1989 Champion Hurdle

60th Champion Hurdle Champion Hurdle Cheltenham Racecourse 14 March 1989 Beech Road (GB) Richard Guest Toby Balding Tony Geake 1990 The 1989 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 14 March 1989. It was the 60th running of the Champion Hurdle. The winner was Tony Geake's Beech Road, a seven-year-old chestnut gelding trained in Hampshire by Toby Balding and ridden by Richard Guest. Beech Road's victory was a first in the race for jockey, trainer and owner. Beech Road had established himself as a useful handicap hurdler in his early career but failed to complete the course when tried over fences on two occasions in the early part of the 1988/1989 National Hunt season. He was switched back to hurdling and earned a place in the championship with a twenty length win in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell Racecourse in February. In the 1989 Champion Hurdle he started a 50/1 outsider and won by two lengths from Celtic Chief, with the 1988 winner Celtic Shot in third place. The 11/8 favourite Kribensis finished seventh. Twelve of the fifteen runners completed the course.https://www.racingpost.com/results/11/cheltenham/1989-03-14/28550 Champion Hurdle result Racing Post 14 March 1989 2014-04-02 Race details Sponsor: Waterford Crystal Purse: £83,614; First prize: £50,206 Going: Good to Soft Distance: 2 miles Number of runners: 15 Winner's time: 4m 02.10 Full result Pos. Marg. Horse (bred) Age Jockey Trainer (Country) Odds 1 Beech Road (GB) 7 Richard Guest Toby Balding (GB) 50/1 2 2 Celtic Chief (GB) 6 Graham McCourt Mercy Rimell (GB) 6/1 3 1 Celtic Shot (GB) 7 Peter Scudamore Charlie Brooks (GB) 8/1 4 nk Floyd (GB) 9 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth (GB) 14/1 5 nk Vagador (CAN) 6 Mark Perrett Guy Harwood (GB) 20/1 6 1 Mole Board (GB) 7 Hywel Davies Jim Old (GB) 20/1 7 7 Kribensis (IRE) 5 Richard Dunwoody Michael Stoute (GB) 11/8 fav 8 10 Cloughtaney (GB) 8 Willie Mullins Paddy Mullins (IRE) 33/1 9 shd Chatam (USA) 5 Jonathon Lower Martin Pipe (GB) 14/1 10 Condor Pan 6 Tommy Carmody Jim Bolger (IRE) 16/1 11 Wishlon (USA) 6 Ian Shoemark Ron Smyth (GB) 40/1 12 Grey Salute (CAN) 6 Steve Smith Eccles John Jenkins (GB) 10/1 Fell Sprowston Boy (GB) 6 Dermot Browne Paul Kelleway (GB) 100/1 Fell Cashew King 6 Trevor Wall Bryan McMahon (GB) 100/1 Fell Chesham Squire 5 Graham Bradley David Elsworth (GB) 66/1 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 Further details of the winner, Beech Road Sex: Gelding Foaled: 8 April 1982 Country: United Kingdom Sire: Nearly A Hand; Dam: North Bovey (Flush Royal) Owner: Tony Geake Breeder: J. Tilling References Champion Hurdle 1989 Champion Hurdle Champion Hurdle Champion Hurdle, 1090