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
Number | Horse | Trainer |
1 | Lump Sum | Sam Thomas |
2 | Iberico Lord | Nicky Henderson |
3 | Hansard | Gary & Josh Moore |
4 | Favour And Fortune | Alan King |
5 | Minella Missile | Evan Williams |
6 | Bo Zenith | Nicky Henderson |
7 | Tellherthename | Jonjo & AJ O’Neill |
8 | Fiercely Proud | Ben Pauling |
9 | Our Champ | Chris Gordon |
10 | Beat The Bat | Harry Fry |
11 | Washington | Harry Derham |
12 | Aucunrisque | Chris Gordon |
13 | Givemefive | Harry Derham |
14 | Josh The Boss | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
15 | Secret Squirrel | Hughie Morrison |
16 | Mirabad | Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole |
17 | Williethebuilder | Dan Skelton |
18 | Go Dante | Olly Murphy |
19 | Navajo Indy | Tom Symonds |
20 | Wreckless Eric | Jonjo & AJ O’Neill |
21 | Spirits Bay | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
22 | Joyeuse | Nicky Henderson |
23 | King William Rufus | Chris Gordon |