The provisional field has been entered for the 2025 County Hurdle, the big handicap on day four of the Cheltenham Festival, and 73 horses have been given entries, one fewer than in 2024. They include last year’s winner Absurde, who has not been seen over hurdles since, but has won in Listed company on the flat, as well as finishing fifth in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
His trainer, Willie Mullins, has won five of the last ten renewals, and is also responsible for one of the talking horses during the entries announcements in Kopeck De Mee. Purchased by JP McManus, he has already raced five times over hurdles in France, ensuring he is eligible for participation at the Cheltenham Festival. The Likes of former top juvenile Gala Marceau and interesting novices Karafon and Karniquet give Mullins a particularly strong hand once again, alongside Ethical Diamond, who would run in the same silks as Absurde.
If the County Hurdle does not go to Willie Mullins, it is invariably won instead by Dan Skelton. He has won four of the other five renewals in the past decade, with Valgrand appearing to be his most obvious hope of a winner in 2025. He looked impressive over course and distance earlier this season.
Ante-post favourite McLaurey is another horse who could carry McManus’s green and gold hoops. He took advantage of a featherweight at the Dublin Racing Festival for Emmet Mullins and therefore arrives in good form.
Both Pied Piper and Colonel Mustard have placed in the County Hurdle before and are entered for another shot at Festival glory. Further intriguing entries are Burdett Road, who won the Greatwood Hurdle earlier in the campaign, former Betfair Hurdle winner Iberico Lord and high class handicap chaser My Mate Mozzie should Gavin Cromwell wish to revert him to hurdles.
County Hurdle Entries 2025
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Absurde | Willie Mullins |
| 2 | Afadil | Paul Nicholls |
| 3 | All In You | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 4 | Alnilam | Olly Murphy |
| 5 | Aspire Tower | Henry De Bromhead |
| 6 | Aucunrisque | Chris Gordon |
| 7 | Batman Girac | Willie Mullins |
| 8 | Bunting | Willie Mullins |
| 9 | Burdett Road | James Owen |
| 10 | Colonel Mustard | Lorna Flower |
| 11 | Cormier | Brian Ellison |
| 12 | Country Park | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 13 | Cracking Rhapsody | Evan Whillans |
| 14 | Daddy Long Legs | Willie Mullins |
| 15 | Ethical Diamond | Willie Mullins |
| 16 | Farren Glory | Gordon Elliott |
| 17 | Favour And Fortune | Alan King |
| 18 | Fenway Park | Gavin Cromwell |
| 19 | Fils d’Oudairies | Gordon Elliott |
| 20 | First Street | Nicky Henderson |
| 21 | Florida Dreams | Nicky Richards |
| 22 | Gala Marceau | Willie Mullins |
| 23 | Gaucher | Willie Mullins |
| 24 | Gentleman Bill | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero |
| 25 | Go Dante | Olly Murphy |
| 26 | Hansard | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 27 | Highwind | Willie Mullins |
| 28 | Hunters Yarn | Willie Mullins |
| 29 | Iberico Lord | Nicky Henderson |
| 30 | Irish Panther | Eddie & Patrick Harty |
| 31 | Jimmy Du Seuil | Willie Mullins |
| 32 | Jipcot | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 33 | Kabral Du Mathan | Paul Nicholls |
| 34 | Kala Conti | Gordon Elliott |
| 35 | Kap Vert | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White |
| 36 | Karafon | Willie Mullins |
| 37 | Kargese | Willie Mullins |
| 38 | Karniquet | Willie Mullins |
| 39 | King Of Kingsfield | Gordon Elliott |
| 40 | Kings Hill | Paul John Gilligan |
| 41 | Knickerbockerglory | Dan Skelton |
| 42 | Kopeck De Mee | Willie Mullins |
| 43 | Lario | Harry Derham |
| 44 | Lark In The Mornin | Joseph O’Brien |
| 45 | Lump Sum | Sam Thomas |
| 46 | McLaurey | Emmet Mullins |
| 47 | Milldam | Jamie Snowden |
| 48 | Mirabad | Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole |
| 49 | My Mate Mozzie | Gavin Cromwell |
| 50 | Ndaawi | Gordon Elliott |
| 51 | Norman Fletcher | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 52 | Ooh Betty | Ben Clarke |
| 53 | Our Champ | Chris Gordon |
| 54 | Petrol Head | Neil Mulholland |
| 55 | Pied Piper | Gordon Elliott |
| 56 | Pinot Gris | Gavin Cromwell |
| 57 | Raglan Road | Henry De Bromhead |
| 58 | Royal Way | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 59 | Samui | Gordon Elliott |
| 60 | Slugger | Harry Derham |
| 61 | Spirit d’Aunou | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 62 | Stormalong | David Kenneth Budds |
| 63 | Stormbreaker | Willie Mullins |
| 64 | Stream Of Stars | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 65 | Tellherthename | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 66 | The Enabler | Gordon Elliott |
| 67 | Tounsivator | Willie Mullins |
| 68 | Valgrand | Dan Skelton |
| 69 | Vischio | Emmet Mullins |
| 70 | We’re Red And Blue | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 71 | Welsh Charger | Alastair Ralph |
| 72 | Wilful | Jonjo & A J O’Neill |
| 73 | Williethebuilder | Dan Skelton |