2024 Stayers' Hurdle Tips, Odds and News

Flooring Porter has registered back-to-back Stayers' Hurdle victories the past two seasons and Gavin Cromwell's charge tops the list of 28 horses entered in this year's race. The defending champion currently sits second in the betting behind Home By The Lee, who has risen to the top of the staying ranks in Ireland following surprise wins in the Lismullen and Christmas Hurdles.

Last year's fourth, Klassical Dream has been handed another Stayers' Hurdle entry by Willie Mullins. As has Gordon Elliott's Teahupoo, who defeated Klassical Dream and Honeysuckle to win the Hatton's Grace on his reappearance. Blazing Khal also sits prominently in the market, but a marked drift in the betting suggests that Charles Byrnes' star isn't recovering well from that injury setback.

Willie Mullins has also handed entries to Chacun Pour Soi, Sharjah, Monkfish, Asterion Forlonge, Saint Sam, Sir Gerhard and Haut En Couleurs. Jessica Harrington's Ashdale Bob and Noel Meade's Beacon Edge have been entered up, along with fellow Irish entrants Summerville Boy, Sams Profile, Zanahiyr and Sire Du Berlais.

The highest-placed British entrant in the betting is Marie's Rock, who looks much more likely to defend her Mares' Hurdle crown. Nicky Henderson has also handed entries to Buzz, who hasn't been seen since sustaining an injury in December of last year.

Former winner, Paisley Park and Relkeel Hurdle runner-up Dashel Drasher could represent British connections. Other notable Cheltenham Festival entrants include Gelino Bello, Goshen, Indefatigable, Botox Has and Langer Dan.

The Stayers' Hurdle is the oldest of the four Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival. The Stayers' Hurdle was first staged at Cheltenham in 1912. 

Having been dropped from the rota on a couple of occasions, the Stayers' Hurdle has been a regular during the Festival since 1946, and this three-mile hurdle takes centre-stage in the middle of day three's card.

Silver Bay was the first two-time winner of the Stayers' Hurdle, winning back-to-back renewals in 1913 and '14. 

Brown Lad won the Stayers' Hurdle under Tommy Carberry in 1975. He would go on to win the Irish Grand National three times, and twice finish second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Galmoy became the second horses to successfully defend his crown in the late 1980s. Legendary trainers like Martin Pipe, Henrietta Knight and David Nicholson saddled Stayers' Hurdle winners in the 1990s.

French raider, Baracouda wowed the crowds at Cheltenham with two fantastic wins in 2002 and '03. François Doumen's star was then defeated two years on the bounce, losing out to Iris's Gift and Inglis Drever in '04 and '05.

Inglis Drever would become the first three-time winner of the Stayers' Hurdle when he collected further wins in 2007 and '08.

His achievement was soon surpassed by Paul Nicholls' Big Bucks. With Ruby Walsh in the saddle, Big Bucks dominated the Stayers' Hurdle between 2009 and 2012, winning the Stayers' Hurdle four times on the bounce.

After Jonjo O'Neill and Warren Greatrex celebrated wins, Colin Tizzard won his first Stayers' Hurdle when Thistlecrack cruised to victory.

Willie Mullins then took over, saddling back-to-back winners in Nichols Canyon and Penhill.

Emma Lavelle's Paisley Park scored a superb victory in the 2019 Stayers' Hurdle. Many expected Paisley Park to retain his crown in 2020, but the favourite produced a limp performance on the day, and his crown was taken by Lisnagar Oscar, who won at 50/1 for Adam Wedge and trainer, Rebecca Curtis.

Gavin Cromwell's Flooring Porter then capped a remarkable season with a brilliant front-running victory in the 2021 Stayers' Hurdle.