Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle is run over 2 miles 4½ furlongs on the New Course at Cheltenham, where it is currently scheduled as the penultimate race on the fourth, and final, day of the Cheltenham Festival. The race is a recent addition to the Festival programme, having been inaugurated in 2009 in honour of National Hunt trainer Martin Pipe, who had retired three years previously. In a career spanning 30 years, Pipe trained a total of 4,180 winners – 32 of them at the Cheltenham Festival – and became Champion Trainer 15 times.

The contest is open to horses aged four years and upwards, but restricted to conditional jockeys or, in other words, apprentice National Hunt jockeys, who have not ridden seventy-five winners under rules and claim a weight allowance accordingly. No horse or jockey has won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle more than once, but Willie Mullins is the leading trainer with three wins – Sir Des Champs (2011), Don Poli (2014), and Killultagh Vic (2015). Interestingly, Martin Pipe’s son, David, has saddled 18 runners, but managed just one placed horse so far.