Everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Festival Stayers’ Hurdle

The Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race, run over three miles with 12 flights of hurdles to jump. The race is held on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival in March, which runs from 11–14 March in 2025, and is a massive highlight of the National Hunt season.

The Stayers’ Hurdle gets under way at 4pm tomorrow afternoon (13 March). Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the big race, from this year’s runners and riders, and how to watch, to what prize money the winner will be taking home.

When is the 2025 Stayers’ Hurdle?

The race gets under way at 4pm on Thursday 13 March.

Who are the runners in the 2025 race?

Horse: Teahupoo | Jockey: Jack Kennedy | Owner: Robcour
Gordon Elliott

Home By The Lee | J J Slevin | Owner: Sean O’Driscoll
Joseph O’Brien

Lucky Place | Nico De Boinville | Owner: Mrs G Van Geest & M George
Nicky Henderson

The Wallpark | Marl Walsh | Owner: JP McManus
Gordon Elliott

Langar Dan | Harry Skelton | Owner: Colm Donlon
Dan Skelton

Mystical Power | Paul Townend | Owner: Mrs S Ricci, JP Mc Manus & Mrs John Magnier
Willie Mullins

Bob Olinger | Rachael Blackmore | Owner: Robcour
Henry De Bromhead

Rocky’s Diamond | Shane Fitzgerald | Owner: Mrs Margaret C Kiely
Declan Queally

Crambo | Jonathan Burke | Owner: Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd & Chris Giles
Fergal O’Brien

Gowel Road | Sam Twiston-Davies | Owner: Options O Syndicate
Nigel Twiston-Davies

Namean Lion | Richard Patrick | Owner: Will Roseff
Kerry Lee

Buddy One | Jack G Gilligan | Owner: E Lynch, T C Quinn & John J McGrath
Paul John Gilligan

Ga Law | Gavin Sheehan | Owner: The Footie Partnership
Jamie Snowden

Franciscan Rock | Gavin Brouder | Owner: Michael & John F O’Flynn
M F Morris

What are the betting odds for this year’s runners?

The following odds are correct at the time of publishing and may have varied between bookmakers.

Teahupoo: 3/2
Home By The Lee: 13/2
Lucky Place: 7/1
The Wallpark: 7/1
Langar Dan: 12/1
Mystical Power: 16/1
Bob Olinger: 20/1
Rocky’s Diamond: 20/1
Crambo: 28/1
Gowel Road: 33/1
Namean Lion: 33/1
Buddy One: 40/1
Ga Law: 50/1
Franciscan Rock: 66/1

What is the prize money for winning?

The winner of the 2025 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle will take home £182,878.

Recent winners

2024: Teahupoo – read race report
2023: Sire Du Berlais – read race report
2022: Flooring Porter – read race report
2021: Flooring Porter – read the race report
2020: Lisnagar Oscar – read the race report
2019: Paisley Park – read the race report
2018: Penhill – read the race report
2017: Nichols Canyon – read the race report
2016: Thistlecrack – read the race report
2015: Cole Harden – read the race report
2014: More Of That – read the race report
2013: Solwhit – read the race report
2012: Big Buck’s – read the race report
2011: Big Buck’s – read the race report

Winning-most trainer, horse, jockey and owner of the Stayers’ Hurdle

The all-time leading Stayers’ Hurdle trainer is Paul Nicholls, who has so far won it a total of four times, thanks to Big Buck’s, who is also the horse that holds the most wins in this race (2009-12). The winning-most jockey in the race is Ruby Walsh, thanks to his five wins — all four on Big Buck’s, plus one on Nichols Canyon. And there are two leading Stayers’ Hurdle owners, who both have four wins each. These are the Stewart Family, who owned Big Buck’s and Andrea & Graham Wylie, who owned Inglis Drever (2005, 2007, 2008) and  Nichols Canyon.

The history of the Stayers’ Hurdle

The inaugural Stayers’ Hurdle race was run in 1912 at Prestbury Park with £100 (£200 in 1913) prize money to the winner and £10 to the runner-up. It was called the Stayers Selling Hurdle and was a weight for age selling event with the winning horse being sold for £50 after the race. The race was dropped from the Festival programme twice during 1928–1929 and in 1939–1945 but in 1946 it replaced the Spa Hurdle, which was previously run in 1923 and 1942 over two miles. From 1946 to 1967 the Spa Hurdle was run over the same three miles until being renamed in 1972 as the Stayers’ Hurdle.

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