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*

The Stayers’ Hurdle is one of the most competitive races at the Cheltenham Festival. Known as the World Hurdle until 2015, the top rated three-mile hurdlers in horse racing battle for supremacy at the famous Prestbury Park venue.

Paisley Park is the defending Stayers’ Hurdle champion after a superb 2019 campaign, which culminated in a three-length victory over Sam Spinner at the Cheltenham Festival. Scroll down for our list of the most important Stayers’ Hurdle trends and statistics below

Stayers Hurdle Trends & Statistics

Plenty of punters will be going through the Stayers’ Hurdle betting markets in a bid to find the 2020 winner. Here are our favourite race trends:

• 20/20 had made between two and six starts in the past year.
• 20 out of 20 winners had raced less than five times that season.
• All 20 winners had won at least a Grade 2 prior to Cheltenham.
• 20 out of 20 winners were between six and nine years old.
• 20/20 had finished in the top two within their last three starts.
• 19/20 winners were shorter than 15/1 in the betting.
• 19 of the last 20 winners were in the top six in the betting.
• 19/20 winners had previously won on the ground/going.
• 19 out of 20 winners has won over 2 miles 4 furlongs or further.

Top Trainers For The Stayers Hurdle

With four Stayers’ Hurdle wins to his name, Paul Nicholls is the most successful trainer in the history of the race. The legendary Big Bucks won four Stayers’ Hurdle renewals in a row from 2009 to 2012, giving him a place in Cheltenham Festival history.

Since Big Bucks’ era of dominance, we’ve had six different trainers win this race in the last seven years. Willie Mullins is the only trainer to have two winners; Nicholls Canyon in 2017 before Penhill romped home in the 2018 Stayers’ Hurdle.

Stayers Hurdle Prize Money For 2020

According to figures obtained by the Daily Express, the overall purse for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival was £325,000. Paisley Park’s connections were awarded £182,878 for his success in the race.

Trial Races To Follow Ahead Of The Stayers Hurdle

The Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle, which is held at Haydock Park on Betfair Chase Day, is a race to potentially follow after Paisley Park’s success in 2018. In fact, the Emma Lavelle-trained superstar also won the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot and the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham before claiming victory at the Festival in March.

While Ascot is a right-handed track, the Long Walk Hurdle is another major Stayers’ Hurdle trial to follow. The Worlds End claimed victory in 2019 after Paisley Park was declared a late non-runner on account of the ground and the Tom George runner could be prominent in the 2020 Stayers’ Hurdle odds.

The Cleeve Hurdle is definitely a big race to follow – this is arguably the race to target for any Stayers’ Hurdle contenders. Eight of the last 20 winners of the Cleeve Hurdle have gone on to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival so make sure to find the latest horse racing results at Prestbury Park on January 25th.

2025 Stayers Hurdle Betting

Odds for the Stayers Hurdle at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be available in due course.

Cheltenham Festival 2020: Stayers’ Hurdle Tips

While Paisley Park dominates the Stayers’ Hurdle betting, it is always worth keeping an eye on upcoming contenders ahead of any Cheltenham Festival race.

Ante post punters can find the latest horse racing betting news, tips and previews via the 888sport blog. Best of luck with all of your 2020 Cheltenham punts!
 

*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

New Year’s resolutions are just about being stuck to as the Australian Open rolls around in mid-January.

People are still making multiple trips to the gym per week and reading more. For tennis players, the first month of the year presents the first opportunity to make history, to lift a Grand Slam trophy.

Winning a Slam is often the turning point in a player’s career, the moment they fulfil the long-mentioned promise. Regardless of ranking and success elsewhere, a player’s CV is never truly complete until they can add the words ‘Grand Slam champion’.

Whatever the tennis betting suggests, players will begin a Grand Slam fortnight dreaming of playing on that final weekend.

Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are looking to add to their Grand Slam collections – plenty of others are looking to get their first Slam on the board, here are five who could make a break through in Melbourne…

Elina Svitolina

There’s no doubt that 2019 was the best year of Elina Svitolina’s career. Prior to last year’s Australian Open, the Ukrainian had made just three quarter-final Grand Slam appearances.

She doubled that tally in 2019, going out at the last eight in Melbourne - she was involved in one of the greatest Australian Open matches - and suffering semi-final disappointment at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.

Svitolina isn’t a favourite for the 2020 Australian Open. Her 13/1 price to win the tournament puts her between Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova.

Although 2019 ended with disappointment in the WTA Finals to Ashleigh Barty, there were plenty of positives to be taken from her performances against Belinda Bencic, Simona Halep and Pliskova.

Svitolina isn’t the most famous name in the draw, but her career is heading in the right direction – Grand Slam glory could be just round the corner.

Alexander Zverev

At 22 years old, Alexander Zverev is yet to deliver on all the promise he showed as a teenager. The German broke into the top 20 a couple of years ago, becoming the youngest player to do so since Novak Djokovic.

Aside from his ATP Finals win in 2018, however, Zverev has been a disappointment on the big stage with only two Grand Slam quarter-final appearances (both coming at the French Open).

The 2019 ATP Finals were a mixed bag for Zverev – wins over Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal were counterbalanced by a loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round robin and Dominic Thiem in the semi-final.

He disappointed in Paris and Basel before that too, but beat Roger Federer on his way to the final in Shanghai.

Not so long ago, Zverev was tipped to break up the big three. Questions are being asked about his mentality, conditioning and preparation, but the talent is still there for the young German to win a Grand Slam – could the 2020 Australian Open be the year he finally makes his mark?

Belinda Bencic

Still only 22 years old, Belinda Bencic will be competing in her 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open.

Bencic’s last Slam was the best of her career as she made it all the way to the last four of the US Open, which was only the second time she has made it to the quarters of a Slam (the previous occasion was back in 2014).

Bencic beat both Kiki Bertens and Petra Kvitova in the tour finals in Shenzhen to end the 2019 season, though her run was stopped with a semi-final loss to Elina Svitolina.

Prior to that she won the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, bouncing back from a loss to Anna-Lena Friedsam in Linz.

Priced at 25/1 to win in Melbourne, Bencic crept into our 2020 Australian Open guide and will be a player to watch out for when the tournament gets underway later this month.

Johanna Konta

A quarter-final exit at the US Open was Johanna Konta’s best performance in New York. The Brit is still looking for her break through on the Grand Slam stage, having never made it past the quarter-finals.

She’s a doubt for the Australian Open after withdrawing from the Adelaide International, but there’s still an expectation she’ll take part in Melbourne.

Konta has a reputation for struggling under pressure, and while she has always rebutted such suggestions, there’s a sense she still needs to deliver on the biggest stage if people are to really consider her among the elite in the sport.

Konta has just three WTA titles to her name, despite over a 62.4% winning percentage. On the back of a great 2019, which included a semi-final appearance at Roland Garros and a quarter-final outings Wimbledon and the US Open, 2020 is a huge year for Konta.

Follow the latest tennis betting tips for keep up with her push for a first Grand Slam.

Daniil Medvedev

Considering Daniil Medvedev’s end to 2019, you could argue that he’s already made his break through. The Moscow-born 23-year-old is yet to lift a Grand Slam trophy, however, and has never made it past the fourth round in Melbourne.

Ranked as the fifth best men’s player in the world, Medvedev has more pressure on him than most non-big-three players.

The Russian is looking to recover from a bleak end to 2019, which saw him lose all three ATP Finals matches and fall to Jeremy Chardy in Paris following a trip to the US Open final and a wonderful performance in Shanghai.

Medvedev is the bookies’ favourite to win in Melbourne outside of the big three. After impressing in New York, this is his chance to consolidate himself as a Grand Slam contender.

Secure a smash on the most up to date tennis markets with 888sport.com

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo*