Ryanair Stayers Hurdle Guide 2021

The seven year old gelding was remarkable last season winning three of his four contests in great style and showing a clear staying ability.

He started his life over hurdles at Chepstow in the Grade Two Persian War Novices Hurdle and seeing off some smart youngsters that have since gone on to frank that form including Grade One winner Fiddlerontheroof.

The gelding then went to Cheltenham in the Grade Two Ballymore Novices Hurdle and again put in a strong winning run to enhance his credentials in this division.

He was destined for big things off the back of his third in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last season and fulfilled his potential for the term when landing the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

He was then sent back to Cheltenham in March for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and although suffering his first defeat over hurdles, he was a narrow fourth in a very hot Grade One.

The form of that race has worked out with the first, second and third since coming out and winning on their seasonal debuts.

Coming out of novice company on seasonal debut many were apprehensive as to how Thyme Hill would handle taking seasoned staying horses on first time out, but he was superb landing the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

The gelding saw off strong challenges from McFabulous and Paisley Park that day and he was up against the latter again in his bid for his second Grade One win of his career.

However, although looking the likely winner with 50 yards to go he was nabbed on the line by the likeable stayer and he will meet him again in this decider.

Paisley Park showed he is back to his best this season after a superb second behind the young pretender Thyme Hill in the Grade Two Long Distance Cup at Newbury on his seasonal debut and then backed that up by reversing the form in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle.

The eight year old at the Cheltenham festival last season was looking to extend his unbeaten run to eight races and also land back to back renewals of the Stayers Hurdle having been the horse to beat in they Stayers' Hurdle division, but it was not to be for the fan favourite.

After the race it was found that the son of Oscar had come back with an irregular heartbeat that was certainly the cause of his underwhelming run in the Grade One he dominated last season.

Now, the Andrew Gemmell owned horse is said to be back to his best having been given the all clear from the vets and the frequent winner has been wearing a heart monitor in pieces of his work at home and the problem has not resurfaced.

Although the gelding was taking on much younger horses on his return in November and giving weight away he still ran to a high standard.

He cemented the idea that his run in the 2020 Stayers' Hurdle was a blip when coming from the clouds to land his second Grade One Long Walk Hurdle last time out, reversing the form with Thyme Hill in the final stages.

With the adverse weather cancelling meetings in the run up to the festival Paisley Park was not seen again until the Cheltenham festival where he stayed on well to grab third behind Flooring Porter and Sire Du Berlais.

His trainer believed he will be fresher for that run and should be in the mix again.

Having been a shock winner of the Grade One Mares Hurdle in 2019 she has since placed in some nice events at Aintree and Cheltenham and has established her as one of the best mares in the sport.

She went back to defend her crown at Cheltenham in March 2020 and could only finish fourth behind some star mares, but that form has since been franked.

Roksana made a credible seasonal debut for the yard when winning the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby in October and backed that up last time out with another big run.

She headed into the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot over three miles and finished a smart third behind Paisley Park and Thyme Hill.

Roksana then headed back to the Berkshire track over the same course and distance taking on three runners in the Grade Two Mares Hurdle and went on to emphatically land the event by eight lengths.

Last time out she was sent into the Grade One Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and was just tapped for a bit of pace finishing back in third.

Getting back to this staying trip is a plus, but she has to reverse the form with the two market leaders.

Rebecca Curtis tasted her biggest victory as a trainer when eight year old Lisnagar Oscar shocked the racing world when landing the Grade One Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year at a massive 50/1. 

Always shaping like a strong stayer, he failed to make waves as a chaser so had to revert back to hurdles. 

It seemingly took him a few runs to get his confidence back over timber but ran a fine race in the Cleeve on trials day behind Paisley Park. 

This season his form reads a less than inspiring 472F. His best run coming when last seen at Haydock in a Grade Two behind Third Wind.

He only went down by three quarters of a length and looked to be back to his best. Giving 6lbs away to a smart rival just got the better of him. 

Having well backed to retain his title at Cheltenham he unfortunately fell and if none the worse for that tumble is a live player again being a proven stayer.

The six year old has mainly ran over hurdles all his life, showing he enjoys a staying contest and on the premises of his form should be closer in the market to other horses that are shorter.

Having finished a good fourth at last seasons Cheltenham festival in the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, He made a fair seasonal debut at Newbury in November finishing fifth in a Pertemps Qualifier.

Two starts ago he gave one of his best performances to date when a narrow second to Main Fact at Haydock and although that looks smart form, he could not back it up last time out.

He went into the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot over three miles and finished a tame fifth behind Paisley Park, Thyme Hilll and Roksana.

He stepped out of his handicap shell last time out to give a career best performance at land the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.

It was a superb win for the horse, but he will need to step up again going into Grade One company and might need more juice in the ground.

The eight year old for Kim Bailey was a really classy three mile chaser last season and has now returned to hurdles this term.

Back in his novice hurdle campaign he was unbeaten over timber and even notched up a tight victory over Champ. 

The plan seemingly to always go chasing he won his first two outings before bumping into Defi Du Seuil in the Scilly Isles and the JLT. 

Upped in trip to three miles last season unlocked more potential and he looked a thorough stayer over three miles.  Returning to fences this season in the Charlie Hall chase he was unlucky to bump into an on form Cyrname who blew him away easily despite going left handed.

We last saw Vinndication over fences in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury where despite being sent off favourite, his jumping fell apart. A blunder was followed up by a worse mistake which saw him part company with David Bass. 

Trying to reinvigorate some confidence in him, he dropped to hurdles in the Stayers' at the Cheltenham festival and finished a fair sixth of 18 behind some smart horses.

He does have to reverse the form with Paisley Park, but off the back of that run is a live place player.

The nine year old wears the double green for Munir and Souede and is trained by Harry Fry.  A classy horse over hurdles, he’s made his switch to fences later in his career.

Rated 158 over timber, he took Grade One honours over three miles during the 2019 Aintree Festival in this race.

Making his chase debut back in mid October, he got off the mark at the first attempt and beat Fiddlerontheroof convincingly. 

He’s struggled to get his head in front since but has mixed it in open company. Second to Pym over three miles in a Listed event, he then finished third in the Kauto Star behind Shan Blue.

That outing being eye-catching in how well he saw out the race and rattled home for third.  Last seen in open company again, If The Cap Fits ran a mighty race in the Portman Cup Chase to be second to the highly talented Yala Enki.

Off level weights he was only beaten 5 lengths by the 161 rated chaser. 

A decent latest outing, he has bags of racing experience and has mixed it well with more experienced chasers this season. 

He’s a big price to get involved here but does have some decent form over fences and could surprise a few. 

Another for Noel Meade and Gigginstown, Diol Ker scalped Monkfish last season in a maiden hurdle. Holding off the prince of staying novice chasers by an impressive seven lengths. 

Not seen for the rest of the season he tried his hand in novice chases but really struggled over the bigger obstacles. 

Unable to string any form together he dropped back to hurdles and immediately got back in the winner's enclosure.  

Last seen over three miles in the Galmoy Hurdle he looked the winner late on. Hampered at the last he showed determination to rally close to home only to be collared by Sams Profile on the line. 

He looked a real prospect over three miles and is still unexposed over the trip. 

Only seven years old he’s likely still improving and looks much more comfortable over hurdles than he has over fences. 

Unlucky when last seen, the rival that beat him that day doesn’t line up here. 

One for the place shortlist. 

The veteran 11 year old for trainer Sam Thomas is William Henry who loves staying trips, but looks vulnerable in this race to younger horses.

Having landed the Coral Cup at the 2019 Cheltenham festival, he has only been seen five times since, finishing a good fourth of 15 runners after that over course and distance in this race.

From there he struggled last season, when being outclassed in the 2020 Relkeel Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle, showing that he could not cut it at that level.

However, his last run of that term saw him get back to winning ways at Fontwell in the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle, beating some decent horses.

This year he has only been seen once and it came over fences at Hereford when landing a six runner Beginners' Chase over 3m1f.

He has been a superb horse over the years but now a veteran looks vulnerable and should be best watched.

Thomas Darby has been a hit and miss horse for Olly Murphy showing so much potential as a novice when finishing second behind Klassical Dream in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham festival.

He was then sent over fences with his handler very bullish about where his career was heading, however he suffered two really short priced defeats over the bigger obstacles and was moved straight back over hurdles.

In January 2020 he went back over hurdles and won a Grade Three Handicap Hurdle round Ascot, but since then has been outclassed in better company at Fontwell and Aintree.

He went to Kempton two starts ago where he gave one of his best performances of the season to finish third behind McFabulous and On the Blindside, with the second franking the form.

However, last time out he could only finish a weak 14th of 26 when dropped into handicap company in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham festival and he needs to be better than that here.

The seven year old has been a smart performer for the most part of his career, landing six of his 11 races including four times over hurdles and twice in bumpers.

Last season the gelding was only seen three times, winning this event over three miles in fine style on his penultimate start and off the back of that went to Cheltenham and finished a good fourth in the Grade One Stayers' Hurdle.

This season the gelding was sent chasing by his trainer and it has not worked out, finishing second on debut at Uttoxeter, before being outclassed last time out at Ffos Las when finishing third of three runners behind If The Cap Fits and Fiddlerontheroof.

The team have now abandoned the chasing dream and sent him back over hurdles last time out where he was a tame sixth in the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock, where he was looking to defend his title and he has to be better than that.

The seven year old old has been a consistent horse for the Seven Barrows yard since joining from from France a few years ago and last term was magnificent in the early part of the season.

He started his campaign off in this race in November 2019 finishing second to If The Cap Fits who went on to land the race for two consecutive years.

He then headed to Cheltenham for his second start in the Grade Two International Hurdle and he stayed on best of the rest up the hill to take the race.

The gelding, after a superb win went to Sandown as a final run before the Champion Hurdle at the festival and finished second behind Grade One winner Quel Destin.

The Champion Hurdle was just too much for the gelding, being outclassed in a race that did not suit him and it saw him finish near the back of the field.

He made his seasonal debut this term in the three runner Ascot Hurdle and could only finish second to the likeable Song For Someone.

He tried to reverse the form next time out but struggled when finishing seventh in the Grade Two International Hurdle which he won in 2019.

Turned around quickly, he was upped back in trip for the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle at Kempton, when he could only settle for fourth and he finished the same position last time out in another Grade Two at Fontwell.

The form of his last run has been exploited and he has it all to do stepping up in trip.

The big outsider of the field is a challenger from the other side of the Irish Sea for Noel Kelly, Decor Irlandais only being seen once since his win over three miles at Killarney in the summer.

As a novice hurdler he posted some great efforts to easily fend off Mercian Prince at Catterick before a very impressive second in the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle to Mossy Fen.

A poor run in the Ballymore found him out for a bit of tactical speed and true Grade One quality but it was good to see him return to a racecourse with a win over three miles in Ireland in August.

His only appearance this term came at Navan in the Grade Two Boyne Hurdle where he finished a tame fifth which screamed of a prep run for this event.

He’s certainly been crying out for this kind of testing trip and travels very powerfully in his races, he lacks that sudden change of gear so an attritional three miles will probably be his ideal.

Could outrun his odds.

On The Blind Side for Nicky Henderson has really turned his career around this term with some superb performances and it puts him right in the frame for this event.

Having been tried over fences, hurdles and on the flat last season Henderson is sticking with flights this term and he has made a bright start to the campaign.

He went to Cheltenham on seasonal debut in November for the Listed Handicap Hurdle and beat a decent field of runners over three miles.

He then headed back over the same course and distance last time out and the extra weight told being beat into second by the well handicapped Come On Teddy.

Dropped slightly in trip but upped in Grade, he was sent to Kempton in the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle and finished a superb second behind bright spark McFabulous.

Quickly turned around, he went to Market Rasen just a week later and going back up to three mile made the difference and saw him land a decent hurdle event.

Being in fine form he headed to Haydock last time out for the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle and although only finishing third and being beaten by some of these runners, he is a solid stayer that will run his race at a big price.

The Paul Webber trained mare Indefatigable although being a Cheltenham festival winner looks out of place in this field off what she has done this term.

At the back end of last season she put a string of wins together winning a Listed Hurdle at Warwick and then backing that up in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the festival.

After having a tame run on the flat at Lingfield, she kickstarted her season over hurdles at Kempton over three miles where she could only finish third of eight runners in a Listed event.

She stepped back to 2m5f last time out at Kempton again in the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle and although getting the mares weight allowance was outclassed finishing sixth of seven.

Last time out she was thrown back into the deep end when running in the Grade One Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and being outclassed into fourth

That was her best run so far this season and the step up in trip should be more suitable for her.