Stayers’ Hurdle Tips: 2024 Betting Preview & Trends

Of the four championship races at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle looks to be the most open - and you'll find that Stayers’ Hurdle tips will cover a variety of contenders.

There have been plenty of big-priced winners in recent years and it wouldn't be a surprise if the 2022 renewal threw up another one, so this race will attract plenty of betting activity at the best horse racing betting sites.

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Tips

• Flooring Porter to win the Stayers’ Hurdle - 3/1 with 888sport

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Runners in Focus

Here's an in-depth look at some of the leading contenders for the 2022 Stayers' Hurdle:

Klassical Dream

The obvious starting point when reading the form for the 2022 Stayers’ Hurdle is with the first two home in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, as this is the strongest piece of staying hurdle form from Ireland so far this season.

The Grade 1 contest was won by Klassical Dream, who held off the reigning Stayers’ Hurdle champion Flooring Porter by two lengths, with the front two in a different county to the remainder.

Klassical Dream stole a march on his rivals as the tapes went up, pinching a significant advantage of around 10 lengths in the first furlong. The 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner never saw another rival despite not jumping particularly fluently at times.

Klassical Dream was having his first run since April and there is no doubt that if he has further improvement in the locker then he is a real top-notcher in the staying hurdle division.

However, it was a little bit surprising to see him trading at around half the price of runner-up Flooring Porter in ante-post odds, given the margin of victory was much smaller than the lead Klassical Dream stole as the tape went up.

Stayers' Hurdle Tip: Flooring Porter

Flooring Porter has shown his best form when able to dominate, as he did in the 2021 Stayers’ Hurdle, but he was caught on the back foot at the start at Leopardstown and was forced to play second fiddle to Klassical Dream throughout.

However, it’s impossible not to be anything other than really positive about Flooring Porter’s keeping-on second given he was so far clear of the rest. The gap between the front two was not widening in the final furlong and it’s not too difficult to see the runner-up reversing that form under slightly different circumstances at Cheltenham, especially as we know he gets up the hill.

Gavin Cromwell’s star stayer is clearly in great form and he was so dominant in the 2021 running of this race that he has to be high on any list of Stayers’ Hurdle betting tips.

Cromwell’s hand could be strengthened further if connections decide to head for the Stayers’ Hurdle with Darver Star, who just couldn’t cut the mustard in good races over the larger obstacles.

The decision to revert back to hurdles paid off big-time when the 10-year-old bolted up at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve and connections may well be tempted to try and stretch him out of this longer trip. Stayers’ Hurdle trends followers will be put off by his age, though.

Champ Could Live up to his Name

There is a new kid on the block in the staying hurdle division and his name is Champ. His chasing career hit the buffers last year despite the fact many tipsters had him at the top of their Gold Cup tips list before the Blue Riband race. He was pulled up after just six of the 22 fences as Minella Indo claimed Gold Cup glory.

Champ was given a surprise entry in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot and it was a move that paid off in spades for connections because he travelled all over his Grade 1 rivals before seeing his race out strongly, despite it being his first start since March.

With the likes of Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in behind, that is the strongest piece of staying hurdle form on offer in Britain this season, so it is no surprise that connections appear to have decided on sticking to the hurdles route and targeting the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.

We know Champ excels on the biggest stage of all because he stormed home from off the pace to sweep by Minella Indo (and we know what he’s done since) and land the 2020 RSA Chase.

Champ is a strong traveller that stays well so the make-up of the Stayers’ Hurdle looks right up his street. He can’t be taken lightly.

Thyme Won’t Shirk the Challenge

That horse is Long Walk Hurdle runner-up Thyme Hill, who stuck to his guns in really gritty style up the Ascot straight having been flat out in third off the home turn.

He won’t mind which way the ground goes come March and it’s impossible to rule out this 161-rated stayer, who has winning form at Prestbury Park.

Park Probably Past His Best

2019 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Paisley Park is a 10-year-old now and performances this term suggest he’s not the force of old.

That said, he showed his customary late surge to grab a five-length third in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle so it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he outran his Stayers' Hurdle odds.

However, his propensity to hit a mid-race flat spot is making life tough nowadays, so you couldn't have too much confidence in the Emma Lavelle-trained veteran when looking to pick a winning horse for this one.

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Stayers’ Hurdle Odds

• Odds correct as of 15/03/2022 - For full latest odds head over to 888sport

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Trends

• Ratings pointer: Only one Stayers’ Hurdle winner in the last decade was rated below 150.
• Class counts: Every Stayers’ Hurdle winner this decade had already scored at Graded level.
• Familiar surroundings: All bar one of the last 10 Stayers’ Hurdle winners had raced at Cheltenham at least once previously.
• Price point: Favourites don’t have a particularly strong record in this race but at the other end of the scale, only one horse has won the Stayers’ Hurdle with an SP bigger than 14/1 since 2000. The outlier is Lisnagar Oscar who stunned punters by defying 50/1 odds in 2020.
• Avoid horses with headgear: No Stayers' Hurdle winner this century has sported headgear such as blinkers, a hood or cheekpieces. However, Flooring Porter (2021) and Cole Harden (2015) were equipped with a tongue strap.
• No room for the elders: No horse over the age of nine has won the Stayers’ Hurdle since Crimson Embers in 1986.
• Mullins conundrum: Willie Mullins has only managed two Stayers’ Hurdle victories from 32 runners in the race and backers of his runners are £8 (to a £1 stake) in the red.

Recent Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Winners

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Verdict

This really is a tough heat for punters as several of these contenders fit the bill when you take into account Stayers’ Hurdle trends.

It’s impossible to ignore the claims of Klassical Dream and Champ but neither represent value from this range so the pin has fallen on last year’s winner FLOORING PORTER, who emerged from Leopardstown’s Christmas Hurdle with his reputation firmly intact.

He posted a really good time in winning the 2021 race by almost four lengths and there are no doubts about him being able to produce his best when it matters, which can’t be said for some of his rivals.

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