The County Hurdle is arguably the hottest handicap of the week at the Festival.
Run over the same course and distance as the Triumph Hurdle, luck in running is needed - especially if you've backed a hold-up horse.
This ultra-competitive race used to be the last of the week, giving punters the hardest puzzle to solve as the 'getting out' stakes.
However, it moved to its current position in the Festival schedule in 2009.
From 1995 until 2016 it was called the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle in honour of the great Irish trainer who sent out 23 Festival winners.
Subsequently it was sponsored by Randox Health and now by McCoy Contractors.
COUNTY HURDLE TRENDS
Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have won the nine of the last ten renewals of the County.
Indeed, Mullins has now won the race a total of seven times.
Meanwhile, Skelton trained the 33/1 winner in 2023 with the second string of his two runners.
Paul Nicholls has won it four times, with his last winner coming in 2014.
By contrast, Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott have poor recent records in the race, despite throwing plenty of runners at it.
Arctic Fire in 2017, was the first top weight to win the County Hurdle since 1960, while no seven-year-old has won the race since 2003.
LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA
RECENT WINNERS
Absurde 2024
Absurde - County Hurdle 2024#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/ksxATGSNy4
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) September 14, 2024
Faivoir 2023
Faivoir - County Hurdle 2023#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/LepAAy0yTy
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) August 24, 2023
State Man 2022
State Man - County Hurdle 2022#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/PSHgrNZiDZ
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) February 2, 2023
Kevin Sexton rode his first winner aboard Belfast Banter in 2021:
Belfast Banter - County Hurdle 2021#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/CJZoEwjfYj
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) February 9, 2023
Saint Roi, making his handicap debut and on just his fourth career start, headed home a Mullins 1-2-4 in 2020.
The unexposed five-year-old was heavily backed and proved to be Barry Geraghty's final ever Cheltenham Festival winner:
Saint Roi - County Hurdle 2020#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/ToXGBGDxB5
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) February 10, 2023
Ch'tibello secured back-to-back County Hurdle's (and a third victory in four years) for trainer Dan Skelton in 2019.
His brother Harry was in the saddle - who followed up his girlfriend Bridget Andrews' win in the race 12 months earlier:
Ch'tibello - County Hurdle 2019#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/a8feJbuHE1
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) February 10, 2023
It was a first Festival win for the 3lb claimer Bridget Andrews in 2018, with 33/1 shot Mohaayed seeing off the 50/1 Remiluc:
Arctic Fire defied top weight on his first start for 418 days in 2017, while Paul Townend won the race for the second time in 3 years.
The 2015 Champion Hurdle runner-up was carrying almost a stone more than when just beaten in this race 3 seasons earlier:
Superb Story 2016
Wicklow Brave was a runaway winner for Willie Mullins in 2015:
Lac Fontana 2014
Ted Veale 2013
Final Approach 2011
Thousand Stars 2010
Rooster Booster 2002
Sir Talbot 1999
Barna Boy 1997