Relkeel Hurdle Relkeel Hurdle The Relkeel Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs , and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year on New Year's Day. The event is named after Relkeel, a three-time winner of Cheltenham's Bula Hurdle in the late 1990s. The Relkeel Hurdle was given Grade 2 status in 2006. The race was
December Festival Hurdle December Festival Hurdle The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Ryanair Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December. Prior to 2013 the race was named the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in honour of Istabraq, who won it four times. The race