Strong ante-post favourite Teahupoo is among 30 horses still entered for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the latest entry stage. The Grade 1 contest is the feature race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday 13th March and is set to attract a big field for what is always a thrilling contest.
Gordon Elliott’s charge swept all before him last season, winning both the Cheltenham and Punchestown stayers’ crowns in splendid style. He is well-fancied to defend his Cheltenham title despite being overturned by Lossiemouth in his bid for a third straight Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
There was no entry for Ballyburn, however. Willie Mullins’ brilliant winner of last year’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle had reappeared in the market for the Stayers’ Hurdle after his heavy defeat by Sir Gino over fences, but there will be no backup option for him in this race.
There are entries for three other winners from the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. They include Albert Bartlett hero Stellar Story, another novice chaser as things stand, but who could return to hurdles here. Enigmatic dual Coral Cup winner Langer Dan loves Cheltenham and has been given a Grade 1 entry by Dan Skelton, as has the Pertemps Final winner from 2024 in Paul Nicholls’ Monmiral.
Overall, there is an overwhelming Irish contingent, with runners from across the Irish Sea making up a big proportion of the 30 entries. The likes of Home By The Lee and Bob Olinger could give the visitors an even stronger hand, while Hewick and The Wallpark are other standout names in this early line-up.
For the hosts, connections of two-time Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo will hope he puts in an improved display at Cheltenham this year having been disappointing last spring. Conversely, Strong Leader was a hugely underwhelming favourite at Ascot and then failed to land a blow in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January. Gowel Road was a fine winner of the Cleeve Hurdle that day and could take his chance here, while Lucky Place got the better of that Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained raider in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham earlier in the season and is another exciting entry.
For France, former Cleeve Hurdle winner Gold Tweet could be back for another go at the race after finishing only eighth in 2023. Trainer Gabriel Leenders ran him in the Betfair Chase earlier in the season, in which he finished fourth.
You can find the full list of 2025 Stayers’ Hurdle entries below:
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Asterion Forlonge | Willie Mullins |
| 2 | Bob Olinger | Henry De Bromhead |
| 3 | Botox Has | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 4 | Buddy One | Paul John Gilligan |
| 5 | Crambo | Fergal O’Brien |
| 6 | Franciscan Rock | Mouse Morris |
| 7 | Ga Law | Jamie Snowden |
| 8 | Gold Tweet | Gabriel Leenders |
| 9 | Goshen | Gary & Josh Moore |
| 10 | Gowel Road | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 11 | Hewick | Tara Lee Cogan |
| 12 | Hiddenvalley Lake | Henry De Bromhead |
| 13 | Home By The Lee | Joseph O’Brien |
| 14 | Langer Dan | Dan Skelton |
| 15 | Lucky Place | Nicky Henderson |
| 16 | Maximilian | Donald McCain |
| 17 | Maxxum | Gordon Elliott |
| 18 | Minella Missile | Evan Williams |
| 19 | Monmiral | Paul Nicholls |
| 20 | Mystical Power | Willie Mullins |
| 21 | Nemean Lion | Kerry Lee |
| 22 | Rocky’s Diamond | Declan Queally |
| 23 | Sandor Clegane | Paul Nolan |
| 24 | Stellar Story | Gordon Elliott |
| 25 | Strong Leader | Olly Murphy |
| 26 | Teahupoo | Gordon Elliott |
| 27 | The Wallpark | Gordon Elliott |
| 28 | Winter Fog | Willie Mullins |
| 29 | Jetara | Jessica Harrington |
| 30 | July Flower | Henry De Bromhead |