--- title: "Stayers’ Hurdle Runners 2026 Headed By Former Winner Teahupoo" canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2026/03/11/stayers-hurdle-runners-2026-cheltenham-festival/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Jake Wilkes" section: "News" published: "2026-03-11T19:36:15Z" modified: "2026-03-11T21:34:56Z" --- # Stayers’ Hurdle Runners 2026 Headed By Former Winner Teahupoo **See below the main Stayers’ Hurdle runners 2026 ahead of one of the big day three features on the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival.** With the 2024 winner Teahupoo and last year’s hero Bob Olinger, who are both owned by Robcour, two of the leading fancies again in 2026 for the [ITV Racing](https://readhorseracing.com/2026/03/02/itv-racing-schedule-today-weekly-saturday/) contest. ## **Stayers’ Hurdle Date 2026** 📅Date: Thursday 12th March 2026\ ⌚Time: 3:20pm\ 🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham\ 🔄Trip: 3m\ 💷Winning Purse: £182,878\ 📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV ## **Stayers’ Hurdle Runners 2026 – Who Are The Main Players?** ### **Teahupoo** **Trainer: Gordon Elliott\ Age: 9\ Wins: 14\ Prize Money: £990,138** The 2024 winner and the antepost favourite after a fantastic performance in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. Six Grade 1’s to his name and showed versatility ground wise after predominantly racing on slow surfaces through his career and is likely to run to a high 160 rating. Second in last year’s contest and will likely rate as Gordon Elliott’s best chance of a festival winner. [Full Race Teahupoo Wins The Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle At Cheltenham | ITV Racing (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5XuSnskxySc?feature=oembed) ### **Honesty Policy** **Trainer: Gordon Elliott\ Age: 6\ Wins: 3\ Prize Money: £107,232** Grade 1 winner at Aintree in 2025 over an intermediate trip. However, showed he can handle a stamina test when second at Punchestown on his penultimate start and third on seasonal bow behind Impose Toi. He finished well and looks to be suited by the stronger test that Cheltenham will pose. Like many, he is unexposed and helps give owner [JP McManus](https://readhorseracing.com/2026/03/02/jp-mcmanus-cheltenham-festival-runners-2026/) a strong hand in his quest for a fifth success in the race. [HONESTY POLICY tastes Grade One success at Aintree (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2KhpOTMonAM?feature=oembed) ### **Bob Olinger** **Trainer: Henry De Bromhead\ Age: 11\ Wins: 10\ Prize Money: £637,116** Last year’s winner under an inspired ride by Rachael Blackmore and boasts a faultless Cheltenham record winning on all four trips to the track. In the veteran stage of his career now but showed he is still in good heart on seasonal debut when chasing home Teahupoo. He will likely step forward from that and with an excellent record at the festival he is one to be feared, regardless that the greatest female jump jockey of all time won’t be riding. [BOB OLINGER captures Stayers' Hurdle as Blackmore makes sporting history (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OyLr1IXrwZE?feature=oembed) ### **Kabral Du Mathan** **Trainer: Dan Skelton\ Age: 6\ Wins: 5\ Prize Money: £174,432** Connections seem likely to roll the dice after indicating they would avoid Cheltenham for much of the season. He was very impressive when winning the Relkeel Hurdle over two mile four and if he can handle the step up in trip then his natural speed could be a key factor. Very hard to predict where his ceiling is and this [Dan Skelton Cheltenham Festival runner](https://readhorseracing.com/2026/02/27/how-many-cheltenham-festival-winners-has-dan-skelton-trained/) could be a dark horse in this competitive division. [Kabral Du Mathan stamps class in Relkeel, but Stayers' Hurdle bid doubtful | Full Replay | Racing TV (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/J-mJow4HLr8?feature=oembed) ### **Ma Shantou** **Trainer: Emma Lavelle\ Age: 7\ Wins: 6\ Prize Money: £99,504** Very progressive stayer from a trainer who won this race in 2019 with Paisley Park. Ma Shantou has an excellent course record. Albeit the majority of top performances was in handicap races and will need to confirm his Cleeve Hurdle performance wasn’t a one off. Will likely need to improve another 8-10 lbs to reach the top level but he will be popular each-way play on the day with punters. [Ma Shantou advertises Stayers' Hurdle claims with Cleeve rout | Full Race | 2026 | Racing TV (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6LjpDliCpYk?feature=oembed) ### **Impose Toi** **Trainer: Nicky Henderson\ Age: 9\ Wins:\ Prize Money: £288,716** Comfortably held by Ma Shantou in the Cleeve but was progressive prior with Graded victories in the Long Distance and the Long Walk Hurdle. Perhaps his latest under-performance was due to an aggressive early season campaign. But he would certainly be of interest if he resumed progress. Particularly having beaten a handful of the predicted runners in previous contests. Trainer Nicky Henderson has not won this contest since 2000 with Bacchanal. [IMPOSE TOI lands the Long Walk Hurdle 🏆 | Full race replay (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/t5-8MIzHH6U?feature=oembed) ### **Hewick** **Trainer: John Joseph Hanlon\ Age: 11\ Wins: 12\ Prize Money: £789,323** The 2023 King George VI Chase hero Hewick has been confirmed at a Stayers’ Hurdle runner at the Cheltenham Festival too. He was last seen running 5th in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury at the end of November. So has around 13 lengths to make up with the winner that day Impose Toi. But with an overall 47% SR of hitting the top three from his 47 career starts he’s sure to still have his each-way supporters. While his only previous run at the Festival saw him fall in the 2023 Gold Cup, that Galopin Des Champs won. [Full Race: Hewick powers home to win remarkable King George (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_KCAuiaohfM?feature=oembed) ## **Stayers’ Hurdle Betting Odds 2026** - Teahupoo 2/1 - Honesty Policy 4/1 - Kabral Du Mathan 11/2 - Bob Olinger 6/1 - Ma Shantou 7/1 - Ballyburn 10/1 - Impose Toi 14/1 - Hewick 25/1 - 33/1 Bar *Note: 2026 Stayers’ Hurdle betting odds are subject to change*