2023 Stayers Hurdle Betting Tips
Blazing Khal is a relatively new kid on the block at the age of seven, with Charles Byrnes having the favourite to win the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and there was plenty to like about a recent comeback performance at Navan. There was a three-length win in the William Hill Boyne Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs, with the horse having previously been a smart performer at Cheltenham.
However, some might prefer the chances of Teahupoo and the six-year-old was a facile winner of the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, with the horse previously making a bigger statement when landing the spoils in the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle at betting odds of 20/1 and he will have his backers.
The same applies to Marie’s Rock who has been racking up the wins for trainer Nicky Henderson, with the eight-year-old having a mares’ allowance and she has won her past four encounters. The victory in the Relkeel Hurdle was enjoyed by six lengths and that level of performance at Cheltenham suggests that she could actually be the one to beat.
Home By The Lee was able to win a Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown Racecourse, with the 7/1 shot winning by three lengths and the field included Bob Olinger and Flooring Porter. The latter has previously been a winner of the Stayers Hurdle although there have been underwhelming performances this season so improvement is needed.
2022 Stayers Hurdle Betting Tips
Flooring Porter will be among the Cheltenham betting tips for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle this year, with the seven-year-old having won the race at the 2021 Festival, with Gavin Cromwell training the runner who beat Sire Du Berlais by over three lengths last season, although he’s a quirky animal who might not have to run on soft ground.
It could be tough to take on the reigning champion for the other horses in the field, with the horse producing a smart performance over three miles in the Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle when finishing second to Klassical Dream on 28 December 2021, with Willie Mullins hoping that the horse can reproduce this performance in the Stayers.
Klassical Dream was sent off as the 1/3 favourite to win the Grade Two John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park which would have left connections scratching their head, although perhaps that was just a blip considering that he was previously looking in good nick.
Paisley Park and Sporting John Interesting Stayers Contenders
Paisley Park was the winner of this race in 2019, with the Emma Lavelle-trained ten-year-old returning to the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and he will be a popular Cheltenham bet, with the horse having produced a miraculous performance when winning the Welsh Marches Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle on 29 January.
Having been sent off at Cheltenham betting odds of 5/1, the legendary horse was actually refusing to initially race before finding his feet and getting into contention. The horse could potentially win the Stayers Hurdle if he manages to reproduce that sort of form and there could be life in the old dog yet.
Sporting John has been a popular Cheltenham betting tip from an each-way point-of-view, with the horse a talented seven-year-old who has two wins on the board this season. It’s likely that the horse will be rerouted from the Pertemps Final to line up and the horse already has a three-mile success under his belt at Cheltenham this season.
Paisley Park Now Favourite to Regain Staying Crown
Paisley Park produced a scintillating performance to win the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle and suggest he could be a serial winner of this race, although the nine-year-old was soundly beaten in the 2020 renewal and there were questions raised over whether the Emma Lavelle-trained horse could win another Stayers’ crown.
However, the horse has since demonstrated his class and recently won the Porsche Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on 19 December, with the horse getting his revenge on Thyme Hill and showing that Paisley Park could be the horse to beat over three miles at Cheltenham Racecourse.
It could be that the seventh-placed finish in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle was therefore a blip, although some will be wary of punting a horse who always seems to come late from behind in a bid to win a race.
Could Thyme Hill Be the New Staying King?
Thyme Hill was sent off as 4/1 favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle although the horse has come back for the 2020/21 season in fine fettle and now looks to be a genuine contender in the staying division, with the Philip Hobbs-trained charge winning the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle on the 27 November.
This victory over Paisley Park really announced Thyme Hill and the horse was sent off aas the 7/5 favourite to win the next race where the horses competed against each other, although it was the former who landed the spoils and it sets things up nicely for the Stayers’ Hurdle in March.
Benie Des Dieux Could Be the Stayers’ Wildcard?
Benie Des Dieux has been a talented mare for several years and it’s possible that the Rich Ricci horse could be sent towards the Stayers’ Hurdle, with the filly having been kept away from the racecourse since the 2020 Cheltenham Festival when she finished second to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle.
It’s not clear whether Willie Mullins will run the horse at all at Cheltenham but she will certainly be an interesting contender if she goes over three miles in this one.
Since 20 October 2018, Paisley Park has been at the wheel when it has come to long distance hurdling. On that date, the Emma Lavelle-trained charge triumphed at Aintree as the 4/1 co-favourite and there has been no looking back for a horse who has continued to pick up wins like they’re going out of fashion.
The eight-year-old went on to land four further victories in that particular season which finished with a triumph in the Stayers Hurdle when Paisley Park came from well down the field to emerge through and win the race. Some wondered why the horse was available to back at 11/8 shortly before the off.
We’ve only seen Paisley Park once at a racecourse this season and it’s clear that connections want the horse to be lightly raced for his attempt to renew his Stayers Hurdle crown, with Paisley Park fending off the challenge of Thistlecrack in the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
The bookies are certainly reluctant to take on the champion, although If The Cap Fits is an 8/1 shot and could represent a decent each-way alternative in the Stayers Hurdle. Harry Fry could have a fantastic horse and we’re pretty sure that this runner can stay the distance.
Like Paisley Park, If The Cap Fits has only enjoyed one outing this season at the time of writing, with the eight-year-old claiming the spoils on the 23 November at Ascot.
The slight negative with this horse is that we don’t know how it will run at Cheltenham considering that the runner has never visited this track, although perhaps Fry will give it an outing in the weeks leading up to the Festival.
Benie Des Dieux is another interesting runner and the filly has scored back to back victories since falling in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, with Willie Mullins having previously run horses like Annie Power in this race.
Speaking of fillies, we also have the possibility of Apple’s Jade and Laurina lining up for this race. The former has previously run very well when winning a Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Gordon Elliott might be looking for the horse to stretch her legs at the meeting.
Laurina has previously flattered over shorter distances and Mullins might be prepared to pitch the filly over three miles although the big question is whether anything can actually beat Paisley Park?
Paisley Park was the king of the three-mile hurdle division last season, with the horse winning on every outing and that included the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle where the horse charged up the Cheltenham hill to claim a famous victory.
Trainer Emma Lavelle deserves enormous credit for the achievements gleaned during the 2018/19 season and she has reported Paisley Park to be in excellent health as the team look ahead to the new National Hunt season.
Very few horses are able to repeat a victory in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival due to the competitive nature of racing, although Paisley Park has a plan mapped out that connections will hope leads to the big meeting once again in March.
Lavelle said: "Paisley is very good. He did very well over the summer and looks big and strong and quite round at the moment!
"He's back cantering and we're very happy with him. The Ladbrokes Trophy meeting at Newbury is his first target and after that the races sort of pick themselves - it's definitely easier making plans for the top-class horses.
"Hopefully we'll go to Newbury, then on to the Long Walk at Ascot, the Cleeve at Cheltenham and then straight to the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival and then possibly on to Punchestown - all fairly small targets!
"It's definitely a different feeling. Last season he was the up and coming one and now he's the one who has to go and defend his crown.
"He's still a young horse, though, who can only get stronger. It's a nice position to be in.”
Paisley Park has plenty of time to prepare for his first outing which is almost certain to be the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on November 29.
This was a horse which was unbeaten over five starts last season and it appears that the runner could once again make five outings in a bid to be mentioned in the same breath as ace long-distance hurdlers such as Big Buck’s, Inglis Drever and Barracuda.
At the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, Paisley Park obliged at a starting price of 11/8 although the seven-year-old gave his backers a scare when sitting in mid position at the bottom of Cleeve Hill.
However, the horse’s stamina proved to be substantially better than his rivals which included Sam Spinner, Faugheen and Supasundae.
Paisley Park was twice victorious at Cheltenham last season, while the horse also scored at Aintree, Ascot and Haydock. It’s a far cry from the 2018 Cheltenham Festival where the horse finished thirteenth in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and looked anything but a potential Stayers’ Hurdle winner.
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