Outwith the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Matheson Hurdle is the most prestigious two-mile hurdle race in Ireland, and it’s a contest that has been won by some of the greatest hurdlers of all time.
Known as a key trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, three horses have won both races in the same season - Istabraq on three occasions, Hurricane Fly twice, and Brave Inca once.
Willie Mullins has trained the winner of the Matheson Hurdle ten times, including each of the last five renewals, most recently with State Man in 2022.
2023 sees Closutton trainer field three of the four runners in the race with State Man, Impaire Et Passe, and Echoes In Rain set to line up.
Matheson Hurdle Betting Offers
How To Get Free Bets For The 2023 Matheson Hurdle
The Matheson Hurdle is one of several Grade 1 races at Leopardstown over the festive period, and the top online bookmakers ensure horse racing fans are well catered for with a host of betting offers.
One of the most popular betting sites with punters for horse racing betting is bet365, offering daily enhanced odds, extra place terms, and live streaming on their excellent website and mobile betting app.
Midnite are a new name on the UK betting scene, but they are quickly becoming a popular destination for horse racing fans with their competitive odds and wide range of betting markets - ideal for using over the busy festive period of racing action.
Matheson Hurdle Tips
Four runners are set to head to post on Friday for the Matheson Hurdle, with Willie Mullins training three of them - State Man, Impaire Et Passe, and Echoes In Rain - and Gordon Elliott responsible for the final runner, Fils D’oudairies, who is the outsider of the field.
State Man heads the betting, and with just one defeat in his last nine races, and as the top hurdler in Ireland, he’s the one the rest must beat.
His only defeat last season came against Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle, and he should be a class above these rivals, with Impaire Et Passe a disappointing favourite in the Hatton’s Grace earlier this month.
Matheson Hurdle Betting Tips & Stats Guide
Check out more from the Freebets horse racing hub, including tips, stats, market movers and today’s racecards!
What Happened Last Year?
State Man led home a 1-2-3 for trainer Willie Mullins in the 2022 Matheson Hurdle.
Sent off the 4/6 favourite, State Man was comfortable throughout the race and ran out an easy winner from stablemates Vauban in 2nd and Sharjah in 3rd.
The victory was one of four Grade 1 wins for State Man last season, his only defeat coming in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham when 2nd to Constitution Hill.
When & Where Is The 2023 Matheson Hurdle?
The 2023 Matheson Hurdle will take place at Leopardstown on Friday, December 29, the final day of the Christmas Festival. The race is scheduled to go off at 2:25pm.
Recent Matheson Hurdle Winners
The winner’s list of the Matheson Hurdle is a who’s-who of the top Irish hurdlers from the last 30 years.
Istabraq was a four-time race winner, as were Hurricane Fly and Sharjah, while Moscow Flyer and Brave Inca were also notable winners.
Check out the last five winners of the Matheson Hurdle in the table below.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2022 | State Man |
| 2021 | Sharjah |
| 2020 | Sharjah |
| 2019 | Sharjah |
| 2018 | Sharjah |
FAQs
When is the 2023 Matheson Hurdle?
This year's Matheson Hurdle will be run on Friday, December 29 at 2:25pm.
Where is the Matheson Hurdle run?
The Matheson Hurdle is run at Leopardstown Racecourse on the final day of their three-day Christmas Festival.
Which horse has most Matheson Hurdle wins?
Three horses have won the Matheson Hurdle on four occasions - Istabraq in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001, Hurricane Fly in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and Sharjah in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
