2026 Stayers Hurdle

[Wayward Lad]

Would be some JP plot.. get Dan to continue banging the CH drum whilst he and his cohorts mopped up the big ante-post Stayer's prices! Similarities to F2F and the Ryanair last year..

Would make him top heavy in the Stayers with Impose Toi and possibly Honesty Policy. However, Impose Toi is qualified for the Pertemps.

I don't actually see this happening - just surmising..

Not necessarily a plot, just that his racecourse runs over 2m may not show the same level of rating to the Turners last year and that the Stayers is always there as a back up. I thought his Sat run was poor, nearly ran out at one fence and I don’t think he would have won the race on Sat if he had stayed up

Yes would be top heavy if Honesty and Impose Toi also run, although a lot of water to go under the bridge before final decisions are made……

 

[Benjy23]

Champ hdle not the plan for Irish Point

I don't think he meant Irish Point. I think he meant Wodooh going Champion Hurdle.

And Irish Point was just an example of Gordon running a stayer in the Champion Hurdle.

Not sure why I'm getting involved mind...

 

[Lobos]

Champ hdle not the plan for Irish Point

Ok, with you now. I was talking about Wodhooh potentially going CH the same as Irish Point did to avoid Teahupoo.

 

[Lobos]

I don't think he meant Irish Point. I think he meant Wodooh going Champion Hurdle.

And Irish Point was just an example of Gordon running a stayer in the Champion Hurdle.

Not sure why I'm getting involved mind...

Yep. Benji on same wavelength as me ..... Which is quite disturbing.....

 

[darlojim]

Ok, with you now. I was talking about Wodhooh potentially going CH the same as Irish Point did to avoid Teahupoo.

Ahh gotcha!

 

[Eggs]

….P Mullins;

Leading amateur rider Mullins, who recently claimed his 900th victory in the saddle, told Sporting Life: "It was a great run from Ballyburn, it was a little bit of a tactical race and Gordon (Elliott) and his lot rode brilliant races, all three of them. So I think we were slightly unlucky.

"Take nothing away from Teahupoo, he's put together a fantastic body of work, he's a fantastic horse and we'd love to have him, but I think we were probably unlucky on the day."

Ballyburn was promoted to Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle favourite on the back of the defeat and is likely to move up in trip on his next start in Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle over three miles on Monday December 29.

Regarding the longer distance, Mullins said: "If you're looking at it going up to three miles, Ballyburn is going to have to learn how to settle. That's what Paul (Townend) set out to do, get him to settle, and obviously he's a tricky ride. Paul makes it look a lot simpler than it is.

"It was a fantastic run, but if he is going to go up to three miles, he's going to want to settle a bit better than he did.

"It (Leopardstown over Christmas) would look the obvious port of call, I don't think three miles is any problem for him but usually when you see those good three-mile hurdlers, like Teahupoo, Big Buck's, Inglis Drever, they're normally lazy, behind-the-bridle horses. That's not Ballyburn.

"To me, he's probably really a crack two-and-a-half-miler and we're hoping to stretch him out to three miles, as opposed to being a proper three miler perhaps. But Nichols Canyon was that way as well, and the more he raced the more relaxed he got, and he of course won a Stayers' Hurdle. But I think Ballyburn is a work in progress at the moment."

 

[Ellisgittings]

Would be some JP plot.. get Dan to continue banging the CH drum whilst he and his cohorts mopped up the big ante-post Stayer's prices! Similarities to F2F and the Ryanair last year..

Would make him top heavy in the Stayers with Impose Toi and possibly Honesty Policy. However, Impose Toi is qualified for the Pertemps.

I don't actually see this happening - just surmising..

No-one is mopping up big on antepost prices with the stakes allowed these days!

I don't think TNL is a 2 miler but they'll continue down the route until told otherwise, and I'd be surprised if he ends up in the Stayers.

 

[opatcho]

edited

 

[jrjr]

Won today and battled on well but it was a really messy race. No pace at all. He'll have to go down the Stayers route now though as the Handicapper will probably hit him hard.

Impose Toi left unchanged on 153. I'd imagine it keeps the Pertemps door very much open if JP was considering the Stayers with Honesty Policy.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

Staffordshire Knot impressive again over at Clonmel today. Likely going to get another fair rise. I suspect somewhere in the region of mid 150's now.

Obviously Gordon seems to have at least 3 likely contenders for this race already but I do think this could be another one.

I was vocal on here about him being a Pertemps horse last season, but he never managed to qualify, instead ending up in the Coral Cup, finishing 9th.

The big caveat to him is the ground. He's a bit like Teahupoo, in needing softer ground, the softer the better basically, he's two from two on heavy now after today's win. Aside from the ground I think he needs 3m, although did win over 2m6f today.

He is only 7, so potentially still room for some improvement, as he's showing so far this season.

40/1 with cash out. 50/1 without.

One to watch, that's for sure.

 

[Yosser]

Interesting. I was just about to check that result. He is the only one I have penciled down for the Pertemps (albeit an early stage yet) but it seems they have found the key to him. He was quite vocal about how disappointed they were with him last season so maybe he has started to mature. He would be one I would keep an eye on for the Stayers, he is gigginstown isn't he? Elliott wouldn't mind going mob handed with a cluster of horses for different trainers I'm sure and he has a fine record in the race. I'm keen on that one

 

[Eggs]

Bob Olinger is in great form and he will be out either at Leopardstown at Christmas or Cheltenham,” said Acheson.

“We’ve got a bit of a debate going on because we have Irish Point to come out as well and one will go Leopardstown and the other to the Relkeel, which is a race we sponsor and always try to have something for.

“We had a great day with Bob Olinger in the Relkeel the other year, it’s a very special race that has had some great winners down the years and we try to support it as much as we can.”

While both Teahupoo and Bob Olinger have had their moment in the sun at the Cheltenham Festival, it should not be forgotten that Irish Point finished best of the rest behind State Man in the Champion Hurdle in 2024 and he has been out of action since finishing down the field in the French equivalent later that year.

Acheson is relishing seeing the seven-year-old back in action, while the Irishman is also eager to see if Liverpool Hurdle winner Hiddenvalley Lake – another in his swelling hand of staying hurdlers – can go one better than last year’s head defeat in Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle.

“You would love to see Irish Point come back to his best and we’ve Hiddenvalley Lake still there in that division to look forward to,” continued Acheson.

“He will go to Ascot for the Long Walk, where he was just beaten last year by Crambo.”

 

[Durham Edition]

Bob Olinger is in great form and he will be out either at Leopardstown at Christmas or Cheltenham,” said Acheson.

“We’ve got a bit of a debate going on because we have Irish Point to come out as well and one will go Leopardstown and the other to the Relkeel, which is a race we sponsor and always try to have something for.

“We had a great day with Bob Olinger in the Relkeel the other year, it’s a very special race that has had some great winners down the years and we try to support it as much as we can.”

While both Teahupoo and Bob Olinger have had their moment in the sun at the Cheltenham Festival, it should not be forgotten that Irish Point finished best of the rest behind State Man in the Champion Hurdle in 2024 and he has been out of action since finishing down the field in the French equivalent later that year.

Acheson is relishing seeing the seven-year-old back in action, while the Irishman is also eager to see if Liverpool Hurdle winner Hiddenvalley Lake – another in his swelling hand of staying hurdlers – can go one better than last year’s head defeat in Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle.

“You would love to see Irish Point come back to his best and we’ve Hiddenvalley Lake still there in that division to look forward to,” continued Acheson.

“He will go to Ascot for the Long Walk, where he was just beaten last year by Crambo.”

Irish Point at 33's is a big price I feel, I get that he has to come back from a long injury but if he retains any of the ability he will be a threat.

 

[Durham Edition]

Staffordshire Knot impressive again over at Clonmel today. Likely going to get another fair rise. I suspect somewhere in the region of mid 150's now.

Obviously Gordon seems to have at least 3 likely contenders for this race already but I do think this could be another one.

I was vocal on here about him being a Pertemps horse last season, but he never managed to qualify, instead ending up in the Coral Cup, finishing 9th.

The big caveat to him is the ground. He's a bit like Teahupoo, in needing softer ground, the softer the better basically, he's two from two on heavy now after today's win. Aside from the ground I think he needs 3m, although did win over 2m6f today.

He is only 7, so potentially still room for some improvement, as he's showing so far this season.

40/1 with cash out. 50/1 without.

One to watch, that's for sure.

84's available on the exchanges for him

 

[Killiney]

84's available on the exchanges for him

33 now

 

[ComplyOrDie]

33 now

Not on the exchanges he's not?

 

[Killiney]

Not on the exchanges he's not?

Which exchange - on Betfair (matchbox) he is 33/1!!!

 

[ComplyOrDie]

Which exchange - on Betfair (matchbox) he is 33/1!!!

Definitely showing up on Betfair Exchange @ 84/1 still for me.

We are talking about Staffordshire Knot, yeah?

 

[riccirich]

Which exchange - on Betfair (matchbox) he is 33/1!!!

If your going by oddschecker, or if your looking on the exchange but you aren't logged in, it can show lower prices than what's available.

 

[Quevega]

If your going by oddschecker, or if your looking on the exchange but you aren't logged in, it can show lower prices than what's available.

Wrong horse I reckon.
Irish Point he's thinking of.

Been a lot of confusion in this thread lately
it's cursed