Check out our Stayers' Hurdle tips and runner by runner preview for Thursday's feature at Cheltenham.
The feature race on Thursday is the Stayers’ Hurdle, the championship event for three-mile hurdlers. It is the most competitive championship race of the week. Here is a runner-by-runner guide, including some huge-priced horses to consider.
Stayers' Hurdle Tips & Preview
Asterion Forlonge
Serious talent with equal quirks. He pushed Klassical Dream all the way in Punchestown’s equivalent to this race last April, but three runs this season have contained much less promise. Ran into Champion Hurdle second Irish Point last time, though, and it may be too soon to write him off.
Buddy One
Third in last year’s Martin Pipe and progressive in the autumn, winning a handicap here off 147 in November. Last two runs not as promising and regular rider Jack Gilligan can’t claim his usual 7lb here.
Champ
Another monster talent who hasn’t achieved all he might have. Showed he retained much of his ability in the first half of last season and hinted at the same in the Long Walk and Cleeve this term, but it is asking a lot of him to recapture his best now aged 12.
Crambo
The new blood in the division, he came from handicaps to win the Long Walk at Ascot in December. Needs to improve again, but he beat his former career best by 18lb on Racing Post Ratings at Ascot so that is a strong possibility.
Dashel Drasher
Promoted to second behind Sire Du Berlais in this race last year. Has been operating a notch below that level this time around, including at his beloved Ascot in the Long Walk, and given he is 11 now that is probably his age showing.
Flooring Porter
Dual winner and creditable fourth in last year’s running. Gave chasing a try this season, with moderate success, but now reverts to his former job. Clearly a player if he can reacclimatise quickly.
Home By The Lee
Takes a lot of stoking up but hard to resist once he gets rolling, and showed he can do it at Cheltenham when fifth in this race last year. Chances are that this season has been all about a return to this race and the fitting of blinkers appeal as just the sort of thing to bring out a bit more in him.
Janidil
High-class chaser who thrives in soft ground, chasing home Allaho in the Ryanair a couple of years back after rain came. If he can translate even recent chase form to hurdles, he is a legitimate contender at huge prices.
Noble Yeats
Grand National winner, turned Gold Cup contender (fourth last year) and now a Stayers’ Hurdle player after winning the Cleeve Hurdle here in January. On ability, he deserves to be up with the market leaders. His tendency to hit a flat spot remains the question mark.
Paisley Park
Keeps showing all of his willing and 90 per cent of his old ability. That has been enough to get him close seconds in the Long Distance Hurdle, Long Walk Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle this season. Unless he ekes out a bit more, this 12-year-old may have to settle for minor honours again.
Sire Du Berlais
Sprang a surprised when winning this race last year, racking up a third Cheltenham Festival win in the process. Always struggles until the spring, so some will downplay his return to action as just blowing off the cobwebs. But he is another who has to rouse himself back to his best at the age of 12.
Sir Gerhard
Former Champion Bumper and Ballymore winner. Dabbled in chases last season, and the bigger concern is not the ability he retains but that he did not seem to stay 3m in the Brown Advisory 12 months ago.
Teahupoo
Travelled best in this race last year and passed the post second behind Sire Du Berlais, only to be demoted for causing interference. Showed his class when easily winning the Hatton’s Grace in December and saved for Cheltenham since. In the meantime, plenty of the promised young blood in this division has dried up. A worthy favourite.
Verdict
In one sense, the Stayers’ Hurdle can be kept simple. Teahupoo looked the king in waiting in the race last year and only Crambo, whose form is around 10lb worse than his, has emerged to take him on in the meantime.
But there is plenty of scope to look at a big-priced winner, and there have been plenty of shocks in this race before. Sire Du Berlais is an obvious type, but at even bigger odds Janidil and Asterion Forlonge have the talent to really put the cat among the pigeons in what is often one of the Cheltenham Festival’s most volatile championship races.
Add to your Betslip - Asterion Forlonge
Add to your Betslip - Teahupoo
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