2026 Stayers' Hurdle News - Quotes from connections
With the 2026 Stayers' Hurdle fast approaching, top trainers share insights on their prospects. Gordon Elliott is optimistic about Teahupoo, despite his age, due to his warrior-like spirit. Dan Skelton feels the conditions favor Kabral Du Mathan, while Henry De Bromhead is confident in Bob Olinger's return to form. Emma Lavelle is thrilled with Ma Shantou's progress, and Nicky Henderson sees potential in Impose Toi's ground-friendly performance. The race promises intense competition among experienced contenders.
- Quotes from connections ahead of the 2026 Stayers' Hurdle
- This Grade One takes place at Cheltenham on Thursday 12th March
- Read quotes from Gordon Elliott, Dan Skelton, Emma Lavelle and more
- Gordon Elliott (Teahupoo)
- Dan Skelton (Kabral Du Mathan)
- Henry De Bromhead (Bob Olinger)
- Emma Lavelle (Ma Shantou)
- Paul Townend (Jockey of Ballyburn)
- Gordon Elliott (Honesty Policy)
- Nicky Henderson (Impose Toi)
- Shark Hanlon (Hewick)
- Nicky Henderson (Doddiethegreat)
- Joseph O'Brien (Home By The Lee)
Stayers' Hurdle Quotes
Read exclusive quotes from connections ahead of the 2026 Stayers' Hurdle, which headlines the third day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival.
For more quotes, news, offers and our best betting tips, head to our Cheltenham Festival 2026 page.
2026 Stayers' Hurdle News - Quotes From Connections
Gordon Elliott (Teahupoo)
Teahupoo is getting a bit older so I thought another run wasn’t a bad idea.
He doesn’t do anything fancy at home so you never really know where you are with him. He’s a warrior and he’s got form around Cheltenham, we’re really looking forward to it.
I suppose when you go back through the years, Stayers’ Hurdle horses never really get the credit they deserve but I wouldn’t mind having a few more like him.
Dan Skelton (Kabral Du Mathan)
I am really looking forward to running Kabral Du Mathan in the Stayers’ Hurdle. The weather and the ground has come right for him.
I was toying with missing Cheltenham and going to Aintree, but that was only if we could have gone to Fontwell enroute but that didn’t happen, so I am very happy to be here. I am delighted with his work. I would only be here if everything was right for him and it feels like it is.
Henry De Bromhead (Bob Olinger)
He’s in super form. I think he’s in as good form this year as last year, if not better and, as we all know, he loves it at Cheltenham. It was a lovely run over Christmas. Those older lads, you don’t want to be too hard on them for their first run, so he ran lovely. He took a little blow just before the last and ran on again nicely.
He was the forgotten horse last year. I was at a preview night a couple of weeks before and I was looking at the betting. I got to 20-1 and I got a fright and started wondering if I’d actually entered him! I said then he was the each-way bet of the week. I wasn’t saying he would win or anything but I couldn’t believe the price he was. Obviously, we lost him for about a year and a half, but it’s great to have him back. He’s class and always has been.
Emma Lavelle (Ma Shantou)
He’s been fresh and well since Cheltenham, he’s back cantering in his routine and he’s absolutely bouncing.
I was just thrilled with him. It was always going to be the race that decided which route he went, were we going to the Pertemps or were we going to try to have a crack at the Stayers’.
I wasn’t too sure about the ground but I thought it would show us where we were with him, and he couldn’t have answered the question any clearer.
He ran an absolute stormer of a race and just looks to be progressing, which is great.
He’s a bundle of energy but he’s very straightforward, he wears his heart on his sleeve and just gets on with it.
Paul Townend (Jockey of Ballyburn)
We’re then looking forward to running Ballyburn in the Stayers’ Hurdle (15:20), and I think he’s a bit of a forgotten horse in this. He’ll have to do everything right if he’s going to win, but we know the ability is there with him, it’s just a case of channelling it in the right way. He’ll have the hood on him for the first time, so I do think that will be a help to him, so although he did underperform at Leopardstown over Christmas, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he left that run behind him. I suppose my other concern would just be whether he’ll stay three miles strongly enough to power up that hill, but I haven’t lost faith in the horse yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on.
You’d say Teahupoo is the one we’ll all have to beat, but Bob Ollinger was very good last year, and the Skelton’s horse Kabral Du Mathan brings a lot of potential to the race, so it’s another very open race.
Gordon Elliott (Honesty Policy)
He’s a classy horse. He has improved so much over the last year. I was very impressed with how he ran at Ascot. I was keen to run him in Navan last weekend, but the ground was just so heavy and I didn’t want to pull the legs out of him because he’s not the biggest horse. We’ll get a racecourse gallop into him and go straight to Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson (Impose Toi)
He’s been in very good order and has done nothing wrong. He was brilliant when winning the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. He got beaten at Cheltenham the other day, but Nico said to put a line through that run because it was tough ground and we were giving 6lb away to the winner. He loves to get on some decent ground.
His progression has been great, and even last season over two and a half miles, he ran fantastic races at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown. He was knocking on the door, but he’s another year older, and pushing him up to three miles has been key.
Shark Hanlon (Hewick)
It’s the right trip and Paddy can ride him which is a bonus, the two of them get on great and we’re not going to change that bond.
It’s going to be another special chapter in the story of this horse and to have your son on him will be unreal. My heart will be in my mouth but it’s going to be something great. Paddy is 18 and the horse is 11 so there’s not much between them.
Paddy has known him near enough all his life and has always looked after him and riding him out and no one knows him better.
We have Sean who will be leading him up, Paddy riding, it will be the whole family doing their part and Paddy is the biggest part of all this as it will be in his hands once he leaves us in the paddock.
If we were to pull it off and he was to win in Cheltenham then you could definitely write a book on him, he will have done virtually everything. He ran a cracker in the English Grand National and did nothing wrong but this would be something else.
Nicky Henderson (Doddiethegreat)
This campaign has all been about winning as much prize-money as possible for the Doddie Weir Foundation. Our objective has been hard, because he’s very hard to place over hurdles. He was great at Cheltenham last year, winning the Pertemps, and he ran a brilliant race at Punchestown. He’s not quite a Grade 1 horse, but you never know. When he’s right, he’s very good.
Joseph O'Brien (Home By The Lee)
He has bundles of stamina and a great will to win, which are two things you need to win here today with the conditions. I am very proud of the horse and being an 11-year-old, we will enjoy every run that he has left.
On the figures he has run right up to his best today and he will go back to Cheltenham for the fifth time in March. He got brought down last year, which was probably his best shot, but you never know what might happen this year.
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