It’s another stellar afternoon at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday as the meeting thrusts beyond the halfway stage and offers up another hat-trick of Grade 1 races. We are treated to the Stayers’ Hurdle, and our betting expert can provide their top tips for the race. We can also show you over £200 in betting offers.
Stayers’ Hurdle betting offers & free bets
Come and get one of the best sign up offers available for the Stayers’ Hurdle is Paddy Power, as they are offering you £60 in free bets for Cheltenham.
Sky Bet’s sign up offer gives you £50 in free bets. Don’t worry if you have already signed up to these betting sites, as you can get hundreds of free bets on offer from the betting sites below.
| Best Horse Betting Sites | Stayers’ Hurdle Betting Offers |
| Paddy Power | £60 in free bets when you bet £10 on Cheltenham |
| BOYLE Sports | Get £40 in free bets & money back as a free bet if your horse loses in the first race at Cheltenham |
| Sky Bet | £50 in free bets when you place a £1 bet |
| Betfred | £40 in free bets when you bet £10 |
| BetMGM | Bet £10 get £40 in free bets |
| William Hill | Bet £10, get £40 in free bets |
Stayers’ Hurdle betting offers & free bets – Key T&Cs:
- Paddy Power: New customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on Cheltenham on odds of min EVS (2.0), get 6x £10 in Free Bet Builders, Accumulators or multiples to use on any sport. Rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via Pay by Bank, Apple Pay or Debit Card will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad
- BOYLE Sports: 18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&Cs Apply
- Sky Bet: New customers only. £5 minimum deposit. First minimum £1 single, e/w, or multis bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 5 x £10 bet tokens. Free bets for multiples only. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets are non-withdrawable. 7 Day free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions. Further T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org #ad
- Betfred: New customers only. 00:00 06/03/26 – 23:59 13/03/26. Register with FRED40, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get £20 in Sports Free Bets & £20 in Acca Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment exclusions & T&Cs Apply. GambleAware.org
- BetMGM: New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
- William Hill: 18+. Play Safe. Online only. For new UK register customers using promo code G40. Deposit & place £10 cash single bet (min odds 1/2) on sportsbook (excl. Virtuals). Get £40 in Free Bets (4x£10), valid for sportsbook (excl. Virtuals), 7 days expiry, must use in full (£10 each). Not valid with deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay or WH PLUS Card. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply.. www.begambleaware.org #ad
Stayers’ Hurdle Betting Tips
The Championship action comes via the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at 3.20pm, where last year’s one-two Bob Olinger and Teahupoo are back for another joust in the Robcour silks.
They are amongst a field of 11 contenders in an open renewal of this three-miler as the young pretenders line up for a crack at the Irish pair. My NAP and Next Best for the Stayers’ Hurdle are below.
Changing of the guard
Bob Olinger bounded up the Cheltenham hill to deny Teahupoo successive wins in this race a year ago as owner Brian Acheson saw his Robcour silks fill the first two spots.
Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo in 2024 had become the first horse since Derring Rose in 1981 to win this contest having been beaten in it previously. He’s having his fourth attempt now and figures of 312 show his consistent levels, but his very best form typically comes on slower ground and the drying conditions are a worry.
Bob Olinger carried Rachael Blackmore to glory here last season and made it 4-4 at Cheltenham in doing so, albeit his novice chasing win here in March 2022 was hugely fortuitous.
He’s 11 years young now, has run only once since and last year’s win already leaves him as the second-oldest winner of this event since Crimson Embers in 1986.
Time must catch up and, similarly, the likes of Home By The Lee – running in a fifth Stayers’ Hurdle – Hewick and the likeable Doddiethegreat have age counting against them.
Ballyburn fluffed his lines at Christmas in Ireland and still has to prove he wants this far, so it may be the winner comes from the new brigade in this division.
Skelton’s call to be rewarded
Five six-year-olds have won this since 2005, with Big Buck’s (four) and Flooring Porter (two) becoming multiple winners. KABRAL DU MATHAN is one of two from that age category lining up now, alongside Honesty Policy.
The latter represents Teahupoo’s trainer Elliott, but was beaten fair and square in Ascot’s Long Walk in December on his only run this season.
Kabral Du Mathan, meanwhile, swapped Paul Nicholls’ yard for a move to Dan Skelton last summer and has been thriving ever since.
He romped home in a Haydock handicap off 140 in November over 2m3f on first start for the champion trainer-elect and was even more impressive in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle here over 2m4½f (good) on New Year’s Day.
He moved away like a very good horse and further improvement should come upped in trip. His trainer made plenty of noises about skipping Cheltenham and waiting for Aintree but in the end hasn’t been able to resist this race.
Conditions are optimal and, while he’s got to step up again now in Grade 1 company, Kabral Du Mathan gives all the vibes that he will do just that and mark himself down as a staying hurdler of immense potential.
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Ma Shantou the one to fear
Despite the strong Irish challenge and the presence of Nicky Henderson’s Impose Toi, winner of that Ascot Grade 1 in December, it is MA SHANTOU who is feared most.
Emma Lavelle’s charge backed up his New Year’s Day handicap win over track and trip here by going and winning the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials Day three weeks later.
He put seven lengths between himself and Impose Toi in second spot. The last three horses to win the Cleeve Hurdle by seven lengths or more then won this in the same season.
One of those was Lavelle’s Paisley Park at the end of a hugely progressive six-to-seven-year-old campaign that saw him go from smart handicapper to Grade 1 hero.
Lavelle will be hoping for a similar transition now and Harry Cobden’s partner is a strong hope in a race that Brits could dominate and get their first winner since Lisnagar Oscar in 2020.
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