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William Hill Handicap Hurdle Runners – Henderson & McManus in Running for Successive Victories in Richest Handicap Hurdle

23 runners have been entered for the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury this Saturday, 8th February. All 23 are trained in Britain as no Irish representatives appear among the provisional field.

JP McManus and Nicky Henderson combined for the winner of the 2024 renewal of this race, when it was run under its common recent title of the Betfair Hurdle, and Joyeuse could look to follow Iberico Lord’s success. The grey was a close second in a highly competitive mares’ handicap at Cheltenham in December and has only raced four times under rules to date, though the defending champion is also among the 23 and would shoulder top-weight if running here.

Other big handicap winners from this season could go to post here. They include Navajo Indy, who claimed the Gerry Feilden Hurdle in November over course and distance, while Secret Squirrel scored more recently at Windsor over Winter Million weekend. Meanwhile, last season’s Scottish Champion Hurdle hero Favour And Fortune may take his chance for Alan King.

Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque won this in 2023 and the nine-year-old is one of three runners who could represent his yard alongside bottom-weight King William Rufus and Our Champ. At the other end of the spectrum, Lump Sum, last seen running against Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth, holds the current number one on the racecard for Sam Thomas, while another horse to have encountered Constitution Hill recently, Spirits Bay, could run for Nigel Twiston-Davies having finished third in the Grade 2 International Hurdle.

William Hill Handicap Hurdle Runners 2025

NumberHorseTrainer
1Lump SumSam Thomas
2Iberico LordNicky Henderson
3HansardGary & Josh Moore
4Favour And FortuneAlan King
5Minella MissileEvan Williams
6Bo ZenithNicky Henderson
7TellherthenameJonjo & AJ O’Neill
8Fiercely ProudBen Pauling
9Our ChampChris Gordon
10Beat The BatHarry Fry
11WashingtonHarry Derham
12AucunrisqueChris Gordon
13GivemefiveHarry Derham
14Josh The BossNigel Twiston-Davies
15Secret SquirrelHughie Morrison
16MirabadDr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole
17WilliethebuilderDan Skelton
18Go DanteOlly Murphy
19Navajo IndyTom Symonds
20Wreckless EricJonjo & AJ O’Neill
21Spirits BayNigel Twiston-Davies
22JoyeuseNicky Henderson
23King William RufusChris Gordon