Stayers are born not made There is something of a misconception when it comes to stayers - that as horses get older they will be better able to last out longer distances - but the statistics don’t bear this out. 19 of the last 27 editions of the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham have been won by horses aged 6 or 7 years. 5 of the remaining 8 renewals were won by multiple champions that had previously won the race as either 6 or 7 year olds. Put another way 24 of the last 27 winners won the race as 6 or 7 year olds. So by a relatively young age, National Hunt wise, these horses were already proven stayers. Looking at this year’s list of Stayers’ Hurdle entries it is a little off-putting to see so many of the names also entered in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle. Horses like Samcro, Melon, Petit Mouchoir, Supasundae, Apple’s Jade, Farclas and Wholestone. To my mind a Champion Hurdle winner and a Stayers’ Hurdle winner are two very different types of horse. Admittedly you need a horse that stays further than two miles to win an average Champion Hurdle but you also need a proper three mile horse to win a Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Now, of the above mentioned horses Supasundae and Wholestone (2nd and 3rd in this race last year) are probably nearer to three milers than two milers while Apple’s Jade (runs in Champion Hurdle) is beginning to look like a bit of a freak as all distances appear to be within her range. If Samcro is ready in time (was suffering from a lung infection) for Cheltenham it is more likely he will turn up here rather than the Champion Hurdle so the first question has to be whether or not he will stay the trip. All bar two of his racecourse appearances have been over the minimum distance of two miles. He did, however, win both of those other races over further than two miles, including last season’s Ballymore Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham, and also won his sole Point-to-Point outing on testing ground. On balance he may see out this trip but we don’t know for sure. Samcro is now a ‘bf’ beaten favourite on each of his last four runs which shouldn’t have too many rushing to back him at Cheltenham but if connections can return him to the form of last season he is a high class contender. The market is currently headed by the find of the season Paisley Park (9/4 BoyleSports). He is unbeaten in four races this season including his most recent demolition job in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle over the course in January. He is stoutly bred by Oscar out of a Presenting mare and a repeat of his latest run looks to be good enough to win the Stayers’ Hurdle. His chief rival is most likely to be last season’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner Penhill (6/1 Unibet) but, not for the first time with this horse, you have to put your trust entirely in Willie Mullins’ ability to have him primed for the big day. Penhill won this race last year on his seasonal debut and comes here again without a prep-race. If anyone else trained him you’d say this is madness but Mullins is unbelievable at it. He did the same for five years in a row to win the Mares’ Hurdle with Quevega. Penhill also won the 2017 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle over three miles at the Festival and has all the credentials to win again but will need to bring his A-game to defeat Paisley Park. Stablemate Faugheen has to be the ultimate second-string. Already a dual winner at the Festival, including the 2015 Champion Hurdle, he also boasts a wide margin victory over Penhill, on his first attempt at a staying trip in over four years, in last season’s Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. That was an unusual race due to the fact that Faugheen built up a big lead early on, then when the pack closed on him he quickened away again. His time for that race (not a particularly reliable guide) was quick and if you take the run on face value he must have a serious chance here despite his advancing years and lack of worthwhile form on two runs this season. Supasundae still held every chance halfway up the run-in in this contest last year but eventually finished two lengths off Penhill. His ability to truly stay up the hill at Cheltenham is more of a worry than his form figures which show he has finished second in six of his last eight races. The other two races in that sequence were victories in two versions of Irish Champion Hurdles, one at Leopardstown and the other at Punchestown. Despite those high profile two mile wins there is a suspicion that his optimum trip lies somewhere between two and three miles. West Approach has filled the runner-up position behind Paisley Park on his first two runs back over hurdles. He is no doubt a better hurdler than chaser but a record of 0 from 13 at Cheltenham tempers any enthusiasm for him as an each-way play. If there is to be an outsider in the money it might be a horse like Kilbricken Storm (20/1 Bet365). He, like West Approach, is reverting back from jumping fences. In Kilbricken Storm’s case, after just two runs over the larger obstacles. He was a shock winner of last year’s Albert Bartlett over this course and distance but backed that up with a fine effort to finish a close third to Next Destination over the same trip at the Punchestown Festival. This is his only entry at Cheltenham this year and he is interesting. Selections 1. Paisley Park 9/4 BoyleSports 2. Penhill 6/1 Unibet 3. Kilbricken Storm 20/1 Bet365 By Vincent Finegan
