2026 Stayers Hurdle

[isitmarchyet]

Some mixed quotes tbh. This is on the Racing Post website:

He is now two wins from as many starts for the Skelton team after joining from Paul Nicholls, although the trainer warned the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles could be his spring target rather than immediately stepping up to three miles for the Stayers' back at Cheltenham.

“We’ve got to remember how young he is and it’s never the wrong thing to take the patient approach," the trainer said. "We’ll have to have a debate now about what we do.

"In my heart I think I trust him enough to relax enough and get the three-mile trip, but the question is can he stay three miles hard as a six-year-old when you’re against those battle-hardened horses who have been doing it for eight to ten runs over many years. It’s not an easy call. It will be Cheltenham or Aintree.”

Harry Skelton said that Kabral Du Mathan almost travels too well through his races to last the extra half mile in the Stayers'.

"He was very good," said the rider. "He was obviously favoured at the weights today, getting the weight off the other, but he put the race to bed really well and winged the last.

"He doesn't race like a three-miler, he's got a bit of boot and our options are probably now open where we go with him. But that was a big race for him, Grade 2, and they're hard to win. But it looked coming into the race like he would take a bit of beating and so it was."

Pressed on whether he would stay three miles, he added: "The whole way round I'm thinking I'd just like him to get behind my leg a bit and just drop the bridle a bit. But he's a young horse and so we'll see. We'll take today."

 

[ComplyOrDie]

This'll upset a few but Kabral is this years Lucky Place, and the year befores Crambo.

It was a fairly poor race today and what I believe to be his correct trip. Can understand why they would go to Aintree with him rather than the Stayers too.

He's got at least a stone to find, IMO, possibly more, even if the official figures say otherwise.

The British are miles behind in the Stayers division, IMO. Even the average Irish horses beat the British lot in last seasons Stayers Hurdle!

 

[EnvoiAlien]

Refreshing to hear. If he was still with nicholls, he'd still be getting "looked after". And after all the looking after, would then amount to nothing. As with people, you've a much better chance of improving if your challenged, not coddled.

Skelton is benefitting because Nicholls took a patient approach with this horse knowing it had plenty of ability it just needed time to strengthen up.

 

[Quevega]

This'll upset a few but Kabral is this years Lucky Place, and the year befores Crambo.

It was a fairly poor race today and what I believe to be his correct trip. Can understand why they would go to Aintree with him rather than the Stayers too.

He's got at least a stone to find, IMO, possibly more, even if the official figures say otherwise.

The British are miles behind in the Stayers division, IMO. Even the average Irish horses beat the British lot in last seasons Stayers Hurdle!

It would/should only upset people if it were fact, not opinion.

I agree that the Irish look to be ahead by a fair margin.
Although I think this one is the one with the most upsides and potential, he appears to be a far better horse now he's in Skeltons hands.
His issue as stated earlier is his running style does not suit the staying division, so he would have to be the exception.

The Aintree hurdle talk annoys me personally as if you're good enough to run in that then you'd have a shout in a Champion hurdle IMO.
The list of aintree winners tells you that.
It's not really a happy hunting ground for stayers.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

It would/should only upset people if it were fact, not opinion.

I agree that the Irish look to be ahead by a fair margin.
Although I think this one is the one with the most upsides and potential, he appears to be a far better horse now he's in Skeltons hands.
His issue as stated earlier is his running style does not suit the staying division, so he would have to be the exception.

The Aintree hurdle talk annoys me personally as if you're good enough to run in that then you'd have a shout in a Champion hurdle IMO.
The list of aintree winners tells you that.
It's not really a happy hunting ground for stayers.

Unfortunately you and I both know that when money is involved opinion can upset people, it shouldn't, but it does.

I actually don't disagree with the Champion Hurdle shout, just because of his run style, I don't think he'd have the ability/class though.

 

[riccirich]

Skelton is benefitting because Nicholls took a patient approach with this horse knowing it had plenty of ability it just needed time to strengthen up.

Horses dont improve for joining nicholls. And the horses he does have, improve if they go somewhere else. Numerous examples over the past few years.

Kabral has improved imo because Skelton is just a better trainer than nicholls now. If he was still with nicholls I think he'd still be messing around with him in crap races. Likewise with old park star. The owners aren't moving they're horses for no reason, they're just seeing that other trainers get more out of they're horses.

 

[opatcho]

He should be in the Champ Hurdle, and then go onto the Aintree Hurdle

He’s running style favours a short distance. But maybe he’s another middle distance specialist and when going down or up in trip he pumps into horses that are just better or / and more suited that trip

He’s looked impressive and may come on more, but do need to be a tad carefully given the fields he’s been up against so far

Glad Dan has another decent horse to campaign with

 

[YoungHustler]

This'll upset a few but Kabral is this years Lucky Place, and the year befores Crambo.

It was a fairly poor race today and what I believe to be his correct trip. Can understand why they would go to Aintree with him rather than the Stayers too.

He's got at least a stone to find, IMO, possibly more, even if the official figures say otherwise.

The British are miles behind in the Stayers division, IMO. Even the average Irish horses beat the British lot in last seasons Stayers Hurdle!

I quite like Kabral and have him covered, which I didn't do with Lucky and Crambo as didn't rate them.
What are your thoughts on the British Impose Toi, considering he beat Honesty Policy who is now 2nd favourite? My thought is that the form will be reversed which is why i haven't covered IT.

 

[Yosser]

I quite like Kabral and have him covered, which I didn't do with Lucky and Crambo as didn't rate them.
What are your thoughts on the British Impose Toi, considering he beat Honesty Policy who is now 2nd favourite? My thought is that the form will be reversed which is why i haven't covered IT.

I could have wrote that word for word

 

[Kauto’s star]

I quite like Kabral and have him covered, which I didn't do with Lucky and Crambo as didn't rate them.
What are your thoughts on the British Impose Toi, considering he beat Honesty Policy who is now 2nd favourite? My thought is that the form will be reversed which is why i haven't covered IT.

initially those were my thoughts exactly. However, one or two other FJs comments made me rewatch the race. I, and a few others, think there’s a chance IT was dossing in front so was value for more. After already having HP as a decent winner, I’ve covered IT (though still think HP could significantly improve if settling).

 

[ComplyOrDie]

I quite like Kabral and have him covered, which I didn't do with Lucky and Crambo as didn't rate them.
What are your thoughts on the British Impose Toi, considering he beat Honesty Policy who is now 2nd favourite? My thought is that the form will be reversed which is why i haven't covered IT.

I actually backed Impose Toi at nice enough prices, however I'm not convinced he wins it.

I'm not sure if he just does enough or just about gets home over 3m. Not a huge Honesty Policy fan either and I personally think the race in Ireland over Christmas is better form for the race than anything the English races have served up yet.

Teahupoo & Bob are the standard setters for me. Ballyburn is in the mix but only because I think they've pissed around with the tactics, probably on purpose! After them 3 I guess it's Impose Toi.

 

[YoungHustler]

I, and a few others, think there’s a chance IT was dossing in front so was value for more.

I'm more of the opinion he's an honest straightforward horse and had nothing more to give. I don't think Hendo had the Stayers as his main target so Impose has already been at his best in winning what he already has, but that is not to say he's still improving. What is fact is that it was Honesty's first run of the season and Gordon will have him fitter for the Stayers as it will always have been the plan after a hurdling campaign was decided.

 

[YoungHustler]

Teahupoo & Bob are the standard setters for me. Ballyburn is in the mix but only because I think they've pissed around with the tactics, probably on purpose! After them 3 I guess it's Impose ToToi.

I would love Teahupoo to win. He's one of my favourites and should already have won 2 Stayers if he'd been given a better ride by Davy. Bob is such an admirable horse who you can't ignore but I feel that everything went perfectly for him last year. I'm personally not giving up on Ballyburn and am writing off lto even though he finished third. He was beaten too far out to say stamina was the reason and I just think he's one of the few of Willie's that didn't run well over Christmas.

 

[Yosser]

I would love Teahupoo to win. He's one of my favourites and should already have won 2 Stayers if he'd been given a better ride by Davy. Bob is such an admirable horse who you can't ignore but I feel that everything went perfectly for him last year. I'm personally not giving up on Ballyburn and am writing off lto even though he finished third. He was beaten too far out to say stamina was the reason and I just think he's one of the few of Willie's that didn't run well over Christmas.

Do you think Ballyburn will go to Cheltenham?

I don't understand why they keep trying to re-invent the wheel with him. He is a top class 2 and a half mile hurdler and should never do any other trip beyond that for me. There will be situations where he could run over 2 miles on the right sort of ground but there are plenty of 2 and a half mile hurdle races he could be mopping up.

 

[Ellisgittings]

Kabral is very smart but he gives me the vibe of one who'll go off 6/1, hate the experience and end up PU. Aintree hurdle obvious for him but they could either go Fontwell for that G2, or to the Champion Hurdle if they fancied rolling the dice.

 

[Lobos]

I quite like Kabral and have him covered, which I didn't do with Lucky and Crambo as didn't rate them.
What are your thoughts on the British Impose Toi, considering he beat Honesty Policy who is now 2nd favourite? My thought is that the form will be reversed which is why i haven't covered IT.

IMO Impose Toi is the best of the British and the biggest danger to Teahupoo. I was sceptical whether he was a stayer but he put that to bed last time in what was a proper staying race, run at a fast pace from flagfall. He travelled great through the race , jumped well , picked the pacesetters up readily and won cosily appearing to have a little more up his sleeve. He looks to have a big chance.

 

[YoungHustler]

I don't see why they would not still aim him at Cheltenham as it's the biggest race.

 

[YoungHustler]

Do you think Ballyburn will go to Cheltenham?

I don't see why they would not still aim him at Cheltenham as it's the biggest race.

 

[Lobos]

I don't see why they would not still aim him at Cheltenham as it's the biggest race.

Yep. Only race he can go for isn't it. He might get lucky and it'll be run to suit.

 

[Ellisgittings]

Yep. Only race he can go for isn't it. He might get lucky and it'll be run to suit.

How would it be run to suit though? Slower they go, the keener he is. He seems to be becoming more quirky to me. Always had the head carriage but I feel like they're having issues with him now