Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle 2026 Preview: Can Teahupoo Take Back His Crown?
The Stayers Hurdle 2026 looks set to be a proper examination of stamina and nerve, rather than a headline-chasing spectacle.
Run over 3m (2m7f213y) on Cheltenham’s New Course, Thursday’s 3:20pm feature again brings together specialist stayers, seasoned Festival performers, and one or two who still have something to prove over this trip.
With 11 runners declared and the leading two in the betting housed in Gordon Elliott’s powerful Irish yard, this year’s renewal has a quietly compelling feel.
As the championship event for long-distance hurdlers, the Stayers’ is open to horses aged four and up and staged over 12 hurdles on the undulating New Course.
It traditionally headlines day three of the Cheltenham Festival and has been won by some of the best staying hurdlers in modern times, including Big Buck’s, Inglis Drever, and Thistlecrack.
In more recent seasons, the race has been defined by repeat visitors: Teahupoo took the crown in 2024 before losing out to Bob Olinger in 2025, underlining how established stayers tend to keep coming back for more.
Bob Olinger’s 2025 success for Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead came at the expense of Teahupoo, with Rachael Blackmore signing off her Festival career in style before retirement.
That form naturally shapes much of the discussion for 2026, with both horses returning and several rivals trying to muscle into what has become an Ireland-dominated division.
Stayers Hurdle 2026 Runners & Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publishing
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teahupoo | Jack Kennedy | G Elliott | 5/2 |
| Honesty Policy | Mark Walsh | G Elliott | 9/2 |
| Kabral Du Mathan | Harry Skelton | D Skelton | 9/2 |
| Bob Olinger | Darragh O’Keeffe | H De Bromhead | 7/1 |
| Ma Shantou | H Cobden | Miss E C Lavelle | 7/1 |
| Ballyburn | Paul Townend | W P Mullins | 10/1 |
| Impose Toi | N de Boinville | N J Henderson | 12/1 |
| Home By The Lee | J J Slevin | J P O’Brien | 28/1 |
| Hewick | Paddy Hanlon | J J Hanlon | 33/1 |
| Doddiethegreat | James Bowen | N J Henderson | 50/1 |
| Gwennie May Boy | C J Todd | Christian Williams | 100/1 |
The top two in the betting both come from Gordon Elliott’s yard, reflecting both his strength in depth and the recent Irish dominance in the race.
Teahupoo is again a central figure: the 2024 winner and 2025 runner-up brings a rock-solid staying profile, high-class Grade 1 form, and that invaluable Festival experience.
Elliott’s other leading hope, Honesty Policy, offers something slightly different – a younger, less exposed stayer with a progressive profile and smart recent figures.
Between them, the Elliott pair set a high bar for the home team and fellow Irish raiders alike.
Other Key Runners
Defending champion Bob Olinger needs no introduction at this point. Now an older horse, he still boasts a flawless Cheltenham record and arrives with the confidence of that 2025 win behind him.
His jumping and strong-travelling style are well suited to the New Course, and connections will hope that his experience can offset any small doubts about whether Father Time is beginning to tap him on the shoulder.
Willie Mullins sends Ballyburn, an eye-catching inclusion among the staying hurdlers, given his high-class form at shorter trips and over fences.
If he truly stays three miles at championship pace, he could add a touch of class to the race, but punters will have to balance potential against proven stamina.
Nicky Henderson’s team is represented by the likes of Impose Toi and Doddiethegreat, with the former bringing a progressive staying profile and the latter more exposed but battle-hardened at this level.
Among the bigger prices, horses such as Home By The Lee and Hewick supply that slightly awkward category of “too tough to dismiss, hard to fully trust.”
They have mixed recent form but enough back-class to spring a surprise if everything falls right.
Trends To Help Pick A Winner
Historical trends for the Stayers’ Hurdle offer a useful filter, even if they are not a substitute for basic form study.
Age is a good starting point: the bulk of recent winners have been between six and eight, with double-figure-aged winners relatively rare.
The market also tends to be a fair guide. A strong proportion of recent winners have come from the top three in the betting, and outright favourites have a better strike-rate here than in several other Festival races.
Irish-trained horses have also had the upper hand in the last decade or so, reflecting both the depth of their staying hurdle programmes and the emphasis placed on Cheltenham targets.
Class and current form are non‑negotiable. Most recent winners were rated in the mid‑150s or higher and had already landed at least one Graded race, often at or near three miles.
There is also a strong trend towards horses that have run at least twice that season, with a win or a close-placed effort on their most recent completed start, suggesting that fitness and recent confidence count for plenty.
Tips For The 2026 Stayers Hurdle
In a race of this nature, it makes sense to anchor your thinking around those who tick the most boxes: age, Grade 1 form, proven stamina at three miles, and solid Festival or Cheltenham experience.
That puts Teahupoo firmly on the shortlist, with Honesty Policy and Kabral Du Mathan also in the mix.
For win purposes, siding with a proven top-level stayer from the first two or three in the betting remains a sound, if unspectacular, approach. For that reason, it’s hard to look past Teahupoo, especially as he comes into this race on the back of two Grade 1 wins this season.
Each‑way punters might look towards a younger, upwardly mobile runner who has been finishing strongly over slightly shorter trips and now steps up to three miles for the first or second time.
Any horse that combines that profile with a tidy jumping technique and a top jockey booking has plenty in its favour.
Can Teahupoo Reclaim His Crown?
The Stayers’ Hurdle 2026 has depth, rivalry, and will be a proper test of who really wants three miles round Cheltenham.
With Elliott’s pair at the head of the market, Bob Olinger trying to defend his crown for Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead, Teahupoo trying to reclaim it, and a supporting cast of hardened stayers and ambitious improvers, it’s going to be another cracker of a race.
Whichever way you lean in your own selections, this is the sort of race where you can forgive yourself quickly – if your fancy fades after the last, at least you will have had a good three miles to enjoy the argument with yourself.
BETFRED
