World Hurdle Preview

The Ladbrokes World Hurdle, formerly known as The Stayers Hurdle is the showpiece event for 4yr+ staying hurdlers.

Inglis Drever wrote himself into the Cheltenham record books winning the event for the 3rd time last year but was the first horse older than 8 to win since 1988.  Last year’s runner-up Kasbah Bliss heads the market, best priced 6/5 with Sportingbet

No 5 year old has won this event and plenty have tried so look for 6-8 year olds.

The gruelling event requires horses to be fresh and the last 10 winners have raced 3 times or less during that season.

Those are the only meaningful stats but just for good measure you may hold value in the fact that the last 21 winners finished no worse than forth in their prep race and an Irish horse hasnt won for 14 years.

Don’t look beyond the front two in the betting ; French raider Kasbah Bliss and Nicky Henderson’s Punchestowns.

Kasbah Bliss beat all bar Inglis Drever last year and showed incredible acceleration at Haydock last time out on unfavourably soft ground - travelling on the bit and powering past front running Hills of Arran on the run-in to win going away.

The hardy Fair Along could run well as could Big Bucks but our recommendation is to back Punchestowns.

Punchestown’s has to prove he can stay this trip at Cheltenham but he’s still relatively unexposed and represents value at a best priced 9/2 with Ladbrokes