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2026 Stayers Hurdle

I was an Impose Toi fan but that run was disappointing even accounting for the ground. Can make excuses for why but overall would have expected better. Saying that, Doddiethegreat has looked a consistent horse (RPR of 148 on all three prior runs this season) and had been 6 lengths then 9 3/4 lengths behind Impose Toi. Here he finished 4 1/2 lengths behind him with IT eased up a touch. Maybe Ma Shantou has put in a greatly improved performance? My worry would be whether that was her big run and whether she is capable of repeating or improving further this season? Interestingly she has very little form on soft ground with all her previous hurdle form coming on faster ground so surprising to see her take to it so well. I'm not forgetting either that Honesty Policy form for this season ties in also with this bunch.

Hate to say but i'm worried it will turn out to be a 'Lisnagar Oscar' kind of year and it will all fall right for some outsider on the day.
 
Hendo on Impose Toi...

“Impose Toi was the horse I was always nervous about, so was Nico (de Boinville) in that ground.

“I think he ran a great race, just in that very soft ground after the last hurdle, he just sort of floundered around in that a bit.

“I’m delighted with him, he’s got a schedule and that stays as it is.”
 
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Agree that was really disappointing from Impose Toi, even with the softer ground and giving weight to the winner. I mentioned elsewhere I thought he was a great roll up option as I couldn’t see enough improvement in any of the others and tbh i’m still not sure if Ma Shantou has actually improved that much, not to be 8/1 currently anyway.

I’ve backed Honesty Policy at bigger prices but really not sure how he’s 9/2 second favourite either, yesterday was hardly a boost to his form, for all he could improve but i’d have rather seen him in that race than going to the boyne hurdle.

The more I look at the market, the more I think Ballyburn is the bet at 20/1. Although disappointing at Christmas he still finished 3rd at a time when a lot of Willie’s weren’t firing and I could see him trying to do similar to Bob Olinger at Cheltenham.

Think the disparity to Teahupoo is too big, and doubt he’s that price on the day.
 
Luke95 said:
Agree that was really disappointing from Impose Toi, even with the softer ground and giving weight to the winner. I mentioned elsewhere I thought he was a great roll up option as I couldn’t see enough improvement in any of the others and tbh i’m still not sure if Ma Shantou has actually improved that much, not to be 8/1 currently anyway.

I’ve backed Honesty Policy at bigger prices but really not sure how he’s 9/2 second favourite either, yesterday was hardly a boost to his form, for all he could improve but i’d have rather seen him in that race than going to the boyne hurdle.

The more I look at the market, the more I think Ballyburn is the bet at 20/1. Although disappointing at Christmas he still finished 3rd at a time when a lot of Willie’s weren’t firing and I could see him trying to do similar to Bob Olinger at Cheltenham.

Think the disparity to Teahupoo is too big, and doubt he’s that price on the day.
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Thought home by the lee would get a bigger haircut than he did for winning the other day. Was still available at 66s post race before getting cut to 40s. Think people are assuming he's declining with age, but ran right up near his best the other day, beating 147 rated Staffordshire knot while giving him 9lbs.

Went off 13/2 last year and was unlucky to be hampered. If it came up really soft on the day I could see him pulling off a bit of a shock.
 
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Runragged said:
I was an Impose Toi fan but that run was disappointing even accounting for the ground. Can make excuses for why but overall would have expected better. Saying that, Doddiethegreat has looked a consistent horse (RPR of 148 on all three prior runs this season) and had been 6 lengths then 9 3/4 lengths behind Impose Toi. Here he finished 4 1/2 lengths behind him with IT eased up a touch. Maybe Ma Shantou has put in a greatly improved performance? My worry would be whether that was her big run and whether she is capable of repeating or improving further this season? Interestingly she has very little form on soft ground with all her previous hurdle form coming on faster ground so surprising to see her take to it so well. I'm not forgetting either that Honesty Policy form for this season ties in also with this bunch.

Hate to say but i'm worried it will turn out to be a 'Lisnagar Oscar' kind of year and it will all fall right for some outsider on the day.
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I’d say the winner would win again if they met in March.
She was going all the way to the line, IT the opposite.
Just think he’s a non stayer at the level required.
 
As well as Bob Olinger and Teahupoo, Acheson’s hand is strengthened by Bob Olinger’s Henry de Bromhead-trained stablemate Hiddenvalley Lake the Liverpool Hurdle winner who will reappear at Navan ahead of joining the aforementioned Robcour duo in the Cotswolds.

Power added:”Hiddenvalley Lake will go to the Boyne Hurdle at Navan and he’s in the mix as well and hopefully will join the others at Cheltenham.”
 
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Lobos said:
As well as Bob Olinger and Teahupoo, Acheson’s hand is strengthened by Bob Olinger’s Henry de Bromhead-trained stablemate Hiddenvalley Lake the Liverpool Hurdle winner who will reappear at Navan ahead of joining the aforementioned Robcour duo in the Cotswolds.

Power added:”Hiddenvalley Lake will go to the Boyne Hurdle at Navan and he’s in the mix as well and hopefully will join the others at Cheltenham.”
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Yeh I read that , i was wondering if owners could potentially have a 1-2-3 in the stayers that would be mad. Not sure if hiddenvalley implied it could be a handicap or it was the same race.
 
So on the similar thread - this morning i was listening to gordon say (last week maybe) about the yellow clay having a hard race and potentially ending up in a handicap! Kind of nuts really...didnt sound like stayers was on the card at all (he didnt even mention it). Dont get why 365 dont have the clay priced up for the coral cup. It would just be the coral cup right that hes talking about ?
 
punterorplonker said:
So on the similar thread - this morning i was listening to gordon say (last week maybe) about the yellow clay having a hard race and potentially ending up in a handicap! Kind of nuts really...didnt sound like stayers was on the card at all (he didnt even mention it). Dont get why 365 dont have the clay priced up for the coral cup. It would just be the coral cup right that hes talking about ?
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Hills have him in their market at 20s nrnb.

What kind of rating will he get? He's rated 156 in Ireland so won't get in lightly.

As a comparison, Jimmy Du Seuil won the Coral Cup last season off 146. Anything in the mid 150s is going to tough as there'll be a few in there with 10lb+ in hand I'd imagine.
 
punterorplonker said:
So on the similar thread - this morning i was listening to gordon say (last week maybe) about the yellow clay having a hard race and potentially ending up in a handicap! Kind of nuts really...didnt sound like stayers was on the card at all (he didnt even mention it). Dont get why 365 dont have the clay priced up for the coral cup. It would just be the coral cup right that hes talking about ?
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He's got a worse rating than Anzadam. And there isn't many with that
 
Faugheen_Machine said:
Hills have him in their market at 20s nrnb.

What kind of rating will he get? He's rated 156 in Ireland so won't get in lightly.

As a comparison, Jimmy Du Seuil won the Coral Cup last season off 146. Anything in the mid 150s is going to tough as there'll be a few in there with 10lb+ in hand I'd imagine.
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I cant imagine hed get any tax

His rating looks way too high if anything on his 3 awful runs since the turners

He looks particularly badly handicapped
 
Has Skelton been sneaky with kabral and aiming him here all along?? the RP reports “
Kabral Du Mathan has emerged as a leading star in the staying hurdle division, but his name was still a surprise inclusion in the Zyn Rendlesham Hurdle.

Skelton indicated a tilt at the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle was plan B, with Fontwell's National Spirit Hurdle and then the Aintree Hurdle his preferred route, so the Haydock option over three miles, eight days before Fontwell's meeting, is unexpected.
 
Kauto’s star said:
Has Skelton been sneaky with kabral and aiming him here all along?? the RP reports “
so the Haydock option over three miles, eight days before Fontwell's meeting, is unexpected.
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Loading…

turftrax.co.uk

Would love to know how Haydock is good to soft with flood warnings everywhere else....
 
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It hasn't been that bad up here chaps. Few rainy days but mostly dry with bits of drizzle for the past week or so.
 
Kauto’s star said:
Has Skelton been sneaky with kabral and aiming him here all along?? the RP reports “
Kabral Du Mathan has emerged as a leading star in the staying hurdle division, but his name was still a surprise inclusion in the Zyn Rendlesham Hurdle.

Skelton indicated a tilt at the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle was plan B, with Fontwell's National Spirit Hurdle and then the Aintree Hurdle his preferred route, so the Haydock option over three miles, eight days before Fontwell's meeting, is unexpected.
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'Sneaky' is a quite a nice word to use. If the quotes were correct then Skelton said before and after the Relkeel that the horse was heading to the Stayers, but then he changed his mind. After the Relkeel I don't think I have ever heard a jock so negative about a horse who has won on the bridle. Off the back of that all and sundry were suddenly suggesting he wouldn't stay a longer trip because he had too much speed. Personally, I think that could be quite a useful tool against a bunch of plodders - see last year. Now this entry. If there is any intention to run, the obvious question is if you are going to step up - on testing ground - why do it in this race, and not the Stayers? Nobody is going remember who won the Rendlesham. If he did run in the Stayers he would be one of the favourites, and the most interesting runner in a pretty mediocre field. If they are intent on 'minding' him then there is no chance he will run in a Rendlesham and the Stayers. It is very questionable why you would even want to mind a french bred 6yo. The advantage of the french breds seems to be that they are that much more precocious. We seem to see that more and more in the Triumph, and novice hurdles. Plenty of 6yo's have won the Stayers. If you are good enough, that isn't a barrier.
 
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kinloch brae said:
'Sneaky' is a quite a nice word to use. If the quotes were correct then Skelton said before and after the Relkeel that the horse was heading to the Stayers, but then he changed his mind. After the Relkeel I don't think I have ever heard a jock so negative about a horse who has won on the bridle. Off the back of that all and sundry were suddenly suggesting he wouldn't stay a longer trip because he had too much speed. Personally, I think that could be quite a useful tool against a bunch of plodders - see last year. Now this entry. If there is any intention to run, the obvious question is if you are going to step up - on testing ground - why do it in this race, and not the Stayers? Nobody is going remember who won the Rendlesham. If he did run in the Stayers he would be one of the favourites, and the most interesting runner in a pretty mediocre field. If they are intent on 'minding' him then there is no chance he will run in a Rendlesham and the Stayers. It is very questionable why you would even want to mind a french bred 6yo. The advantage of the french breds seems to be that they are that much more precocious. We seem to see that more and more in the Triumph, and novice hurdles. Plenty of 6yo's have won the Stayers. If you are good enough, that isn't a barrier.
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I know right. I was just quite surprised at the “U turn” from last murmurings of target. It could just be a speculative entry, with the mid trip option just a week later, but still rather strange. Maybe if they do run him and can settle him, winning fairly easily then he’ll go to the stayers, fail to settle then stick to mid trips this year….hmmmmm
 
Runragged said:
How on earth have they managed that? Normally the other way round with Haydock heavy and everywhere else good to soft!
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The going reading is 4.3, they reckoned that 5.1 was soft (good-soft in places) in December haha. They'll be blagging that it's better ground than it is
 
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