World Hurdle: Cheltenham Festival RaceCHELTENHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 15: Paddy Brennan rides Inglis Drever (left) to victory from Richard Johnson on Mighty Man (right) during The Ladbrokes World Hurdle on the third day of The Annual National Hunt Festival held at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 15, 2007 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The World Hurdle is the most exacting race run over hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.

The World Hurdle is a relatively recent addition to the Cheltenham Festival and was first run in 1972. The original name for the event was the Stayers’ Hurdle as the race was the longest hurdle race run at the Cheltenham Festival. The name was later changed to the World Hurdle, but the race remains the longest hurdle at the festival and the most prestigious long distance hurdle race in National Hunt racing.

The World Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race open to horses four years old and above. The race takes place on Cheltenham’s new racecourse and sees the racehorses take on a 3-mile course with twelve hurdles. The emphasis in the race is on endurance rather than speed.

World Hurdle Winners

The World Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival race, has a tendency to produce a new winner with each year of running, with Baracouda and Galmoy the only horses to achieve two victories in the race, both doing so in consecutive years.

The World Hurdle is one of the few races at the Cheltenham Festival where the French have made a mark in recent years. In 2002 and 2003 the race was won by Thierry Doumen, riding for his father Francois Doumen. Irish jockeys have tended to dominate the event in the past, but no single jockey has managed to capture the World Hurdle title on more than two occasions.

The trend of no single horse or jockey dominating the World Hurdle is also found amongst the World Hurdle winning trainers. Literally dozens of different trainers have trained the World Hurdle winners, with no trainer achieving more than two victories in the race.

World Hurdle Betting

When doing your World Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival race, betting pay close attention to the stamina of the horses you pick for the race. It is generally a good idea to pick horses that have a good track record in longer races, as good form in the shorter hurdle races is not always a good indication of how they will perform in the longer races.

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