THE STAYERS’ HURDLE LOWDOWN: Classy seven-year-old Teahupoo seeks to turn the tables on stablemate Sire Du Berlais, PLUS in-depth analysis on every runner


The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle is the most open of the Festival’s feature races — run it 10 times and this line-up might throw up five or six different winners.

But the most likely one to come out on top is Gordon Elliott’s TEAHUPOO.

Last year’s third returns a more mature and complete athlete at the age of seven, the age of five of the past seven winners. But the most compelling reason for backing him is that Elliott has kept him fresh for the race.

Jack Kennedy’s mount has a 100 per cent record when he returns to the track after a significant break.

Some horses take a lot out of themselves physically when they race and need time to replenish their batteries.

Trainer Gordon Elliott has kept favourite Teahupoo fresh for the The Stayers' Hurdle

Trainer Gordon Elliott has kept favourite Teahupoo fresh for the The Stayers’ Hurdle

Sire Du Berlais loves Cheltenham and will be out to repeat last year’s shock success

When Teahupoo ran last year, he had also raced in January. This time round he has not run since he won the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 3.

Three previous Stayers’ Hurdle winners line up — Paisley Park, Flooring Porter, who has twice been successful, and last year’s scorer Sire Du Berlais.

The latter’s superb Festival record gives him place claims, despite his advancing years. On his six previous Festival forays, he has won the Pertemps Hurdle twice, as well as finishing unplaced one year, won and finished second in this race and finished fourth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

Crambo is a new stayer on the block in a division of old stagers, so he is interesting, but the best of the Brits may be last year’s runner-up Dashel Drasher, trained by Jeremy Scott, who invariably runs well and was second last year.

1 TEAHUPOO 7/4

2 SIRE DU BERLAIS 12/1

3 DASHEL DRASHER 22/1

Odds supplied by Paddy Power

Lizzie Kelly (Festival-winning jockey) 

Don’t let anyone tell you this is a poor race. In a week of uncompetitive fields, it is an absolute cracker. Last year’s winner, Sire Du Berlais, and runner-up Dashel Drasher are massive prices and worth an each-way flutter. Teahupoo didn’t get the rub of the green last year when third and comes with a great chance but I like Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo, the new kid on the block.

1…………………………CRAMBO 9/2

2…………………….TEAHUPOO 7/4

3…………. DASHEL DRASHER 22/1

Odds supplied by Paddy Power 

Peter Scudamore (eight-time champion jockey) 

TEAHUPOO just missed out in this last year when third, having not had the cleanest run at the finish. He looks to have a great chance of redemption against a set of rivals many of whom are getting a bit long in the tooth. Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter has won this race twice and will appreciate the switch back to hurdles after not looking as happy when novice chasing. If it turns into slog, the 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins, will go well and is a lively contender.

1……………………………..TEAHUPOO 7/4

2…………………FLOORING PORTER 10/1

3…………………………NOBLE YEATS 7/1

Odds supplied by Paddy Power 

TIPSTERS

ROBIN GOODFELLOW – FLOORING PORTER (nap)

PETER SCUDAMORE – TEAHUPOO

LIZZIE KELLY – CRAMBO

CAPTAIN HEATH – TEAHUPOO

GIMCRACK – CRAMBO (nap)



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