First run in 1983, the Cleeve Hurdle is one of the biggest Grade 2 horse races in the UK, taking place every January on the new course at Cheltenham Racecourse on Cheltenham Trials Day.
The race has become one of the leading trials for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, with the Cleeve Hurdle being run over a distance of 3 miles and with a total of 12 hurdles to be negotiated.
The race was upgraded to Grade 1 status in 1991, however, it was put back to a Grade 2 in 2004.
The contest usually attracts a hugely competitive field with some of the leading National Hunt trainers expected to trial their prized staying hurdlers ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, seven weeks away.
Some magnificent names have graced the Cleeve Hurdle roll of honour down the years with Lady Rebecca springing to mind courtesy of her three wins in the race, while Inglis Drever, Thistlecrack and Paisley Park all went on to enjoy Festival success.
You could say however that the most iconic winner of the Cleeve Hurdle was Big Buck’s.
The Paul Nicholls trained horse won this race twice during his outstanding racing career which would saw him win the Stayers' Hurdle no less than four times and become an absolute Cheltenham Festival legend.
Cleeve Hurdle Winners
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2010 – Tidal Bay 14/1 (Brian Hughes/Howard Johnson)
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2011 – Grands Crus 2/1 fav (Tom Scudamore/David Pipe)
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2012 – Big Buck’s 1/4 fav (Ruby Walsh/Paul Nicholls)
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2013 – Reve De Sivola 15/8 fav (Richard Johnson/Nick Williams)
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2014 – Knockara Beau 66/1 (Jan Faltejsek/George Charlton)
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2015 - Saphir Du Rheu 3/1 (Sam Twiston-Davies/Paul Nicholls)
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2016 – Thistlecrack 4/5 fav (Tom Scudamore/Colin Tizzard)
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2017 - Unowhatimeanharry 10/11 fav (Barry Geraghty/Harry Fry)
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2018 – Agrapart 9/1 (Lizzie Kelly/Nick Williams)
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2019 – Paisley Park 100/30 fav (Aidan Coleman/Emma Lavelle)
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2020 - Paisley Park 4/6 fav (Aidan Coleman/Emma Lavelle)
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2021 – No Race (waterlogged track)
Cleeve Hurdle Trends
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Age: 7 of the last 10 winners were aged between 6-8.
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Price: 7 of the last 10 winners were favourites, 8/10 winners came from the top three in the horse racing odds market.
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Last Run: 7 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the Cleeve Hurdle, 10/10 winners ran within the last 57 days. 5/10 winners ran in the Long Walk Hurdle on their last run, 5 of the 5 won.
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Previous Course Form: 10/10 winners had at least one previous run at Cheltenham, 7/10 winners had at least one previous win at Cheltenham.
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Previous Distance Form: 10/10 winners had at least one previous run over 23-25 furlongs, 8/10 had at least one previous win over 23-25 furlongs.
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Previous Hurdle Form: 9/10 winners had at least seven runs over hurdles, 10/10 winners had at least three wins over hurdles, 9/10 winners had at least four wins over hurdles.
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Rating: 9/10 winners were rated 156 or higher.
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Graded Wins: 9/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1-2 race.
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Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least two runs that season, 9/10 winners had at least one win that season.
Cleeve Hurdle Trainers
Two trainers top the Cleeve Hurdle tree with three wins apiece, those being Venetia Williams and Paul Nicholls.
Williams won the race with Lady Rebecca (1999, 2000, 2001) while Nicholls saddled Big Buck's (2009, 2011) and Saphir Du Rheu (2015).
Other successful current trainers include Emma Lavelle, Nick Williams and Alan King who all currently stand on two winners each, while it’s now 22 years since Nigel Twiston-Davies scored in this race.
Cleeve Hurdle Jockeys
Norman Williamson is the most successful jockey in Cleeve Hurdle history with four wins to his name. Williamson won the contest on Mudahim (1995) and Lady Rebecca (1999, 2000, 2001) whilst he was at the top of his riding prowess.
Former champion jockey Brian Hughes last took this race in 2010, while Aidan Coleman has won the last two renewals (2019/20) aboard Paisley Park.
Tom Scudamore and Sam Twiston-Davies have also lifted the trophy in recent years.
Cleeve Hurdle 'Trial' Races
For the staying hurdler division in the UK, the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham is just one stepping stone on the way to the blue riband prize at The Festival.
Online sports betting punters wishing to have a bet on the Cleeve runners should study the outcomes of the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Horses that perform well in either of those two contests invariably head to Cheltenham for the Cleeve on Trials Day with a view to returning for the Stayers' Hurdle in March.
So how do runners from the Cleeve Hurdle generally do in their subsequent runs? Let’s take a look at the last ten renewals.
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Next Run: 3 of the last 10 winners won on their next run after the Cleeve Hurdle, 5/10 placed on their next run.
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Rest of The Season: 8 of the last 10 winners ran in at least two more races that season.
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5/10 won at least one more race that season, 6/10 placed in at least one more race that season.
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Cheltenham Festival Run same season: 9/10 winners ran in the Stayers Hurdle at the next Cheltenham Festival, 3 of the 9 won, 3 placed.
Starting Prices
Seven favourites have obliged in the last ten renewals with the starting prices ranging from 1/4 to 100/30.
The biggest upset happened in 2014 when the George Charlton-trained Knockara Beau, who was better known for being a chaser at the time, ripped up the form book and scored victory at 66/1. He never won another race after that.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 1st February 2022
