The Contenders Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards (3,319 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The race was first run in 1949 and was originally titled the Oteley Hurdle, and it was contested over a length of 2 miles (3,219 metres). Winners in the 1970s included Lanzarote and Sea Pigeon, and during the 1980s it was won by Desert Orchid and See You Then.
From the early 1990s until 2007 the race was sponsored by Agfa, and it was known as the Agfa Hurdle. In 1993 its distance was extended by 110 yards (about 100 metres) to the current length. It is now sponsored by Tote Bookmakers, and in 2011 it was run as the Totesport 0800 221 221 Contenders Hurdle. The 2008 running was classed at Grade 2 level, but the event was reverted to its former Listed status in 2009. The race often serves as a trial for the Champion Hurdle, and the most recent horse to win both events in the same year is Binocular in 2010.
Winners
1 The 1982 race was run at Kempton.
2 The 1990 running was abandoned because of waterlogging.
3 The 2012 running was abandoned due to frost.
4 The 2014 running was abandoned due to going conditions.