1998 Champion Hurdle

The 1998 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 17 March 1998. It was the 69th running of the Champion Hurdle.

The winner was J. P. McManus's Istabraq, a six-year-old gelding trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Charlie Swan.

Istabraq started the 3/1 favourite and won by twelve lengths from his stable companion Theatreworld, who had finished second to Make A Stand in the previous year, with I'm Supposin in third place. There were no previous Champion Hurdlers in the field but the other runners included Pridwell, Relkeel and Dato Star. The strongly-fancied Shadow Leader was fatally injured in a fall at the final hurdle. Fifteen of the eighteen runners completed the course.

Race details

 * Sponsor: Smurfit
 * Purse: £231,800; First prize: £137,420
 * Going: Good
 * Distance: 2 miles 110 yards
 * Number of runners: 18
 * Winner's time: 3m 49.10

Full result

 * Abbreviations: nse = nose; nk = neck; hd = head; dist = distance; UR = unseated rider; PU = pulled up; LFT = left at start; SU = slipped up; BD = brought down

Winner's details
Further details of the winner, Istabraq
 * Sex: Gelding
 * Foaled: 23 May 1992
 * Country: Ireland
 * Sire: Sadler's Wells; Dam: Betty's Secret (Secretariat)
 * Owner: J. P. McManus
 * Breeder: Shadwell Stud