Half-term report: Stayers' Hurdle

Preliminary entries for the Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle revealed 29 horses going forward on Tuesday, including last season’s one-two Bob Olinger and Teahupoo. The latter won the 2024 renewal, but was denied by his ownermate last year, in what has been a hugely successful race for owners Robcour. With Hiddenvalley Lake also at the operation’s disposal, they have been a dominate force in this division in recent seasons.

With Bob Olinger now an 11yo and Teahupoo 9 (arguably at his peak), some of the class acts in the division are pushing on, but thankfully we’ve got some fresh legs to take them on come March, all being well, the standouts here the progressive JP McManus-owned pair of Impose Toi and Honesty Policy.

While age is always an important factor in this game, Sire Du Berlais did win as an 11yo in 2023 for McManus and the older brigade, but in general, younger legs are needed, the average age for Stayers’ Hurdle winners over the last decade being 7.7, Flooring Porter (2021) being the youngest at 6.

With 58 days to the Thursday highlight, we take a closer look at the main players.

Leading Players

Like the Champion Hurdle, bookmakers currently have a strong ante-post favourite in Teahupoo who is a general 7/4 chance, the same price he went off for last year’s renewal when not able to match Bob Olinger’s pace from the back of the last. Gordon Elliott’s inmate did pull 8 lengths clear of The Wallpark mind, giving the form some substance, although I’m not sure he, The Wallpark, was at his very best on the day despite the stiffer nature of The New Course looking ideal for him pre-race; I was disappointed with the third’s finishing effort.

On the day, visually, Teahupoo looked in great order however, doing his usual of racing professionally, efficiently, but accompanied with some fresh leaps early, but it wasn’t enough to keep Bob Olinger at bay. He then went to Punchestown and got his head back in front in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle, but beating an 11yo in Asterion Forlonge wouldn’t exactly blow you away, for all he did it readily.

This season we have seen a change in tack concerning the son of Masked Marvel though, who reclaimed his Hatton’s Grace crown by a nose from the fast-finishing Ballyburn, when shaping like needing the race late. After Fairyhouse connections usually put Teahupoo away until Cheltenham, but thankfully we got to see him at Leopardstown over Christmas, where he arguably put up a career best in beating old foe Bob Olinger (making seasonal debut) by 7 lengths, proving he can be equally affective both on good ground and not mad fresh.

That was a well-run race (finishing speed percentage below 100%) and it showed what a classy and stout stayer Teahupoo is. It’s the peak performance (159+) in the division so far this season, meaning he is “the right favourite”, but despite this is likely to be a horse that still dividends opinion. I must say, I like him; his straight-forward nature; his Cheltenham Festival form; his trainer; his jockey, but it does feel like he vulnerable to a potential improver and it remains to be seen if the Gordon Elliott team can carry their red-hot Christmas form into March.

The bookmakers see the JP McManus pair of Honesty Policy (9/2) and Impose Toi (6/1) as the favourite’s biggest dangers and it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Despite finishing 1½ lengths behind Impose Toi and Strong Leader in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, Honesty Policy is a shorter price than his ownermate.

Given the prices, it’s hard to be too dogmatic about that view, especially as the progressive 6yo is a likable, straight-forward character who jumps well and is surely open to further improvement after just six career starts (one in an Irish point-to-point). While beaten at Ascot, when surprisingly sent off favourite, it was a significant jump in form and figures terms (143p to 154p) and the son of Jukebox Jury showed he belonged in this division.

Like Teahupoo however, he does strike me as a horse who could be undone by a bit of late pace; that was certainly the impression I got from his Long Walk effort where having looked held going to 2out, he rallied incredibly well, clocking the fastest final furlong of the race. The stiff late climb on The New Course should suit him well (also a winner at Navan), but one glaring negative is he has no Cheltenham form, and so, no Festival form either.

That fact can’t be held against Impose Toi who ran a huge race in last year’s Coral Cup to finish second off a mark of 141 in first-time cheekpieces. The combination of headgear and being too fresh on his first start in 102 days saw him do too much too soon on the day and under the circumstances, he ran a huge race, bringing his Cheltenham form to 1-2.

Showing a sound constitution, the 8yo then ran at both Aintree and Punchestown festivals, finishing 4^th and 2^nd off 145 and 143, respectively. Something has clicked since however, because officially, Nicky Hederson’s inmate has improved 11lb, is unbeaten in three runs this season and now sits on 159 (156+ on my figures) making him a leading player in the stayers’ division.

Could there be more to come is the question? Given the smoothness of his Long Walk success, and now we know he stays 3m well, you’d be hard pressed to say he has absolutely reached his peak, especially with such a top-class team guiding him.

Often with horses stepping up in grade the stronger pace of races can catch some out, but that has looked the polar opposite of what we have seen from Impose Toi this season. When getting 6lb from Strong Leader in a tactical Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, Impose Toi won a touch snug by half-a-length, but three weeks later in a well-run (especially early) Long Walk, on 6lb worse terms, he beat Olly Murphy’s stable star readily by 1¼ lengths.

With the likes of Ahoy Senor, Flooring Porter, Gowel Road and Hewick all being put in today, likely pace horses, it’s a Stayers’ Hurdle that will possibly be run at a nice gallop, which will suit Impose Toi, along with Teahupoo and Honesty Policy to be fair.

Will that kind of scenario bring out the absolute best in a now 11yo Bob Olinger, the defending champion? “Bob” as he is affectionately known by his connections landed some tidy bets in winning last year’s race; having been readily available at 20/1 in the morning, Henry de Bromhead’s inmate returned an SP of 8s – a fair move in a Cheltenham Festival market.

In a race that was strongly-run early, Bob and Rachael Blackmore were well-positioned in rear before the gallop became much more stop-start. This allowed the pair to closeup comfortably on the run to 2out while still going extremely well, before simply having too much pace for Teahupoo after the last; in truth, he was a comfortable winner and one I didn’t see coming – I thought he wouldn’t stay.

Now a year older and potentially in a different kind of race, Bob Olinger (9/1 ante-post) will need to be every bit as good coming back as an 11yo, but the signs in his sole run since last season’s Stayers’ are positive after a sound, albeit well-held 7 lengths beating by Teahupoo over Christmas. Given the drift in the market it was a fine effort, especially as we know he comes alive at Cheltenham, as his unbeaten-in-four record at Prestbury Park suggests.

Best of the Rest

Take “the big four” out of the equation and, depending on where you look, bookmakers bet 10/1 bar with Ballyburn next in. He’s as short as 10s, but as big as 20s if you shop around and will head to Cheltenham with form revolving around the favourite Teahupoo. He got within a nose of him in the Hatton’s Grace over 2m4f, just failing to get up late, but at Christmas at Leopardstown (3m) was beaten 14 lengths.

While disappointing, it wasn’t an awful run, but he’s hard to fancy on the back of it, especially as he hasn’t grown up mentally for another summer’s grass. The son of Flemensfirth still races with head bowed low, not looking the easiest and I now wonder does he want a good test in soft ground over 2m4f to bring out the best in him. The biggest issue with him may just be himself, mind. Interestingly, he’s also been put in the Champion Hurdle today.

Wodhooh, like Ballyburn, is good enough in terms of ability to run here and I do look forward to her stepping up to 3m eventually given she looks to be a mare that saves plenty for herself. She has that conservative style of racing suited for this kind of trip, but it’s hard to see her running here against stablemates Teahupoo and Honesty Policy, especially with the Mares’ Hurdle looking a good option.

Like Impose Toi, Kabral Du Mathan has improved through the handicap ranks this season, winning both starts for new trainer Dan Skelton. Formerly with Paul Nicholls, the son of Pastorious bolted up at Haydock on seasonal and stable debut off a mark of 140 before winning the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day. Post-race, however, it sounds like connections are going to skip Cheltenham which is also likely to be the case with Strong Leader who Sean Bowen said of him about this course that ‘he hates the place!’

Top-class French stayer Theleme has interestingly been given an entry, despite having not been seen in over two years. If he were to make Cheltenham, it would be his first start in 852 days.

Bob Olinger may not be the only 11yo previous winner of the race who runs as Flooring Porter, a dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner (2021-22) has also been entered by trainer Gavin Cromwell, but like Theleme, hasn’t been seen in an age (533 days if he runs at Cheltenham first-time out).

Last season’s Turners’ Novice Hurdle runner-up The Yellow Clay, who split The New Lion and Final Demand at last year’s Festival, has been bitterly disappointing in two runs this season, a fall at Punchestown possibly having left a mark on the son of Yeats.

Finally, at the prices, Doddiethegreat is worth a brief mention given he is both 100/1 and a previous Cheltenham Festival winner, having taken out last year’s Pertemps Final. He isn’t straight-forward and had his issues, but is talented and has improved again this season. If he ran here instead of a Pertemps repeat, I could see him running better than that price, if on a going day.