Teahupoo justified favouritism in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival this afternoon (14 March), when winning the Grade One race by three and three quarter lengths. The seven-year-old, ridden by Jack Kennedy and owned by Robcur, gave trainer Gordon Elliott his first winner of the 2024 Festival.
“He’s an amazing horse,” said Jack. “He makes my job very easy. You can put him wherever you want in a race and he jumps great so he’s a pleasure to ride.
“I wasn’t too frustrated [by not having a winner] because the horses have been running well, but I started getting a little bit annoying yesterday evening. It’s brilliant to get off the mark now.”
It was a first run since early December for Teahupoo and this marked his third Grade One victory on just his 15th start.
“It’s just great to get a winner – we’ve hit the crossbar all week,” said Mr Elliott. “To win the Stayers’ Hurdle is just unbelievable – for the whole team and for Jack and for Robcour. We’ve one on the board now, so we are happy.
“This was always the plan with Teahupoo. He runs well fresh and so we came straight here.”
Flooring Porter, ridden by Keith Donoghue and trained by Gavin Cromwell, was second, while the Joseph O’Brien-trained Home By The Lee, who was ridden by JJ Slevin, finished third.
Mr Cromwell, who won this race with Flooring Porter in 2021 and 2022, said: “I’m delighted with the run. You hate standing in second place, but that is just the nature of the beast. I don’t think we could have done anything different or have ridden him any differently. It was a very game performance.”
Teahupoo’s victory marked the first Irish winner on day three of the Festival after wins for Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls in the initial three races.
The Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race, run over three miles with 12 flights of hurdles to jump. The race is held on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival in March, which runs from 12–15 March in 2024, and is a massive highlight of the National Hunt season. The Stayers’ Hurdle gets under way at 3.30pm this afternoon (14 March). Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the big race, from this year’s runners and riders, and how to watch, to what prize money the winner will be taking home.
When is the 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle?
The race gets under way at 3.30pm on Thursday 14 March.
Who are the runners in the 2024 race?
Horse: Teahupoo | Jockey: Jack Kennedy | Owner: Robcour
Gordon Elliott
Crambo | Jonathan Burke | Owner: Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd & Chris Giles
Fergal O’Brien
Noble Yeats | Harry Cobden | Owner: Robert Waley-Cohen
Emmet Mullins
Sir Gerhad | Paul Townend | Owner: Cheveley Park Stud
Willie Mullins
Flooring Porter | Danny Mullins | Owner: Flooring Porter Syndicate
Gavin Cromwell
Home By The Lee | J J Slevin | Owner: Sean O’Driscoll
Joseph O’Brien
Paisley Park | Tom Bellamy | Owner: Andrew Gemmell
Emma Lavelle
Sire Du Berlais | Mark Walsh | Owner: JP McManus
Gordon Elliott
Buddy One | Jack G Gilligan | Owner: E Lynch, T C Quinn and John J McGrath
Paul John Gilligan
Dashel Drasher | Rex Dingle | Owner: Mrs B Tully & R Lock
Jeremy Scott
Asterion Forlonge | Mr Patrick Mullins | Owner: Mrs J Donnelly
Willie Mullins
Janidil | Jody McGarvey | Owner: JP McManus
Willie Mullins
What are the betting odds for this year’s runners?
The following odds are correct at the time of publishing and may have varied between bookmakers.
Teahupoo: 13/8
Noble Yeats: 13/2
Crambo: 7/1
Sir Gerhad: 7/1
Sire Du Berlais: 9/1
Flooring Porter: 10/1
Home By The Lee: 14/1
Paisley Park: 16/1
Buddy One: 33/1
Dashel Drasher: 33/1
Asterion Forlonge: 50/1
Janidil: 66/1
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What is the prize money for winning?
The winner of the 2024 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle will take home £182,877.50.
Recent winners
2023: Sire Du Berlais – read race report
2022: Flooring Porter – read race report
2021: Flooring Porter – read the race report
2020: Lisnagar Oscar – read the race report
2019: Paisley Park – read the race report
2018: Penhill – read the race report
2017: Nichols Canyon – read the race report
2016: Thistlecrack – read the race report
2015: Cole Harden – read the race report
2014: More Of That – read the race report
2013: Solwhit – read the race report
2012: Big Buck’s – read the race report
2011: Big Buck’s – read the race report
Winning-most trainer, horse, jockey and owner
The all-time leading Stayers’ Hurdle trainer is Paul Nicholls, who has so far won it a total of four times, thanks to Big Buck’s, who is also the horse that holds the most wins in this race (2009-12). The winning-most jockey in the race is Ruby Walsh, thanks to his five wins — all four on Big Buck’s, plus one on Nichols Canyon. And there are two leading Stayers’ Hurdle owners, who both have four wins each. These are the Stewart Family, who owned Big Buck’s and Andrea & Graham Wylie, who owned Inglis Drever (2005, 2007, 2008) and Nichols Canyon.
The history of the Stayers’ Hurdle
The inaugural Stayers’ Hurdle race was run in 1912 at Prestbury Park with £100 (£200 in 1913) prize money to the winner and £10 to the runner-up. It was called the Stayers Selling Hurdle and was a weight for age selling 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 run in 1923 and 1942 over two miles. From 1946 to 1967 the Spa Hurdle was run over the same three miles until being renamed in 1972 as the Stayers’ Hurdle.
You might also be interested in:
‘He’s an amazing horse’: Stayers’ Hurdle winner gets Irish trainer off the mark on day three of Cheltenham Festival
How to watch Cheltenham Festival on TV: your armchair viewing guide
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