2000 Champion Hurdle
The 2000 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 14 March 2000. It was the 71st running of the Champion Hurdle. The winner for the third consecutive year was J. P. McManus's Istabraq, an eight-year-old gelding trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Charlie Swan. Istabraq became the fifth horse to win three Champion Hurdles after Hatton's Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then. Istabraq started the 8/15 favourite and won by four lengths from the French challenger Hors La Loi III, with Blue Royal a neck away in third. Apart from Istabraq, the only previous winner of the race to run was Make A Stand who finished last. Eleven of the twelve runners completed the course.
| Champion Hurdle | |
| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 March 2000 |
| Winning horse | Istabraq (IRE) |
| Jockey | Charlie Swan |
| Trainer | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) |
| Owner | J. P. McManus |
The 2000 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 14 March 2000. It was the 71st running of the Champion Hurdle.
The winner for the third consecutive year was J. P. McManus's Istabraq, an eight-year-old gelding trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Charlie Swan. Istabraq became the fifth horse to win three Champion Hurdles after Hatton's Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then.
Istabraq started the 8/15 favourite and won by four lengths from the French challenger Hors La Loi III, with Blue Royal a neck away in third. Apart from Istabraq, the only previous winner of the race to run was Make A Stand who finished last. Eleven of the twelve runners completed the course.[1][2]
Race details
[edit]- Sponsor: Smurfit
- Purse: £250,000; First prize: £145,000
- Going: Good
- Distance: 2 miles 110 yards
- Number of runners: 12
- Winner's time: 3m 48.10
Full result
[edit]| Pos. | Marg. | Horse (bred) | Age | Jockey | Trainer (Country) | Odds |
| 1 | Istabraq (IRE) | 8 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 8/15 fav | |
| 2 | 4 | Hors La Loi III (FR) | 5 | Dean Gallagher | François Doumen (FR) | 11/1 |
| 3 | nk | Blue Royal (FR) | 5 | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson (GB) | 16/1 |
| 4 | ½ | Ashley Park (IRE) | 6 | Timmy Murphy | Mark Pitman (GB) | 25/1 |
| 5 | 2 | Stage Affair (USA) | 6 | Tony McCoy | Dermot Weld (IRE) | 9/1 |
| 6 | 4 | Dato Star (IRE) | 9 | Lorcan Wyer | Malcolm Jefferson (GB) | 9/1 |
| 7 | shd | Katarino (FR) | 5 | Norman Williamson | Nicky Henderson (GB) | 25/1 |
| 8 | 1¾ | Mr Percy (IRE) | 9 | Philip Hide | Josh Gifford (GB) | 66/1 |
| 9 | 19 | Theatreworld (IRE) | 8 | Tommy Treacy | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 12/1 |
| 10 | 22 | Alka International (GB) | 8 | Andrew Thornton | Prue Townsley (GB) | 200/1 |
| 11 | 10 | Make A Stand (GB) | 9 | Richard Johnson | Martin Pipe (GB) | 33/1 |
| PU | Balla Sola (IRE) | 5 | Conor O'Dwyer | Willie Mullins (IRE) | 50/1 |
- Abbreviations: nse = nose; nk = neck; hd = head; dist = distance; UR = unseated rider; PU = pulled up; LFT = left at start; SU = slipped up
Winner's details
[edit]Further details of the winner, Istabraq
- Sex: Gelding
- Foaled: 23 May 1992
- Country: Ireland
- Sire: Sadler's Wells; Dam: Betty's Secret (Secretariat)
- Owner: J. P. McManus
- Breeder: Shadwell Stud
References
[edit]- ^ "Champion Hurdle result". Racing Post. 14 March 2000. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
- ^ "Istabraq claims Cheltenham treble". BBC Sport. 14 March 2000. Retrieved 5 March 2026.