The race is named after Lanzarote the Champion Hurdle Winner in 1974 and is held at Kempton Park. This handicap hurdle race was previously ran over 2 miles, however from 2007 the race distance was changed to 2 miles 5 furlongs. The race was abandoned in 2001 & 2009.
Some well known names feature on the roll of honour for this contest, including Make A Stand, Saphir Du Rheu and Yala Enki, while Big Time Dancer landed this race twelve months ago for trainer Jennie Candlish.
Lanzarote Hurdle: Trends
Age (wins-placed-runners)
- 5-y-o: 1-2-15
- 6-y-o: 6-6-38
- 7-y-o: 1-8-34
- 8-y-o: 2-3-16
- 9-y-o: 0-1-12
- 10-y-o: 0-1-5
- 11-y-o+: 0-0-4
As you can see six-year-olds have accounted for 60% of the winners in the last ten years. There are six six-year-olds in the horse racing betting race this year.
The trends do not look favourable for any horse aged over nine winning, with the last horse scoring in that age bracket being Fredcoteri (aged 11) in 1988. At first glance it looks rather ominous for Vive Le Roi and Theinval.
Ratings
The 130-140 rating range has won 7/10 renewals. The bottom four in the handicap, including the well fancied Northofthewall, would not even come into the equation based on that statistic.
Weight
10st 10lb+: 7 winners, 10st 9lb or less: 3 winners.
It is very important to note the excellent record claiming jockeys have had in the last ten renewals of this race, winning on four occasions. Just two claimers line up in the race this year so you may want to keep a close eye on them.
2020 Lanzarote Hurdle: Runners
Canyon City (Neil King)
Finished well down the field in this race last year and has failed to shine so far this winter.
The seven-year-old took a decent prize at Haydock back in May and the suspicion is that’s more his favoured time of the year. Bryony Frost takes the ride.
Vive Le Roi (Tony Carroll)
Consistent front running type who rarely puts in a bad race and often goes off at bigger odds than he realistically should be priced up at.
Ran a cracker in the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Newbury last time and should be on the premises once again in this.
Theinval (Nicky Henderson)
Well treated back in this sphere after his recent chasing exploits and he actually won a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Aintree from 7 lb higher mark.
Worryingly that was over four years ago, and his overall profile does not fit in with the recent winners of this race.
Burrows Park (Venetia Williams)
Lucy Turner claims 7lb off Burrows Park which could prove to be particularly useful come the business end of proceedings.
A winner at Hereford last time out, the eight-year-old has the scope to excel in a better race like this.
Larkbarrow Lad (Philip Hobbs)
Has yet to finish out of the frame since being switched to hurdles, but this contest represents a significant step up in class.
A son of Kayf Tara, he shouldn’t have any stamina issues and he looks the type to progress.
Eragon De Chanay (Gary Moore)
Well beaten in all three starts so far this season and it would come as a major shock if he was to suddenly turn that around in this level of company.
Burrows Edge (Nicky Henderson)
Henderson appears to like switching his chasers back to hurdling in this race and it worked for him in 2018 with William Henry.
Burrows Edge fell whilst chasing at Ludlow last month and comes here on a fairly lenient hurdling mark.
Echiquier (Nigel Twiston-Davies)
The six-year-old has run with credit behind the likes of Thyme Hill and Stoney Mountain this season but will have to put a disappointing last run behind him.
He appeared to detest the heavy conditions at Southwell so we can expect much better things here.
Notre Pari (Olly Murphy)
He sluiced up at Aintree at the beginning of December and beat some decent yardsticks in the process.
Owned by JP McManus, the six-year-old has been sent off favourite on each of his three runs this campaign and comes into this race with quite a reputation - he will be very popular in horse racing tips. He should make his presence felt once again.
Northofthewall (Dan Skelton)
The six-year-old scored a bloodless victory at Hereford last time out in the heavy conditions but whether that form amounts to much remains to be seen.
Some punters seem to think it does however and he has been backed with good money all week, but definitely not with mine!
Vinnie Dev (Noel Williams)
He kicked off his first season under Rules by taking a novices’ hurdle race at Uttoxeter. He was then stepped up markedly at Ascot, finishing third behind Valtor and Redford Road.
A poor run at Doncaster a fortnight ago gives him a lot to prove now.
Gortroe Joe (Dan Skelton)
A regular Ludlow runner who has been on the go, on and off, since July. His last win came back in April in a four runner novices’ chase at Market Rasen.
His Boxing Day fourth at Kempton showed some promise but he looks out of his depth in this line up.
Tight Call (Tim Vaughan)
Just managed to squeeze into this race after a few runners above him defected which came as a great relief to his trainer.
The six-year-old is yet to finish out of the first four in his last eight completed starts and has already run well at this sort of level. He could well be the dark horse here.
Debestyman (Suzy Smith)
Finished 9½ lengths fifth to Goodbye Dancer in a handicap at Cheltenham last time and cannot be ignored racing off a fly-weight of 10st 4lb with a useful jockey on his back.
Lanzarote Hurdle 2020: Prediction
Worcestershire-trainer Tony Carroll is having a rare old time of things at the moment and has sent out a total of seven winners in the past fortnight, and his Vive Le Roi (nap) is my main selection.
Trends are there to be broken and this consistent “oldie” can hopefully break the hex that has held back the more mature hurdlers in this race for some 32 years now.
The Venetia Williams-trained Burrows Park (nb) can potentially give Miss Lucy Turner her most memorable racing day ever, with the pair generally doing really well when they race together.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo*
