questions about the pace, adaptability and versatility of any horse wanting to take on the mantle of a true hurdling superstar.


The 2008 renewal was won by Harchibald, who repelled the challenge of Snap Tie under a typically confident Paul Carberry. It was the second time that Noel Meade’s French bred had tasted success in the race having got the better of Rooster Booster back in 2004

Bidding to land the second leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown, favourite Punjabi took a crashing fall two out when looking a danger to all and with it squandered the chance to be just one race away from claiming the £1 million bonus that accompanies it.

Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle
The world's premier hurdle race is a perennial Cheltenham Festival highlight and has many of the greatest names in National Hunt racing in its list of winners. Offering one of the most demanding tests of any hurdler, the Champion Hurdle decides which horse will be crowned King in the hurdling sphere each season.


With legends such as Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon, See You Then, and Istabraq in its roll of honour, the Champion Hurdle provides a fitting and spectacular climax to the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown.

In 2009, WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle hero Punjabi just got the better of Celestial Halo and stable mate Binocular in a thrilling finish. It left connections to rue Punjabi’s unfortunate tumble at Kempton, a fall which ultimately cost them the £1 million bonus on offer to any horse successful in each three legs that comprise the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown.

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