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2026 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Preview
One of the feature races on the final day of the festival at the Punchestown racecourse is the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, as the title suggests, the race is open to four-year-olds only and is to determine the champion four-year-old! The race is run over a two-mile trip, with a total of nine hurdles jumped.
Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Information:
- Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Past Winners
- Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Punchestown tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? We cover all of the major races at the Punchestown Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2006, when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 130%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ118 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Barizan (3:41.90) in 2010
- Punjabi (3:42.80) in 2007
- Grandouet (3:47.40) in 2011
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -15.46. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Barizan, trained by Evan Williams and ridden by Jason Maguire, who set the fastest winning time in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:41.90 in 2010. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer W P Mullins and jockey B J Cooper with Petite Parisienne who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:09.30 in the 2015 renewal.
Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:49.60 | Lulamba (FR) 4yo 11-0 11/10F | James Bowen Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2024 4:05.70 | Kargese (FR) 4yo 10-7 9/4F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 3:58.10 | Lossiemouth (FR) 4yo 10-7 1/2F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 4:06.90 | Vauban (FR) 4yo 11-0 4/11F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 3:50.00 | Jeff Kidder (IRE) 4yo 11-2 22/1 | Sean Flanagan Noel Meade (IRE) |
| 2019 3:51.90 | Fusil Raffles (FR) 4yo 11-0 13/8F | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 3:57.10 | Saldier (FR) 4yo 11-0 10/1 | Robbie Power W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 3:53.40 | Bapaume (FR) 4yo 11-0 2/1F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2016 3:59.80 | Apples Jade (FR) 4yo 10-7 8/13F | B J Cooper W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2015 4:09.30 | Petite Parisienne (FR) 4yo 10-7 11/4F | B J Cooper W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 14 winners with an additional 30 placings from 145 runners
- GB: 6 winners with an additional 2 placings from 23 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2025 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Replay
Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race ten times, with those ten winners coming from Quatre Heures (2006), Diakali (2013), Abbyssial (2014), Petite Parisienne (2015), Apples Jade (2016), Bapaume (2017), Saldier (2018), Vauban (2022), Lossiemouth (2023) and Kargese (2024). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle is Nicky Henderson (4 wins). One trainer has not had the best of times in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle; Gordon Elliott has sent a total of 14 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are some of the top Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 54-10-21 | -12.52 | -14.38 |
| Nicky Henderson | 6-4-4 | +4.73 | +2.14 |
| Noel Meade | 5-1-2 | +18.00 | +10.70 |
| E J O'Grady | 3-1-2 | +0.50 | +3.30 |
| D K Weld | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.40 |
| Lucy Wadham | 1-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.75 |
| Sabrina J Harty | 1-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.40 |
| Evan Williams | 1-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.40 |
| Gordon Elliott | 14-0-3 | -14.00 | -9.80 |
| Alan King | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.75 |
Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Townend, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Vauban (2022), Lossiemouth (2023) and Kargese (2024).
Here are some of the top Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 14-3-8 | -7.89 | -3.29 |
| Sean Flanagan | 2-1-2 | +21.00 | +12.95 |
| James Bowen | 1-1-1 | +1.10 | +0.66 |
| Danny Mullins | 9-0-1 | -9.00 | -8.23 |
| Mark Walsh | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -6.00 |
| Jack Kennedy | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -2.05 |
| Brian Hayes | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| J J Slevin | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.00 |
| Sean O'Keeffe | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Keith Donoghue | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.15 |
2026 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, F, 1, 4, 2, 2, 4, UR, 1, 7, 1, 1, 1, UR, 1, 7, 1, 1, 1, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (59%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 20 / 20 (61%) - Not in a LST/Cl2/Cl4-5 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (61%) - Achieved an RPR of 124+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (63%) - Break of 14 - 81 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (64%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl2/Cl4-5 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (67%) - Highest Won is not LST/Cl4-5
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Had 1 - 3 placings (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (72%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Break of 23 - 190 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Achieved a TS of 98+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Furthest ran 2m½f - 2m4f
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Had 2 - 6 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Highest Placed is not LST/Cl2/Cl4-5
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Carried 147 - 156lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not on HY/GF (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Punchestown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 places in the past 90 days, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-47.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 10 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Aintree; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 15 winners from a total of 138 runners, while female runners have produced 5 winners from a total of 32 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle; that stallion is Galileo, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Jeff Kidder in 2021, winning for Noel Meade at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of Sean Flanagan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 10 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle.
Route to the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Lulamba Cheltenham - 2nd of 17 (11/4) | Triumph Hurdle |
| 2024 - Kargese Aintree - 2nd of 5 (7/4) | Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle |
| 2023 - Lossiemouth Cheltenham - 1st of 15 (11/8) | Triumph Hurdle |
| 2022 - Vauban Cheltenham - 1st of 12 (6/4) | Triumph Hurdle |
| 2021 - Jeff Kidder Fairyhouse - 1st of 7 (5/1) | Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Juvenile Hurdle |
| 2019 - Fusil Raffles Kempton - 1st of 12 (4/1) | 888Sport Take Em On Adonis Juvenile Hurdle |
| 2018 - Saldier Fairyhouse - 3rd of 7 (3/1) | BoyleSports Juvenile Hurdle |
| 2017 - Bapaume Cheltenham - 3rd of 15 (10/1) | Triumph Hurdle |
| 2016 - Apples Jade Aintree - 1st of 9 (3/1) | Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle |
| 2015 - Petite Parisienne Fairyhouse - 2nd of 14 (9/2) | Fairyhouse Mares Novice Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Punchestown Festival
The highlight on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival is the Grade 1 Champion Chase, which carries a purse of âŹ300,000. There are also two other Grade 1 races on the card with the Champion Novice Hurdle and the Champion Novice Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle | Ascending Lark (GB) 7yo - 8/1 | Harry Derham Paul O'Brien |
| Champion Novice Hurdle | Irancy (FR) 7yo - 18/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Punchestown Champion Novice Chase | Champ Kiely (IRE) 9yo - 22/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| Goffs Defender Bumper | Wonderful Everyday (IRE) 4yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Miss R Dudfield |
| Punchestown Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 2/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Punchestown Festival
The Punchestown Gold Cup is the feature on day two of the festival. This Grade 1 is worth âŹ300,000 and is one of three G1 races on the card, with the Channor Novice Hurdle and Champion I.N.H. Flat Race being the others.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Channor Group Novice Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 13/8 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Champion INH Flat Race | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 11/8 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
| Punchestown Handicap Chase | James Du Berlais (FR) 9yo - 7/1 | W P Mullins J J Slevin |
| Punchestown Gold Cup | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 9yo - 5/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Punchestown Festival
Two Grade 1 races feature on day three, the highlight of those two being the âŹ300,000 Champion Stayers Hurdle, the other is the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle | Jeriko Du Reponet (FR) 6yo - 13/2 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| Frontline Security Handicap Chase | Petit Tonnerre (FR) 7yo - 16/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Richie McLernon |
| Barberstown Castle Novice Chase | Majborough (FR) 5yo - 4/11 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| Champion Stayers Hurdle | Teahupoo (FR) 8yo - 5/4 | Gordon Elliott Sam Ewing |
Schedule for Friday at the Punchestown Festival
The Champion Hurdle is the feature on the Saturday; this Grade 1 is worth âŹ300,000 and is one of two Grade 1s on the card, with the Champion Novice Hurdle being the other.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Punchestown Listed Novice Handicap Chase | Sea Music (IRE) 7yo - 28/1 | Emmet Mullins Donagh Meyler |
| Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle | Final Demand (IRE) 6yo - 7/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Punchestown Champion Hurdle | State Man (FR) 8yo - 9/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Schedule for Saturday at the Punchestown Festival
The final day of the Punchestown Festival sees a couple of Grade 1 races, which both carry purses of âŹ125,000, and those are the Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle and the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle | Jade De Grugy (FR) 6yo - 1/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle | Lulamba (FR) 4yo - 11/10 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| Punchestown Listed Handicap Hurdle | Hey Sunshine (IRE) 6yo - 11/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Punchestown Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Punchestown racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
