The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle is the feature contest on day 3 of The Cheltenham Festival and takes place at 3.20pm on Thursday 18 March. Our Cheltenham Day 3 tips cover the other six races on the Thursday card, and selections for the whole week are in our Cheltenham tips.
Our team of tipsters, which will include the likes of Andrew Mount and Matty Sutcliffe, will provide their Stayers’ Hurdle tips nearer the off.
Andrew Mount’s Stayers’ Hurdle Tips
Andrew Mount likes the similarities between Ma Shantou and Emma Lavelle’s former Stayers’ Hurdle winner Paisley Park. The seven-year-old fits the right age profile for the race too.
Matty Sutcliffe’s Stayers’ Hurdle Tips
Matty’s ante-post selection was Impose Toi, who has strong form this season and may improve again back on a sounder surface in the big race.
Our Cheltenham Day 3 trends pick out the key stats for every race on Thursday 18 March, and the market for this one is followed on our Stayers’ Hurdle odds page.
Other Day Three Races at Cheltenham
Day three of the 2027 Cheltenham Festival is Thursday 18 March. These are our tips for the other races on the card:
- Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle tips
- Jack Richards tips
- Mares’ Hurdle tips
- Ryanair tips
- Pertemps Final tips
- Kim Muir tips
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle Bookmaker Odds – Race 4, Thursday 18th March 3.20
All About The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle in 2027
The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 contest for horses aged four years and over. With 12 flights of hurdles to jump over a distance of 3m, a strong-staying type with a finishing kick is needed in order to overcome the famous Cheltenham hill on the climb to the line.
Stayers’ Hurdle Ante-Post Picture (November 2026)
Joseph O’Brien’s 11-year-old Home By The Lee caused a 33/1 shock in the 2026 Stayers’ Hurdle, holding off Ballyburn, with Bob Olinger and Kabral Du Mathan next home. Teahupoo, the 2024 winner, could manage only sixth as the 9/4 favourite.
The New Lion heads a wide-open 2027 market and would be a fascinating runner if Dan Skelton steps last season’s Champion Hurdle third up to three miles. Turners Novices’ Hurdle third Zeus Power is an obvious improver, while Mares’ Hurdle winner Wodhooh, Jimmy Du Seuil and Jasmin De Vaux all feature near the head of the early betting.
Qualifications/Trends
Check out the key trends for the 2026 Stayers’ Hurdle:
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle History
The first three-mile hurdle contest was originally established in 1912 and was run as a selling event up until the Second World War. The three-mile conditions race was then introduced in 1946 which was named the Spa Hurdle.
The Stayers’ Hurdle has had several names since its inception and was changed to the Lloyds Bank Hurdle in 1972 before six years later being classed as the Waterford Crystal Stayers’ Hurdle. The Bonusprint Stayers’ Hurdle soon replaced that between 1991 and 2004. Ladbrokes and Ryanair have sponsored recent modern day renewals from 2005-2015, whilst Paddy Power have sponsored the last two contests.
The Stayers Hurdle has produced some staggering performances from top-class stayers across the years and the race is synonymous with modern greats in the shape of four-time winner Big Bucks (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and three-time champion Inglis Drever who landed this contest in 2005, 2007 and 2008. The early turn of the century also saw Francois Doumen’s star stayer Baracouda land this race in back to back seasons back in 2002 and 2003.
Gordon Elliott has most recently gone back-to-back with two different runners in Sire Du Berlais (2023) and Teahupoo (2024). The hat-trick was on in 2025, but was scuppered by Henry De Bromhead, Rachael Blackmore and Bob Olinger.
Winners since 2000
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bacchanal | J:Mick Fitzgerald T:Nicky Henderson | 11/2 |
| 2001 | VOID | J:N/A T:N/A | VOID |
| 2002 | Baracouda | J:Thierry Doumen T:Francois Doumen | 13/8F |
| 2003 | Baracouda | J:Thierry Doumen T:Francois Doumen | 9/4J |
| 2004 | Iris’s Gift | J:Barry Geraghty T:Jonjo O’Neill | 9/2 |
| 2005 | Inglis Drever | J:Graham Lee T:Howard Johnson | 5/1 |
| 2006 | My Way De Solzen | J:Robert Thornton T:Alan King | 8/1 |
| 2007 | Inglis Drever | J:Paddy Brennan T:Howard Johnson | 5/1 |
| 2008 | Inglis Drever | J:Denis O’Regan T:Howard Johnson | 11/8 |
| 2009 | Big Buck’s | J:Ruby Walsh T:Paul Nicholls | 6/1 |
| 2010 | Big Buck’s | J:Ruby Walsh T:Paul Nicholls | 5/6F |
| 2011 | Big Buck’s | J:Ruby Walsh T:Paul Nicholls | 10/11F |
| 2012 | Big Buck’s | J:Ruby Walsh T:Paul Nicholls | 5/6F |
| 2013 | Solwhit | J:Paul Carberry T:Charles Byrnes | 17/2 |
| 2014 | More Of That | J:Barry Geraghty T:Jonjo O’Neill | 9/2F |
| 2015 | Cole Harden | J:Gavin Sheehan T:Warren Greatrex | 14/1 |
| 2016 | Thistlecrack | J:Tom Scudamore T:Colin Tizzard | EvsF |
| 2017 | Nichols Canyon | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 10/1 |
| 2018 | Penhill | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 12/1 |
| 2019 | Paisley Park | J:Aidan Coleman T:Emma Lavelle | 11/8F |
| 2020 | Lisnagar Oscar | J:Adam Wedge T:Rebecca Curtis | 50/1 |
| 2021 | Flooring Porter | J:Danny Mullins T:Gavin Cromwell | 12/1 |
| 2022 | Flooring Porter | J:Danny Mullins T:Gavin Cromwell | 4/1 |
| 2023 | Sire Du Berlais | J:Mark Walsh T:Gordon Elliott | 33/1 |
| 2024 | Teahupoo | J:Jack Kennedy T:Gordon Elliott | 5/4F |
| 2025 | Bob Olinger | J:Rachael Blackmore T:Henry De Bromhead | 8/1 |
| 2026 | Home By The Lee | J:J J Slevin T:Joseph O’Brien | 33/1 |
Cheltenham Festival Racing Schedule
| Time | Race | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1:20 | Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle | 2m 3f 168y |
| 2:00 | Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase | 2m 4f |
| 2.40 | Mares’ Hurdle | 2m 3f 200y |
| 3.20 | Ryanair Chase | 2m 4f 127y |
| 4.00 | Stayers’ Hurdle | 2m 7f 213y |
| 4:40 | Pertemps Final | 2m 7f 213y |
| 5:20 | Kim Muir Handicap Chase | 3m 2f |