Big gambles, Champion Hurdle winners and a trainer warned off: the colourful history of Newbury's big handicap

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The feature William Hill Hurdle run on Newbury's Super Saturday card boasts an immensely rich, colourful history, being synonymous with successful, old-fashioned gambles and the provision of Cheltenham pointers for both the Champion Hurdle and Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Inaugurated in 1963 as the Schweppes Gold Trophy, its early years were dominated by the mystical Captain Ryan Price, who landed four of the first five runnings.

Controversy was never far away from Price and after Rosyth had landed a touch in 1964 – which followed four unplaced efforts – his trainer was warned off and jockey Josh Gifford suspended for six weeks.

Persian War was the most famous horse to win the valuable prize during its Schweppes days, fizzing home in 1968 under 11st 13lb, a prelude to his three successive Champion Hurdle wins.

The latest on today's big-race:

• Saturday updates: Beat The Bat smashed into 8-1 from 18-1 to hit the bookies for six in the William Hill Hurdle
• 'All three of mine can run blinders' - William Hill Hurdle trainers have their say on one of the best betting races of the year 

The Martin Pipe-trained Make A Stand also managed to win the Newbury handicap and Champion Hurdle in the same year, his heroics in 1997 coming at a time when the Schweppes sponsorship had been taken over by Tote Bookmakers.

Titled the Tote Gold Trophy from 1987 to 2004 and the totesport Trophy from 2005 to 2011, its name may have changed, but the gambles continued.

The Michael O'Brien-trained Irish raider Essex, sent off a heavily backed 4-1 favourite prior to breezing home by three lengths under Barry Geraghty in 2005, is one who immediately comes to mind.

My Tent Or Yours (AP McCoy) clears the final flight to win the 2013 Betfair HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was during its later Tote years that the race began to develop a reputation as a strong guide to the Supreme.

Get Me Out Of Here, who landed an ante-post Newbury touch when slamming Ronaldo Des Mottes by a length and three-quarters in 2010 on only his second venture into a handicap, was beaten a neck by Menorah in the Supreme next time out.

My Tent Or Yours, whose impressive Newbury win in 2013 was achieved in the second year of the race being known as the Betfair Hurdle, went down by half a length to Champagne Fever in the Supreme.

Ballyandy, Kalashnikov and Al Dancer, winners of the Newbury race between 2017-19, finished fourth, second and tenth respectively at the Cheltenham Festival's opening race the following month.

William Hill have become the latest sponsors this year and the race looks well up to standard, with 18 runners headed by Secret Squirrel.

The six-year-old chestnut has proved a popular order since the first prices for this £155,000 smasher became available last month, although lightly raced mare Joyeuse could potentially challenge him for favouritism by the off-time.

It was probably easier to land a gamble back in the day. I wonder how Ryan Price would have reacted to being subjected to intrusive affordability checks. That really would have been a sight to behold.

Read these next:

Harry Wilson identified three winners in his last column - find out his tips for every race on ITV4 on Saturday  

Richard Birch is all over one in the William Hill Hurdle as he bids to follow up a winner last Saturday  

'All three of mine can run blinders' - William Hill Hurdle trainers have their say on one of the best betting races of the year 

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