Stayers’ Hurdle Tips: Super Skeltons to scoop Stayers’ prize

The championship race at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday is the Stayers' Hurdle - a three-mile affair on the New Course - at 15:20.

I've previewed the race and offered up a couple of Stayers' Hurdle tips for your consideration.

Baracouda. Big Buck's. More recently Paisley Park and Flooring Porter. Teahupoo - more on him in a moment. The Stayers' Hurdle, the feature on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival, is unsurprisingly a race with a rich history.

This year's renewal, headed by the aforementioned Teahupoo who's running in the race for the fourth time, looks a good one, with chances afforded to the majority of the 12 hopefuls.

I was going to tip Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old to do the business for the second time, but his trainer's form this week has put me off. Big time.

There's also a bias towards front-runners - and with that in mind a chance is taken on Kabral Du Mathan for the Skeltons, who are in flying form.

The six-year-old has been a revelation since making the switch from Paul Nicholls', bolting up by 12 lengths in a handicap on Haydock's Betfair Chase card in November off a mark of 140 before winning the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

That form was given a huge boost on Wednesday as Jingko Blue, who was five-and-a-half lengths behind the selection, hacked up in the Cup.

He's likely to go forward, or at least be prominent, he'll act on the ground and connections are confident. That'll do me.

Also with conditions in mind, I suggest an each-way saver on IMPOSE TOI for Nicky Henderson, who's enjoying a brilliant week.

The eight-year-old, owned by JP McManus who's also been in the winners' enclosure at this Cheltenham Festival, was among the favourites for this race before a bit of a mishap in January, when beaten seven lengths by the reopposing Ma Shantou in the Cleeve Hurdle.

Connections - jockey Nico de Boinville in particular - are adamant the ground, which was officially 'soft', was to blame, so he ought to be more at home on this sounder surface. He's also not giving six pounds this time.

He's a real stayer with all the right credentials for a Stayers' Hurdle, and I'm hopeful he can make the frame. At least.

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