The Stayers' Hurdle 2019

The Stayers Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March. It is the leading long-distance hurdle event in the National Hunt calendar, and it is the feature race on the third day of the Festival.

The inaugural race was run in 1912 at Prestbury Park over 3 miles with £100 (£200 in 1913) prize money to the winner and £10 to the runner-up. It was called "Stayers Selling Hurdle" and was a Weight for Age Selling type of event with the winning horse being sold for £50 after the race. The race was dropped from the festival programme twice during 1928-1929 and in 1939-1945 but in 1946 it replaced the Spa Hurdle which was previously ran in 1923 and 1942 over 2 miles. From 1946 to 1967 the Spa Hurdle was ran over the same 3 miles until being renamed in 1972 as the Stayers' Hurdle when it was sponsored by Lloyds Bank. It was backed by Waterford Crystal from 1978 to 1990, and by Bonusprint from 1991 to 2004. The race used to be held on either the Tuesday or the Wednesday of the Festival, but it was moved to the Thursday in 1993.

The 2019 renewal received 51 initial entries and the clear favourite for the race at this stage is reigning champion Penhill from Willie Mullins yard. The 2017 Albert Bartlett winner is starting to look like a "1 race per season wonder" as he went straight to the festival last season and looks like doing so again this time around. Clearly best fresh, he has been beaten at the last 2 Punchestown festivals after winning at Cheltenham and Willie Mullins knows exactly how to get this type of horse to Cheltenham in peak condition as he used to do it every year with Quevega. Another Mullins inmate, Faugheen, is also entered and may well try and land the stayers crown after winning the Champion Hurdle in 2015 and romping away with the Punchestown Stayers title in 2018. A heavy fall over Christmas denied us the opportunity of seeing him go toe-to-toe with Apples Jade but the mare is unlikely to reoppose here. Last years second, Supasundae, is also part of a strong Irish challenge and he has looked as good as ever this season, twice finishing second in Grade 1 company over shorter trips.

The Cleeve Hurdle this coming Saturday should tell us more about the British challenge and Paisley Park is currently favourite for that race having won the Long Walk in impressive fashion just before Christmas. A couple of old favourites potentially returning to hurdles from chasing, Lil Rockerfeller and Black Op, could add spice to the Cleeve and to the Stayers picture.

 

44 left in after the latest forefeit stage and Willie Mullins reports Penhill to be bang on target to defend his crown. He is, however, currently only 3rd favourite in the betting behind Paisley Park and, surprisingly, Presenting Percy. The Gold Cup favourite has yet to jump a fence in open company and his next (and final) chance for a prep run in this weekend's Bobbyjo Chase may well be scuppered by the ground. Interest grew in him for this market after his impressive win in the Galmoy Hurdle but it would be a major shock (at least to me) if he were to run here instead of the Gold Cup.