County Hurdle Tips: Sinnatra to do it his way

Absurde is one of the 26 runners declared for the County Hurdle on Friday at the Cheltenham Festival. It is a race that the gelding won in 2024 before placing third in last year's edition.

He is currently deemed the third-best prospect for Willie Mullins' yard. This stable has won three of the past five renewals. Below you will find my County Hurdle Tips.

Our in-house Horse Racing tipster Owen McMahon has gone through the card for Friday's Races and made a selection for every race. Read who he's backing and why with our Cheltenham Day 4 Tips. 

Added to that, former jockey Katie Walsh runs through her Cheltenham Friday Tips for Betfred.

County Hurdle Odds

Each-way - Sinnatra @ 7/1

Mullins is not the only trainer to enjoy multiple successes in the County Hurdle. Dan Skelton has saddled four of the previous nine winners, including Faivoir in 2023.

Skelton boasts two of the top four contenders on Friday, one of which is Sinnatra. He is a bumper winner who has impressed on all five of his starts over hurdles, including successes at Sandown and most recently Warwick.

There is a lot of excitement to see how he fares on his handicap debut, and he looks primed to give a good account of himself.

Harry Skelton has steered Sinnatra in all five outings for his brother's yard since he was acquired from Paul Nicholls' stable in October. The jockey has won this contest twice with Superb Story (2016) and Ch'tibello (2019) for Dan Skelton Racing.

Each-way - Sixandahalf @ 12/1

As this is a Super Extra Place race, Betfred are offering six places instead of four. In this stacked field, outsiders may look more attractive to punters. One who catches my eye is SIXANDAHALF for Gavin Cromwell, who is yet to have a winner in this contest.

This is going to be the five-year-old mare's second outing at the Festival. She impressed when narrowly second behind Air Of Entitlement in the 2025 Mares' Novices' Hurdle, so connections will be hoping for improvement this time around.

The daughter of Snow Sky may have finished fourth of five on her last appearance at Leopardstown in December but it was still a promising display. She looks like she will be able to handle herself on her handicap debut and she will be ridden by Conor Stone-Walsh, who won the Cross Country Chase on Wednesday for Cromwell's camp.

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Super Extra Place Race - Paying six places instead of four at 1/5 odds

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