World Hurdle

The World Hurdle is a Grade 1 National hunt race run at the Cheltenham festival over 3 miles which is open to horses aged four years or older. The World Hurdle is the feature race on the third day of the festival with a prize fund of £260,000 and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped.

It is the leading long distance hurdle event in the National Hunt Calendar. The race was first run under its present conditions in 1972 when its title was changed from the Spa Hurdle to the Stayers Hurdle.

Recent Winners:

This race has become extremely popular in recent years thanks mainly to the exploits of the great French Champion, Baracouda, who has won the race twice and also been runner-up on two occasions. In recent years his feats have been surpassed by Inglis Drever who has won the race three times in 2005, 2007 and 2008. They have set a very high standard which Paul Nicholls will hope to emulate with the 2009 winner Big Buck’s who is already a short priced favourite for the 2010 race.

The trend towards better ground at the festival has meant that the event is less stamina sapping and has enabled the classier horses to dominate.

Key Trends

• No 4 or 5 year old has ever won the race.
• There has only been one winner older than nine years.
• No Irish trained winner since Dorans Pride in 1995.
• 13 out of the last 15 winners have finished in the first two last time out.
• The last 22 winners have finished in the first four last time out.
• Poor performance of the favourite is reflected in the fact that in the last fourteen years only three outright favourites have won the race.