The feature race on the Friday of the Punchestown Festival is the Grade 1 Racing Post Champion Hurdle run over two miles. The race has been run in its present format since 1999 and has an illustrious roll of honour including Istabraq and Moscow Flyer and within the last decade Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winners Hurricane Fly, Punjabi, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace.
Hurricane Fly is the only multiple winner of the race and completing a fourth successive victory in 2013.
Trainer: Willie Mullins has been the most successful trainer having saddled 5 of the 15 race winners and the first three home in 2012. Two of the last ten winners were trained in GB. 5 of the last 11 GB challengers have finished in the first 2.
Jockey: Ruby Walsh(4) and Barry Geraghty(3) have been the most successful Rabobank Champion Hurdle jockeys.
Rating: 8 of last 11 winners were rated 157+
Age: No 10 year old winner in the race history.
Odds: 4 winning favourites/joint favourites in the last 11 with second favourite winning on another 6 occasions.
Form: The last 5 winners finished in first 3 on previous start.
Rabobank Champion Hurdle Preview
Rabobank Champion Hurdle Winners 2003-2012
| Year | Form | Winner | Trainer | Jockey | Age | OR | SP |
| 2012 | 13 | Hurricane Fly | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh | 8 | 173 | 4-11F |
| 2011 | 1111 | Hurricane Fly | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh | 7 | 172 | 8-11F |
| 2010 | 3 | Hurricane Fly | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend | 6 | 157 | 3-1 |
| 2009 | 11211 | Solwhit | Charles Byrnes | Davy Russell | 5 | 160 | 2-1JF |
| 2008 | 423 | Punjabi | N J Henderson (GB) | B J Geraghty | 5 | – | 2-1 |
| 2007 | 84300 | Silent Oscar | Harry Rogers | Robbie Power | 8 | 128 | 20-1 |
| 2006 | 54212 | Macs Joy | Mrs J Harrington | B J Geraghty | 7 | 166 | 11-4 |
| 2005 | 2223F | Brave Inca | Colm Murphy | A P McCoy | 7 | 165 | 2-1 |
| 2004 | 12721 | Hardy Eustace | Dessie Hughes | C O’Dwyer | 7 | 166 | 3-1 |
| 2003 | 3291704 | Quazar | Jonjo O’Neill (GB) | Tony Dobbin | 5 | – | 7-2 |
Rabobank Champion Hurdle Entries 2013
