2022 Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle Trends and Free Tips

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Andy

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Billed as the feature race on the third day (Thursday) of the Cheltenham Festival, the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (formerly the World Hurdle) is run over a distance of 3m with 12 hurdles to jump. In recent years, the contest has been dominated by previous winners of the race with the French-trained, Baracouda, landing the prize twice, the gutsy Inglis Drever winning three times, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Big Buck’s took the honours four times on the bounce between 2009-2012.

The present format of the contest was first run in 1972, and after being known as the Ladbrokes World Hurdle from 2005 the race returned to it’s original name – the Stayers’ Hurdle – in 2017, with Paddy Power now the race sponsors.

In recent years, the contest has been dominated by previous winners of the race with the French-trained, Baracouda, landing the prize twice, the gutsy Inglis Drever winning three times, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Big Buck’s took the honours four times on the bounce between 2009-2012.

In 2018 we saw the Willie Mullins yard win the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle for the second year in a row – this time with the 7 year-old Penhill, while it was Paisley Park that won the race in 2019 and gave trainer Emma Lavelle her first winner in the race – but could only manage seventh in the race in 2020 and third in 2021 – he should be back for more this year though, having returned to form by winning the 2022 Cleeve Hurdle here at Cheltenham in January.

12 months ago, in 2022, we saw the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter making all to win the race for jockey Danny Mullins by 3 ¼ lengths.

Here at JUICESTORM we look back at recent Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle winners and gives you the key stats to take into the 2022 renewal – this year run on 18th March 2020.

Recent Stayers’ Hurdle Winners

2021 – FLOORING PORTER (12/1)
2020 – LISNAGAR OSCAR (50/1)
2019 – PAISLEY PARK (11/8 fav)
2018 – PENHILL (12/1)
2017 – NICHOLS CANYON (10/1)
2016 – THISTLECRACK (Evs)
2015 – COLE HARDEN (14/1)
2014 – MORE OF THAT (15/2)
2013 – SOLWHIT (17/2)
2012 – BIG BUCK’S (5/6 fav)
2011 – BIG BUCK’S (10/11 fav)
2010 – BIG BUCK’S (5/6 fav)
2009 – BIG BUCK’S (6/1)
2008 – INGLIS DREVER (11/8 fav)
2007 – INGLIS DREVER (5/1)
2006 – MY WAY de SOLZEN (8/1)
2005 – INGLIS DREVER (5/1)
2004 –IS’S GIFT (9/2)
2003 – BARACOUDA (9/4 fav)

Stayers’ Hurdle Betting Trends

16/19 – Had raced within the last 10 weeks
16/19 – Finished 1^st or 2^nd last time out
16/19 – Had won over at least 3m (hurdles) before
16/19 – Aged 8 or younger
14/19 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
14/19 – Winning distance – 3 1/2 lengths or less
14/19 – Placed favourites
13/19 – Came from the top 3 in the betting
13/19 – Had raced that calendar year
12/19 – Went onto run at the Aintree Grand National Meeting later that season
12/19 – Had won over hurdles at Cheltenham before
12/19 – Won their latest race
11/19 – Contested either the Cleeve Hurdle (8) or the Long Walk Hurdle (3) last time out
10/19 – Rated 163 or higher
7/19 – French-bred
7/19 – Went onto win at Aintree later that season
7/19 – Winning favourite
4/19 – Trained by Paul Nicholls
4/19 – Irish-trained winners
The average winning SP in the last 19 runnings is 8/1

Stayers’ Hurdle Stats:

Every winner since 1972 has been aged 6 or older
Since 1972 there have been 7 previous winners of the race
Horses that ran at the previous season’s Cheltenham Festival are 22 from 27
Horses that were placed fourth or better last time out have won 33 of the last 34 renewals
The top five in the betting have finished 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in 7 of the last 18 renewals
Just 4 Irish-trained winners since 1996 – Solwhit (2013), Nichols Canyon (2017), Penhill (2018), Flooring Porter (2021)
All of the last 34 winners were aged 9 or younger
 

Stayers Hurdle – UK v Irish

18/24 – British-trained winners
2/24 – French-trained winners
4/24 – Irish-trained winners
Trainer Paul Nicholls (UK) has trained 4 winners of the race
Willie Mullins (Ire) has trained just 2 winners of the race (2017, Nichols Canyon, 2018 Penhill)
Nicky Henderson (UK) has trained just 1 winner of the race (2000, Bacchanal)
Paul Nicholls (UK) has trained 4 of the last 12 winners
Jonjo O’Neill (UK has trained 2 of the last 17 winners

JUICESTORM VERDICT: Flooring Porter ran them a merry dance from the front in this race 12 months ago and is back for more. However, last year’s champ hasn’t won a race since so that would be the worry (3 runs). That said, he’s still run well this season and is a consistent sort that is sure to be involved. Lisnagar Oscar is another past winner in the race in 2020 but is another that’s also not won a race since. Paisley Park is the third past winner in the race (2019) and was billed as the sort to mop up 2 or 3 more of these races, but didn’t He bounced back to form last time though in the Cleeve Hurdle here after fluffing the start too – he beat Champ by 3 ¼ lengths that day – and if in that mood again (with a better start) has to be considered. Klassical Dream is another past Festival winner (Supreme, 2019) and has had a resurgence this season and beat Flooring Porter by 2 lengths at Leopardstown back in December. However, he was turned over last time by ROYAL KAHALA at Gowran Park and this improving staying mare looks interesting. She gets the handy 7lbs allowance too and has only been out of the first two over hurdles once from 7 starts. Of the others, Champ has to be respected too being a past Festival winner and Song For Someone could easily outrun his big odds. But the other main pick is THYME HILL. This Philip Hobbs runner has won 5 of his 9 starts over hurdles and only been out the first three twice. His form at Cheltenham is not too shabby either 2-3-1-4 and warmed up for this with a fair second in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. He’s been kept fresh since, but is a horse that’s gone well off a break in the past.