The 1996 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 12 March 1996. It was the 67th running of the Champion Hurdle.

67th Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
LocationCheltenham Racecourse
Date12 March 1996
Winning horseCollier Bay (GB)
JockeyGraham Bradley
TrainerJim Old (GB)
OwnerWally Sturt
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The winner was Wally Sturt's Collier Bay, a six-year-old bay gelding trained in Wiltshire by Jim Old and ridden by Graham Bradley. Collier Bay's victory was a first in the race for jockey, trainer and owner.

Collier Bay, had been unsuccessful flat racer, who had become a good handicapper over hurdles before emerging as a potential champion by defeating Danoli in the Irish Champion Hurdle in January. Starting the 9/1 fourth choice in the betting, he won Champion Hurdle by two and a half lengths from Alderbrook the 1995 winner who started the 10/11 favourite. Fourteen of the sixteen runners completed the course.[1]

Race details

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  • Sponsor: Smurfit
  • Purse: £208,992; First prize: £127,966
  • Going: Good to Soft
  • Distance: 2 miles 110 yards
  • Number of runners: 16
  • Winner's time: 3m 59.00

Full result

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Pos. Marg. Horse (bred) Age Jockey Trainer (Country) Odds
1 Collier Bay (GB) 6 Graham Bradley Jim Old (GB) 9/1
2 Alderbrook (GB) 7 Richard Dunwoody Kim Bailey (GB) 10/11 fav
3 6 Pridwell (GB) 6 Chris Maude Martin Pipe (GB) 33/1
4 Danoli (IRE) 8 Tommy Treacy Tom Foley (IRE) 5/1
5 1 Squire Silk (GB) 7 Jason Titley Andy Turnell (GB) 20/1
6 Mysilv (GB) 6 Jamie Osborne Charles Egerton (GB) 7/1
7 4 Boro Eight (GB) 10 Richard Johnson Venetia Williams (GB) 100/1
8 Staunch Friend (USA) 8 Peter Niven Mark Tompkins (GB) 66/1
9 11 Hotel Minella (GB) 9 Charlie Swan Aidan O'Brien (IRE) 10/1
10 5 Land Afar (GB) 9 Mick Fitzgerald Paul Webber (GB) 25/1
11 8 Chief Minister (IRE) 7 Tony Dobbin Thomas Dyer (GB) 100/1
12 18 Right Win (IRE) 6 Graham McCourt Richard Hannon, Sr. (GB) 25/1
13 13 Kissair (IRE) 5 Jonothon Lower Martin Pipe (GB) 66/1
14 4 Absalom's Lady (GB) 8 A. P. McCoy David Elsworth (GB) 66/1
PU Mack The Knife (GB) 7 David Bridgwater Martin Pipe (GB) 33/1
PU Muse (GB) 9 Paul Holley David Elsworth (GB) 100/1
  • Abbreviations: nse = nose; nk = neck; hd = head; dist = distance; UR = unseated rider; PU = pulled up; LFT = left at start; SU = slipped up; BD = brought down

Winner's details

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Further details of the winner, Collier Bay

References

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  1. ^ "Champion Hurdle result". Racing Post. 12 March 1996. Retrieved 2014-03-25.