Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle 2023 runners and riders: A horse-by-horse guide

The Stayers’ Hurdle is the feature race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. It is a three-mile test of stamina over the New Course that will expose any chinks in the armour of contenders that lack the staying power to get up the famous hill finish. 

First run in 1912, the race has been part of the Cheltenham fabric in its current guise since 1972.

Inglis Drever (2005, 2007 & 2008) became the first three-time winner of the race for Howard Johnson but his record didn’t stand for long as the mighty Big Buck’s eclipsed him when winning four in a row from 2009 to 2012 for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh in the famous colours of the late Andy Stewart. 

Read our guide to the best Cheltenham betting offers to claim Festival free bets.

Popular winners since include Thistlecrack for Colin Tizzard in 2016 and Paisley Park for Emma Lavelle in 2019. 

The last two renewals have gone to Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter under clever front-running rides from Danny Mullins and his syndicate of owners have lit up Cheltenham in their moments of glory. 

The eight-year-old is back to defend the crown in 2023 but hasn’t won since last year’s Festival. Fellow Irish raiders Blazing Khal, Teahupoo and Home By The Lee are aiming to take his crown, while Nicky Henderson’s mare Maries Rock is a possible contender for the home team and French hopes of Cheltenham glory are resting on Gold Tweet, winner of the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials Day in January. 

When does the Stayers’ Hurdle take place?

The Stayers’ Hurdle takes place at 3.30pm on Thursday March 16 and is the feature race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.

Stayers’ Hurdle: the runners and riders

Final declarations are on Tuesday

(Odds ratings out of five in brackets)

1 Ashdale Bob – Jockey tbc (T: Jessica Harrington) 16/1 (**)
Lacks the class of some of these and not certain to stay three miles, but second behind Home By The Lee in Grade 1 company at Christmas and could play for a place. 

2 Asterion Forlong – Jockey tbc (T: Willie Mullins) 20/1 (*)
Has proved frustrating over fences despite clearly being a talent. Returns to hurdles for the first time since finishing fourth in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Win would be a great feat for Mullins.

3 Beacon Edge – Jockey tbc (T: Noel Meade) 66/1 (**)
No match for a trio of the principals in this contest when they met in Ireland this season. Finished fourth in this in 2021 but was in much finer fettle then. 

4 Blazing Khal – Jockey tbc (T: Charles Byrne) 11/4 (*****)
Off for 428 days before his decisive Boyne Hurdle win at Navan last month. A massive player if he’s in the same mood but trainer has been cautious since. Is 2-2 at Cheltenham.

5 Dasher Drasher – Jockey tbc (T: Jeremy Scott) 25/1 (***)
Likeable and versatile sort who has two course seconds this year, in the Relkeel Hurdle here on New Year’s Day and the Cleeve Hurdle over this trip behind Gold Tweet. Won’t fold without a scrap. 

6 Flooring Porter – Jockey tbc (T: Gavin Cromwell) 11/2 (***)
Frontrunning winner of this for the past two years but without a win since the latter of those victories. Would be no shock if he comes back to life here though. 

7 Home By The Lee – Jockey tbc (T: Joseph O’Brien) 11/2 (***)
Only seventh in this contest last spring but much improved in Ireland this season and won the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle over this trip at Leopardstown. A danger to all based on that. 

8 Klassical Dream – Jockey tbc (T: Willie Mullins 9/1 (***)
Won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2019. Lightly raced in recent seasons but within a neck of Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle in December and typically goes very well when fresh. 

9 Paisley Park – Jockey tbc (T: Emma Lavelle) 12/1 (**)
Won this in 2019 and has dined at the top table in stayers’ races ever since. Very consistent but getting no younger and third in the Cleeve Hurdle suggests he is vulnerable. 

10 Sharjah – Jockey tbc (T: Willie Mullins) 25/1 (*)
Collector of Grade 1 wins over two miles throughout his career despite lacking star status. Has lost some spark seemingly and this trip is a complete step into the unknown.

11 Sire du Berlais – Jockey tbc (T: Gordon Elliott) 66/1 (**)
Eleven-year-old veteran won the Pertemps Final over course and distance in 2019 and 2020 and was second to Flooring Porter in this in 2021. Routinely beaten by several of these rivals lately, however. 

12 Teahupoo – Jockey tbc (T: Gordon Elliott) 10/3 (***)
Got the better of Klassical Dream in December when stepping up to 2m 3½f in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and added a facile win in Grade 2 at this trip in January. Poor on only Cheltenham start.

13 Marie’s Rock – Jockey tbc (T: Nicky Henderson) 3/1 (***)
Winner of the Mares’ Hurdle here last March and showed rivals a clean pair of heels in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day. Promises to stay the trip and a bold move to take on boys in this.

14 Gold Tweet – Jockey tbc (T: Gab Leenders) 12/1 (***)
The French raider got past Dashel Drasher to win the Cleeve Hurdle over course and distance on Trials Day and connections have paid a supplementary fee for a crack at this tougher race. 

15 Henri La Farceur – Jockey tbc (T: Hugo Merienne) 20/1 (**)
Grade 2 winner over 2m 5½f at Auteuil in December. Hard to quantify his chance but appears likely to come up short in a strong renewal of this race.  

Why is the Stayers’ Hurdle important?

One of the four feature races at the Cheltenham Festival, the Stayers’ Hurdle is an outstanding test of stamina and will expose all but the strongest of finishers. 

Check out the latest free bet offers ahead of Cheltenham.

What happened in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year?

Just as he had done the year before, Mullins made the running on Flooring Porter and gave a superb tactical display to burn his rivals off in the home straight as the Gavin Cromwell-trained star retained his crown to the delight of his large owning group. ‘Canny Danny’, as he was labelled, earned most of the plaudits for getting the fractions just right in front. 

Which horses lead the Stayers’ Hurdle ante-post betting?

Favouritism for this race has been hard to hold all season. Home By The Lee had it at one point for Joseph O’Brien following his Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle win at Leopardstown and perhaps he has been forgotten since. Galmoy Hurdle winner Teahupoo and Boyne Hurdle scorer Blazing Khal – now heading the betting at 11/4 – have succeeded him in turn for Gordon Elliott and Charles Byrnes respectively. Nicky Henderson may be tempted to send last year’s Mares’ Hurdle winner Maries Rock in against the boys in this race and she’s proving popular in the betting at 7/2. 

Who should I bet on in the Stayers’ Hurdle?

All the front-runners in the betting have their claims but the number of them shows how open the Stayers’ Hurdle is this year. At 25/1, Cleeve Hurdle runner-up Dashel Drasher could be an each-way player for trainer Jeremy Scott. He rarely runs a bad race and was second behind Maries Rock on New Year’s Day before that Trials Day effort. This race has thrown up some shocks of late, with the likes of Cole Harden and 50/1 shot Lisnagar Oscar unfancied winners in 2015 and 2020 respectively.