New Year’s Day first became a bank holiday in 1974, and Windsor was fortunate enough to have a fixture that day. Enterprisingly, next year they introduced a valuable race, appropriately named the New Year’s Day Hurdle. Good prize money meant it attracted a small yet classy field.
In 1976 it was won by the reigning Champion Hurdler Comedy Of Errors, who took that title in 1973 and regained his crown two years later. He won 23 of his 48 races. Beacon Light, successful in the 1978 New Year’s Day Hurdle, was unlucky not to win a Champion Hurdle, but he was up against a set of exceptional opponents who were running in the 1970s.
Through the next decade the race went to championship contenders like Celtic Ryde in 1981 and 82, who in John Francome’s view was the second best hurdler he ever rode; and high grade handicappers like Ra Nova, another dual winner. Celtic Shot won it in 1988 two months before taking the Champion Hurdle. This 17-time winner went on to be a top class chaser.
The status of the New Year’s Day Hurdle faltered in the 1990s due to competition from races elsewhere offering more prize money. It was run for the last time in 1998, the year that National Hunt racing at Windsor ended, apart from a temporary revival in 2004-05 while Ascot racecourse was being redeveloped. Arena Racing reinstated jumping here in December 2024 and we have now revived the traditional New Year’s Day meeting and its big hurdle race, now worth £100,000 and sponsored by Fitzdares.
