Stayers’ Hurdle

The Stayers’ Hurdle is the fifth race on the third day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival. It is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle that was first established back in 1912. The first-ever run was on the old Prestbury Park course. The race is considered to be the most illustrious long-distance hurdle race in the National Hunt calendar.

Stayers’ Hurdle Overview

The Stayers’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over 2 miles, 7 furlongs, and 213 yards on the new course. The race is run as the fifth race on day three of the Festival where there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The prize money for the winner is likely to be around £183,000.

Stayers’ Hurdle Betting Trends and Statistics

• A good last-time-out run is important here as 22 of the past 26 winners were placed 1st or 2nd on their penultimate start.
• The market is usually a good guide with 18 winners this century going off at single odds. However, the results have been a bit more unpredictable of late with a 50/1 (Lisnagar Oscar) and 33/1 (Sire du Berlais) scoring within the last 5 years.
• Last year’s novices tend to do well here and 7 of the past 12 winners were second season hurdlers.
• With only 3 of the last 50 winners older than 9, this is not a race for the ageing types even though 10 year old Bob Olinger took the latest renewal.
• Those aged between 6 and 8 years old have the best record with no five-year-old ever winning the race.
• Paul Nicholls is the leading trainer in the race with four victories although all of those came with the gallant Big Buck’s.
• Willie Mullins is closing in on Nicholls though with three winners.
• Ireland has the best recent record in the race having won the contest 7 times in the last 9 years.

Stayers’ Hurdle History

First run in 1912 but in a very different format as a selling hurdle with just £100 prize money to the winner. Run from the end of World War Two until 1972 as the Spa Hurdle it was then re-named the Stayers’ Hurdle when it was sponsored by Lloyds Bank.

The race has subsequently been sponsored by Waterford Crystal, Bonusprint, Ladbrokes, Ryanair, Sunbets, and Paddy Power who have sponsored the race since 2020.

Other multiple winners of the race since 1972 are Crimson Embers (1982, 1986), Galmoy (1987, 1988), Barracuda (2002, 2003), Inglis Drever (2005, 2007,2008), and Flooring Porter (2022, 2022).

Stayers’ Hurdle Winners