Hardy Eustace

Hardy Eustace
Hardy Eustace at the Cheltenham Festival in 2005.
Sire	Archway
Dam	Sterna Star
Damsire	Corvara
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	1997
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Patrick Boyce
Owner	Laurence Byrne
Trainer	Dessie Hughes
Record	41: 14-10-6
Earnings	£1,082,377
Major wins
Goffs Land Rover Bumper (2002) Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2002) Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle (2003) Champion Hurdle (2004, 2005) Punchestown Champion Hurdle (2004) Red Mills Trial Hurdle (2005) Ascot Hurdle (2006, 2007) Irish Champion Hurdle (2007) Morgiana Hurdle (2008)

Hardy Eustace is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Champion Hurdle in 2004 and 2005. He was trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes and owned by Laurence Byrne.

Early career

Hardy Eustace made his debut in a National Hunt flat race at Punchestown in March 2002, where he finished an eleven-length fifth of seventeen runners. He improved for his debut run in his next start as he won the valuable Goffs Land Rover Bumper at Fairyhouse in April. He had one more run in his debut season, where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown.

Hardy Eustace began the 2002/03 season with a warm-up run in a flat race at Navan, where he finished fifth. In his next race, which was his first over hurdles, he finished first in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown but was disqualified. He was moved to Grade 1 class for his next start in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, which he won by one and a half lengths from Back In Front. He then won another novice hurdle before finishing second to Solerina in the Deloitte & Touche Novice Hurdle. He then went to the Cheltenham Festival in March 2003, where he won the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle under Kieran Kelly. Hardy Eustace had one more run that season, where he finished fifth behind Iris's Gift in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Champion Hurdler

Hardy Eustace began the 2003/04 season with a warm-up run on the flat at Navan again, which he won. He then finished 2nd behind Rosaker in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan before finishing last in the December Festival Hurdle. He next finished runner up in both Cleeve Hurdle and the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. After this, Hardy Eustace came back to Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle, for which he was sent off a 33/1 chance. However, he belied his long odds and won the race with a front-running performance, with Rooster Booster back in second.^[1] He followed that up with another victory over Rooster Booster in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, which was his last run for the season.

The following season (2004/05), Hardy Eustace was placed in his first 3 runs of the season: the Tara Hurdle, December Festival Hurdle and the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle. He then went to Gowran Park to win the Red Mills Trial Hurdle before coming back to Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle again, where he was sent off the 7/2 joint favourite. He led throughout the race and held off a challenge from Harchibald to win by a neck.

Later career

The 2005/06 season began with a comfortable success for Hardy Eustace at Punchestown, where he returned at odds of 1/8. He then disappointed in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, where he finished last of seven runners behind the winner, Brave Inca. After that he came back to Cheltenham, where he was looking to win the Champion Hurdle for the 3rd year running, but was third behind Brave Inca. He had two more runs that season, finishing second in the Aintree Hurdle and third in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

He started the 2006/07 season with his usual warm-up run on the flat, where he finished sixth in a Curragh Handicap. He then won the Ascot Hurdle, before finishing second to Detroit City in the Bula Hurdle. He then went back to Leopardstown, where he won the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle. He had two more runs that season but failed to win, finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and third in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

The following season (2007/08), Hardy Eustace started with his customary warm-up run on the flat before he won the Ascot Hurdle again, beating Afsoun. He was then stepped up 3 miles plus for the first time in the Long Walk Hurdle and finished second to Lough Derg. He was second his next two starts: the December Festival Hurdle and the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle. Hardy Eustace returned to Cheltenham to compete in the World Hurdle, where he was twelfth behind reigning champion Inglis Drever.

In his first race in the 2008/09 season, Hardy Eustace started in the Grade 1 Maplewood Developments Hurdle, where he was sent off the 14/1 outsider of four runners but recorded a two and a half length victory over Sizing Europe. He followed that with a third behind Catch Me in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at the end of November at Fairyhouse.

Hardy Eustace was retired at the end of 2009.^[2]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Hardy Eustace (IRE), bay Gelding, 1997 ^[3]
Sire Archway (IRE) 1988	Thatching (IRE) 1975	Thatch	Forli
		Thatch	Thong
		Abella	Abbernant
		Abella	Darrica
	Rose of Jericho 1984	Alleged	Hold the Flag
		Alleged	Princess Pout
		Rose Red	Northern Dancer
		Rose Red	Cambrienne
Dam Sterna Star (IRE) 1984	Corvaro 1977	Vaguely Noble	Vienna
		Vaguely Noble	Noble Lassie
		Delmora	Sir Gaylord
		Delmora	Penitence III
	Star Girl 1973	Sovereign Gleam	Sovereign Path
		Sovereign Gleam	Tudor Gleam
		Stema (GER)	Neckar (GER)
		Stema (GER)	Stammarsart (GER)

References

↑ Wood, Greg (17 March 2004). "Eustace flies in on angel's wings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
↑ "Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace retired after loss". BBC Sport. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
↑ "Hardy Eustace Pedigree". Equiline. Retrieved 3 April 2016.

External links

Eustace race record at Racing Post

Champion Hurdle winners

1927 Blaris 1928 Brown Jack 1929 Royal Falcon 1930 Brown Tony 1932 Insurance 1933 Insurance 1934 Chenango 1935 Lion Courage 1936 Victor Norman 1937 Free Fare 1938 Our Hope 1939 African Sister ♥ 1940 Solford 1941 Seneca 1942 Forestation 1945 Brains Trust 1946 Distel 1947 National Spirit 1948 National Spirit 1949 Hatton's Grace 1950 Hatton's Grace 1951 Hatton's Grace 1952 Sir Ken 1953 Sir Ken 1954 Sir Ken 1955 Clair Soleil 1956 Doorknocker 1957 Merry Deal 1958 Bandalore 1959 Fare Time 1960 Another Flash 1961 Eborneezer 1962 Anzio 1963 Winning Fair 1964 Magic Court 1965 Kirriemuir 1966 Salmon Spray 1967 Saucy Kit 1968 Persian War 1969 Persian War 1970 Persian War 1971 Bula 1972 Bula 1973 Comedy of Errors 1974 Lanzarote 1975 Comedy of Errors 1976 Night Nurse 1977 Night Nurse 1978 Monksfield 1979 Monksfield 1980 Sea Pigeon 1981 Sea Pigeon 1982 For Auction 1983 Gaye Brief 1984 Dawn Run ♥ 1985 See You Then 1986 See You Then 1987 See You Then 1988 Celtic Shot 1989 Beech Road 1990 Kribensis 1991 Morley Street 1992 Royal Gait 1993 Granville Again 1994 Flakey Dove ♥ 1995 Alderbrook 1996 Collier Bay 1997 Make A Stand 1998 Istabraq 1999 Istabraq 2000 Istabraq 2002 Hors La Loi III 2003 Rooster Booster 2004 Hardy Eustace 2005 Hardy Eustace 2006 Brave Inca 2007 Sublimity 2008 Katchit 2009 Punjabi 2010 Binocular 2011 Hurricane Fly 2012 Rock On Ruby 2013 Hurricane Fly 2014 Jezki 2015 Faugheen 2016 Annie Power ♥

Legend - ♥ = Mare

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