AFTER a 19-year break, ‘The Ladbroke’ is back at Leopardstown. The bookmaking group sponsored the valuable handicap hurdle every January from 1987 to 2000, before moving the sponsorship to Ascot following a row over betting shop rights at Leopardstown.

Since then the race has had a succession of sponsors – Pierse Construction, MCR, BoyleSports and latterly Coral. As Coral and Ladbrokes have now merged, the parent company has decided to return the ‘Ladbrokes’ moniker to the race, which is now part of the Dublin Racing Festival opening day card.

Originally known as the Irish Sweeps Hurdle, this valuable race was staged for the first time in December 1969 at Fairyhouse before switching to Leopardstown in 1971. It was a Champion Hurdle trial before it became a handicap though it continued to produce Champion Hurdle candidates as a handicap.

For Auction won it in 1982 before going on to Cheltenham glory that year. Fredcoteri won it twice for Arthur Moore, a trainer who won it six times in a 20-year period, and the 1987 winner Barnbrook Again went on to win the Champion Chase twice.

The race has produced some colourful stories over the years – dual winner Redundant Pal (1989-’90) landed a gamble after a controversial prep run, and Noel Furlong pulled off a major coup with The Illiad (1991).

Around the turn of the century ante-post betting interest in the race waned due to uncertainty over the participation of high-weighted horses such as Limestone Lad and Theatreworld. As a result the conditions of the race were changed to exclude horses rated above 150. Now worth €125,000, the race generally attracts a full field. The winning connections can earn a €100,000 bonus if the horse goes on to win the Coral Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Horses owned by J.P. McManus have won three of the past five runnings.