The 2025 William Hill County Hurdle: stats, trends and replays

Grade: Grade Three. Course? New Course 

What distance? 2m 1f (8 hurdles).

Prize-money: £70,000 Ages: For 5yo+ Weights and Allowances: Handicap

Sponsor: William Hill

Ignore them at your peril. Faivoir was his fourth winner of the race in 2023 and from just 17 runners he has also had West Cork and L'Eau Du Sud placed in it.  You would be showing a profit of £73 to a £1 stake had you backed them all.

Half of the past 18 winners have been trained by a member of the Mullins family (Willie x 7, Thomas x 1 and Tony x 1). Absurde was Willie's seventh winner of the race last year, while he's had nine more hit the places from 53 runners (level stakes profit of £48.25 for win purposes).

Only two winners this century have scored off a rating in the 150s, so beware supporting those near the head of the weights.

Five-year-olds have a good record in the race, with 12 winners in the last 27 runnings.

19 of the past 22 winners were either a novice or a second-season hurdler, with Arctic Fire (2017), Ch’tibello (2019) and Faivoir (2023) the exceptions.

Absurde became the 14th of the past 22 winners to have raced on the Flat. He had won the Ebor the previous year plus been seventh in the Melbourne Cup.

16 of the last 24 winners were running at the Festival for the first time. To underline this, previous success at Cheltenham is not an issue as 22 of the last 24 winners had never previously scored at Cheltenham.

Horses making their handicap debut do not usually fare well, but things look to be changing. Three exceptions were well-backed favourites trained by Willie Mullins in recent years (Absurde, State Man and Saint Roi) and the trainer's handicap debutants over jumps probably merit individual treatment. 

Philip Hobbs has had a frustrating recent time in the County Hurdle, hitting the frame on nine occasions since 1997 from 35 runners. Rooster Booster won the race for the trainer in 2002. Hobbs last had runners in the race in 2020 and now trains in tandem with Johnson White.

The County Handicap Hurdle, run over two miles and a furlong, was previously run in honour of Vincent O’Brien, who recorded 23 victories at the Cheltenham Festival, including four Gold Cups, three Champion Hurdles, ten Supreme Novices’ Hurdles and a flurry of supporting races.

Having been traditionally run as the last race of The Festival for many years, the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle is a race steeped in history, and is now the second contest on the final day of the meeting. Named after the legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien between 1995 and 2016, the race has been won by some high-class operators over the years, including a subsequent Unibet Champion Hurdle winner in Rooster Booster (2002).

The first County Hurdle was run in 1920 and won by Trespasser, ridden by George Duller, who until 1973 also had a race named after him at Cheltenham’s premier meeting.

The Mullins family have an exceptional record (see trends above).

2017 winner Arctic Fire was the first horse to carry topweight to victory since Albergo in 1960. The race gained widespread attention from the media in 2018, when winning jockey Bridget Andrews shared a touching celebration by the winning post with her future husband Harry Skelton after winning on the Dan Skelton-trained Mohaayed.

McCoy Contractors sponsored the race between 2021-2023. The 2024 renewal was backed by BetMGM and now William Hill are the sponsors.

Paul Townend produced  Absurde to perfection as last year’s Ebor hero got the better of L’Eau Du Sud. Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have dominated this event in the last decade, winning eight of the last nine runnings between them, so it was no surprise to see the week’s top two trainers involved at the business end once again.

Paul Nicholls’ Afadil had led the field into the straight where Skelton’s 7-2 favourite L’Eau Du Sud appeared to be travelling supremely in the hands of the trainer’s brother, Harry. However, Townend was weaving a passage to the front and after the last it was Closutton’s dual-purpose star who pulled out extra to land the spoils at 12-1.

As well as winning the Ebor when given an equally-inspired ride by Frankie Dettori, Absurde finished seventh in the Melbourne Cup, and Townend said: “I got a lot of satisfaction out of that one. What a horse to travel the world and then come back and put in a performance like that on that ground."

Trainer Dan Skelton secured a remarkable fourth success in the race inside the past eight years as 33-1 shot Faivoir downed Pied Piper in a thrilling finish.

Both horses came from out of the pack after Highway One O Two had kicked clear turning for home and there were plenty in with chances approaching the last.

However, Bridget Andrews’ mount, who had been pulled up on quicker ground in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on his previous start, kept responding in these easier conditions and got the verdict in a head-bobber.

Skelton, who won this race previously with Superb Story (2016), Mohaayed (2018) and Ch’tibello (2019), also saddled the favourite, but Pembroke, who had finished runner-up on Trials day in January, was well held after making a couple of minor jumping errors.

Bridget Andrews said: “I know the horse is a monkey but I always felt like he was just keeping his nose in front and giving me everything. He’d never be a horse who would go on and go clear, but I always felt like I was just holding. He’s probably not the most natural jumper, but he keeps his head up and is very, very good with his feet. Even when he doesn’t see a lot he can kind of get his way out of trouble. He gave me his all today.

“Dan seems to be mastering them [big handicaps at Cheltenham]. I always felt so lucky that I had one winner here; there are far, far superior jockeys who have had no winners here, so to get a second one is pretty special.”

State Man continued the dominance of trainer Willie Mullins and piled on the misery for bookmakers when powering up the hill to land a competitive renewal.

The inexperienced five-year-old fell in a maiden hurdle at Christmas and only gained his first success in a Limerick maiden last month but was sent off the 11-4 favourite under Paul Townend.

He made stealthy headway down the hill and was produced between the last two flights of hurdles and forged clear after the last to deny First Street in second, Colonel Mustard in third and West Cork further back in fourth.

Mullins said: "This horse could easily have gone to the Supreme Novices’, and we’ll go back Graded race hurdling probably after this. Perhaps we’ll go for the top level at Punchestown.

"We are delighted - any day you have a winner at Cheltenham is great."

Kevin Sexton produced a fine ride to earn a first Cheltenham Festival victory for jockey and trainer Belfast Banter (33-1) posted a memorable victory in the silks of owners Direct Bloodstock Limited.

The six-year-old was squeezed up a little at the top of the hill but travelled noticeably strongly into the straight and hit the front inside the final half-furlong to prevail by a length and a quarter from the admirable Petit Mouchoir (22-1) in second with Milkwood (28-1) a further length back in third. Éclair De Beaufeu (11-1) finished fourth.

Sexton said: “He travelled bette than ever, the drying ground really helped him. He always wanted to go forward and I just wanted to hold onto him for as long as I could.

“To be hoest, I never thought he was going to get in. I had all eyes on the mare (Royal Kahala) yesterday and I thought I was going home without a winner. I thought if this lad finished in the middle it would be great. It still hasn’t sunk in what he's just done.

“It’s unbelievable, to do it for Peter. I was actually a bit emotional because this time two years ago I'd given up ridnig, things weren't happening and I wasn't happy, I'd given up all hope.

“I love racing and I’m now lucky that I’m making a living out of it. It’s all down to Peter and the team."

Saint Roi landed a gamble to continue a superb Festival for trainer Willie Mullins, owner JP McManus and jockey Barry Geraghty.

Saint Roi may have been lightly-raced and makming his handicap debut, but money talked and the five-year-old delivered in style.

Coming to the last, Embittered held every chance, as did a few others, but Saint Roi was coasting and the 11-2 favourite pulled away to win decisively by four and a half lengths.

Mullins also saddled the runner-up, Aramon, with Gordon Elliott's Embittered a head away third and another of the Mullins' team, Buildmeupbuttercup, another head back in fourth.

Riding his fifth winner of the week, Gearghty said: "He was electric, for a horse with little experience, the pace they went, he was very good. Willie was sweet on him and he's not a bad judge. It's what you dream of, you come here and one winner is all you want."

It was to be Geraghty's final Festival winner as he subsequently retired.

Dan Skelton continued his tremendous record in one of the season’s most competitive handicaps as Ch’tibello (12-1) struck under brother Harry and a burden of 11st 5lb to bring up a third success in four years for the trainer.

Confidently-ridden, Harry Skelton took the brave man’s route up the inside and really motored clear after jumping the last in front for victory by a length and half.

The jockey watched his partner Bridget Andrews land this race last year and memorably embraced her shortly after the line when finishing fifth on Spiritofthegames.

“When you’re on a good horse it just happens,” said the rider after glory this time. “My trainer, my brother, he fills me with confidence.”

“I’m so proud of Harry,” the winning trainer added. “We’ve had this plan for 18 months and he gave him a magic ride. Today I just said You’ve got 10lbs in hand, go and do what you want to do. We love the County Hurdle.”

The six-year-old prompted one of the scenes of last year’s meeting in a family triumph for the Dan Skelton team and a first Festival winner for 3lb claimer Bridget Andrews.

The victory was almost plain-sailing despite a price of 33-1 in a 24-runner field, Mohaayed prominent on the outside, taking closer order down the back and upsides after the second-last before finding best up the hill for his jockey. Andrews was mobbed by partner Harry Skelton after the line, the rider of stablemate and fifth-placed finisher Spiritofthegames.

“I can’t believe it,” said a tearful trainer. “I’m a professional and I shouldn’t be crying but Bridget has just won a race at the Festival.

“She works so hard, she’s the epitome of our sport.”

Arctic Fire, despite being beaten off a 17lb lower mark in this race two seasons earlier, posted the best weight-carrying performance in the race since 1960 by defying topweight in this traditionally ultra-competitive handicap hurdle. It was also his first start for 418 days.

Paul Townend, winning the race for the second time in three seasons, angled his mount towards the stands’ rail as he improved from well off the pace, before producing a stirring effort up the hill to get up in the final 50 yards.

“It is some training performance by Willie to get Arctic Fire back after such a long absence,” Townend said.

“He had top-weight in the race, but he had it for a reason. He is a class horse. I went out with the mind-set of riding him like the best horse and thankfully it has paid off.

“To carry all that weight on the back of a big absence was some effort.”

It was a victory that continued the dominance of Willie Mullins, who has now won four of the last eight renewals.

Superb Story became just the second horse to win at single-figure odds since 2006 when powering to success for team Skelton.

The five-year-old had been laid out for the race since his Greatwood Hurdle second at the course in October of that season and Dan Skelton’s preparation of the horse proved immaculate as he dominated the race up the straight.

Skelton said afterwards: "You need a plan and you need to have a bit in hand. When Paul's horse (Old Guard) did what he did after winning the Greatwood I knew I had to be patient.

“I nearly ran Superb Story at Taunton three weeks ago, but the ground was bad, and I've learned a lot from this meeting and I think you have got to have them super fresh."

Wicklow Brave has been one of the most talented dual-purpose horses in training in recent years, as top-flight victories in the Irish Champion Hurdle and Irish St Leger testify, and his mark of 138 for the 2015 County Hurdle proved grossly inadequate.

His eight-length demolition job, in what is traditionally one of the most competitive handicap hurdles in the calendar, was one of the performances of the 2015 Festival, in a renewal dominated by Irish runners (four of the first six home were trained by Willie Mullins).

Wicklow Brave provided Paul Townend with his third victory at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival.

“It wasn’t my plan to be in front on him too early, and going to the last he was looking around, which is why he made a mistake, but I couldn’t believe how well I was going at the second-last and had to go.” Townend said.

“It’s an incredible week – I would have settled for one winner, so three is magic.

“Willie is a genius of a man to turn them up at places like this. I was there about three furlongs too soon but thankfully it didn’t matter. He has loads of ability and handled the ground better than I thought he would.”

Paul Nicholls was a major force in the County Hurdle from 2004 to 2014, winning the race four times. His Lac Fontana proved more than capable of defying a rating of 139, although his supporters would have been fearing the worst when the five-year-old novice lost his position after the third last.

He rallied to the cause under a determined Daryl Jacob to lead close home and confirm how well suited he was to a strongly-run race over this sort of trip.

A relieved Nicholls was quick to praise his jockey and said: “Daryl has been a bit down, but all you need is a bit of luck – he’ll be a totally different guy now.

“I’m chuffed for him – he needed a winner. We’ve been unlucky but that’s just the way it is here. Little margins can go wrong, and you don’t end up on the scoreboard, but we’re on it now and so we’re happy.

“I knew Lac Fontana would gallop all the way to the line, but the way things have been going I feared we would be beaten in a photo finish, but that was just what we wanted.

Lac Fontana also confirmed he was firmly on the rise when he followed up in the Grade One novice at Aintree the following month.

Ted Veale had been undone by heavy ground when failing to land a gamble on handicap debut at Leopardstown two months earlier and the rain that had got into the Cheltenham ground by the opening race on the final day was a real concern for his supporters.

They need not have worried though, because Tony Martin’s improving novice cruised through the race and was still cantering away like he had just joined in approaching the last, as he closed in on long-time leader Tennis Cap.

There was more than enough in the tank to assert up the hill and make amends in some style for his Leopardstown defeat.