Stayers' Hurdle: Unowhatyouregetting with Shaneshill

I’m old enough to remember when the Stayers' Hurdle was the Stayers’ Hurdle—that’s before its sponsorship was taken over by Ladbrokes and became the World Hurdle until 2015—and can clearly recall the wins for Baracouda in both 2002 and 2003 before he lost out in a thrilling battle with the grey Iris’s Gift the following year (the video is on YouTube and worth a watch). At the peak of his powers, the French gelding Baracouda had an air of invincibility about him, as did another multiple World Hurdle winner in Big Buck’s (won 18 hurdle races on the spin from January 2009 to December 2012).

The current Stayers’ Hurdle favourite Unowhatimeanharry—who, like Baracouda, was purchased once his career was up and running by big-spending owner J. P. McManus—probably doesn’t quite have that aura just yet, but he’s certainly going about getting it the right way, undefeated in eight starts since joining Harry Fry and being fitted with a tongue tie, including two Grade 1s and three Grade 2s.

There’s no doubt he’s the one to beat in the Stayers' Hurdle, with his recent Cleeve Hurdle win just as good as his victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December, especially as a number of those he gave weight to in the Cleeve will meet him back on level terms at Cheltenham in March. However, he’s now no bigger than 7/4 and plenty could still happen between now and then, while he could well still be the same price on the day.

With five of the current top seven on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for the Stayers’ Hurdle either already ruled out or unlikely to take their chance—Annie Power, Faugheen, Yanworth and Vroum Vroum Mag—Unowhatimeanharry’s chief form rival looks like it will be Jezki. He stepped up to three miles when winning the World Series Hurdle at Punchestown in April 2015 and made a successful return in a two-mile minor event at Navan in January. While the vibes suggest this race is Jezki’s target, he does share his owner with Unowhatimeanharry and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise ever if he were diverted to the Champion Hurdle with doubts about a number in that race (which he won in 2014), for all the McManus also has Yanworth in that contest. Jezki is also due to run in the Red Mills Hurdle over two miles at Gowran in February, and he doesn’t make much ante-post appeal at 7/1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Given he received 4 lb and a nine-and-a-quarter-length beating from Unowhatimeanharry in the Cleeve (and he was due to finish behind the same rival in the Long Walk before falling), there’s no reason why Ballyoptic is going to reverse the form in the Stayers’ Hurdle. A similar comment also applies to Cole Harden who got much closer to Unowhatimeanharry but was receiving 8 lb, though it’s understandable why some punters have latched onto him as being the obvious each-way play at 14/1+ given he won the World Hurdle in 2015 and was fourth last year despite not running anywhere near his best following a stuttering campaign (same again this time around). Cleeve Hurdle third West Approach, a half-brother to 2016 Cleeve Hurdle and subsequent World Hurdle winner Thistlecrack, is reportedly more likely to go for the Albert Bartlett Novices'.

Nichols Canyon is also relatively high up on the ratings but he’s surely not going to run, especially after falling at the last when set for third in the recent Irish Champion Hurdle. The same connections have a more obvious contender in Shaneshill anyway. He’s only won one of his last seven starts over timber, namely the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran last Thursday, but he’s a pretty reliable performer (when avoiding lapses in concentration) and has finished second at the last three Cheltenham Festivals in the Champion Bumper, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and RSA Chase, so he does make some each-way appeal at 10/1+. It will be interesting to see whether Clondaw Warrior is pointed at the Stayers’ Hurdle as he was seemingly the choice of Ruby Walsh and well backed into 11/10 before finishing two and a quarter lengths third in the Galmoy. He didn’t appear to have an obvious excuse, though a second steadily-run race in a row wouldn't have suited ideally and maybe soft ground suits him best these days.

If we knew the forecast for the second week in March now, the one who would look a sound each-way bet provided there was some juice in the ground would be Snow Falcon. He was conceding 5 lb to Shaneshill when three quarters of a length second in the Galmoy and is still only seven, however the 2015 Neptune fifth missed last year’s World Hurdle (run on good ground) so is by no means certain to line up this time around.

That the Champion Hurdle is looking more wide open by the day will probably mean The New One goes there again, while the 2014 World Hurdle winner More of That has all sorts of entries and was even engaged in last Saturday’s cross-country chase at Cheltenham at the five-day stage. One that could potentially crash in price (currently 25/1) is last season’s Punchestown Champion Stayers’ Hurdle winner One Track Mind, though that would depend on him running well if switched back to hurdles (hasn’t looked in love with chasing in two starts this term) before the Festival.

To sum up, Unowhatimeanharry is a very worthy Stayers’ Hurdle favourite, though there’s not much point backing him at this point. All things considered, the safest each-way bet is Shaneshill as he’s almost certain to run, goes on a range of ground and boasts a really good Festival record. 

Recommendation:

Back Shaneshill each-way for the 2017 Stayers' Hurdle at 10/1

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