Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle trends and stats

04 Feb | BY Betway Insider | MIN READ TIME |

Source: Alamy Stock Photo

What can the previous 20 years tell us about the County Handicap Hurdle? Read our guide on trends and stats to boost your chances of picking a winner.

Being one of the most competitive handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival, the County Handicap Hurdle is definitely a hot betting prospect. Designed for horses aged five or older, the race has seen some of its winners go on to further success in events such as the Champion Hurdle, like State Man and Rooster Booster.

But what can we uncover by looking into the recent history of the race? This blog will cover some of the important trends that have been formed by recent winners, giving you information to keep in mind when you’re next betting on the event. So, let’s run through some of the key trends of the County Handicap Hurdle:

Key County Handicap Hurdle trends

Placing a horse racing bet can be a difficult task, but taking multiple factors into consideration can help. Here are a few things to remember when making your picks:

Older horses struggle: The entry age for the County Handicap Hurdle is five, and the race hasn’t been won by a horse older than eight since 2007. When picking between horses, those aged nine and up aren’t like to yield much for you.
One trainer dominates: Most wins in the last 15 years have come from Willie Mullins, a trainer with huge experience at Cheltenham. When picking your horses, be aware of which trainers seem to have had lots of joy in the past, as it’s a good guide for future results.
Horses’ past form can be misleading: When making your bets, you may use previous race results as an indicator for future success. Though it can help your choices, keep in mind that it doesn’t always paint an accurate picture of who will perform in upcoming events.

Does the favourite usually win the County Handicap Hurdle?

Though the most recent edition of the County Handicap Hurdle may have been won by the favourite, history doesn’t usually favour them. The past 19 years have only managed to see three favourites take home the victory (all of which happened since 2020, mind you):

Kargese (2025) – 3/1
State Man (2022) – 11/4
Saint Roi (2020) – 11/2

Most of the time, we’ve seen unfancied horses be the ones to revel in the glory, with both Belfast Banter (2021) and Faivoir (2023) at 33/1 odds being prime examples of this. So, betting on outsiders may pay off more than the odds might make you believe.

See how the top-billed picks perform in other events across the festival week with our guide covering how often favourites win at Cheltenham.

What is the average age of a County Handicap Hurdle winning horse?

Unlike some other races at the Cheltenham Festival, the County Handicap Hurdle has seen multiple younger horses earn lots of success. The last 15 years have seen 11 wins for horses aged five and six, and seven-year-olds have not won since 2003:

Kargese (2025) – 5 years
Absurde (2024) – 6 years
Faivoir (2023) – 8 years
State Man (2022) – 5 years
Belfast Banter (2021) – 6 years
Saint Roi (2020) – 5 years
Ch’tibello (2019) – 8 years
Mohaayed (2018) – 6 years
Arctic Fire (2017) – 8 years
Superb Story (2016) – 5 years
Wicklow Brave (2015) – 6 years
Lac Fontana (2014) – 5 years
Ted Veale (2013) – 6 years
Alderwood (2012) – 8 years
Final Approach (2011) – 5 years

Though horses aged eight have also tasted victory, they appear less likely to pull through and win. So, no matter their odds going into the race, it seems risky to be backing horses that are either seven, or older than eight.

How many County Handicap Hurdle winners won last time out?

Despite former races possibly posing different challenges for runners, past form can still highlight a potential for future victories. In the case of the County Handicap Hurdle, though, the last 15 years has shown that winners don’t typically succeed last time out – happening four times:

Kargese (2025) – 2nd in the Mares’ Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Absurde (2024) – 4th in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Faivoir (2023) – Pulled up in the Newbury Premier Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
State Man (2022) – 1st in the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Twitter (C&G) Maiden Hurdle
Belfast Banter (2021) – 2nd in the Novice Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Saint Roi (2020) – 1st in the David Flynn Building Contractors Maiden Hurdle
Ch’tibello (2019) – 2nd in the Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Mohaayed (2018) – 3rd in the Christmas Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Arctic Fire (2017) – 2nd in the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Superb Story (2016) – 2nd in the Greatwood Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Wicklow Brave (2015) – Pulled up in the Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Lac Fontana (2014) – 1st in the Steel Plate and Sections Handicap Hurdle
Ted Veale (2013) – 3rd in the Boylesports.com Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Alderwood (2012) – 15th in the Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Final Approach (2011) – 1st in the MCR Hurdle

Taking this into account, it’s important not to rule out horses who had a poor previous race. With Alderwood (2012) finishing 15th, and both Wicklow Brave (2015) and Faivoir (2023) pulling up, the past has shown real potential for horses to make drastic improvements!

When did County Handicap Hurdle winners last compete?

Being aware of when a winner last competed can be useful, with it setting out a pattern revealing the most optimal rest period between competing in a previous race and the County Handicap Hurdle. Though there is a level of consistency revealed, some horses have proven to be complete outliers:

Kargese (2025) – 55 days
Absurde (2024) – 40 days
Faivoir (2023) – 34 days
State Man (2022) – 45 days
Belfast Banter (2021) – 19 days
Saint Roi (2020) – 72 days
Ch’tibello (2019) – 97 days
Mohaayed (2018) – 80 days
Arctic Fire (2017) – 418 days
Superb Story (2016) – 124 days
Wicklow Brave (2015) – 6 days
Lac Fontana (2014) – 48 days
Ted Veale (2013) – 48 days
Alderwood (2012) – 33 days
Final Approach (2011) – 68 days

An average between all horses reveals a rest period of 79 days, but including the outliers here distorts that figure somewhat. There are extremes at both ends of the scale, with Wicklow Brave (2015) having 6 days between competing and Arctic Fire (2017) having a 418-day gap. Removing those two from the equation leaves an average of about 59 days, with a couple of months appearing to be a standard break.

Are County Handicap Hurdle winners usually British or Irish trained?

Trainers hailing from Ireland have evidently been a force to be reckoned with over the last 15 runs of this race. This period may have seen them achieve ten victories, but the last decade has witnessed a more even split. In this time, British trainers won four, and Irish trainers won six:

Kargese (2025) – Irish trained
Absurde (2024) – Irish trained
Faivoir (2023) – British trained
State Man (2022) – Irish trained
Belfast Banter (2021) – Irish trained
Saint Roi (2020) – Irish trained
Ch’tibello (2019) – British trained
Mohaayed (2018) – British trained
Arctic Fire (2017) – Irish trained
Superb Story (2016) – British trained
Wicklow Brave (2015) – Irish trained
Lac Fontana (2014) – British trained
Ted Veale (2013) – Irish trained
Alderwood (2012) – Irish trained
Final Approach (2011) – Irish trained

Which trainer has had the most success in the County Handicap Hurdle?

It perhaps comes as no surprise that Cheltenham’s top trainer, Willie Mullins, has been a prominent figure across the last 15 years of the County Handicap Hurdle. With seven of the last 15 being won by him, he’s taken home the glory many times:

Kargese (2025) – Willie Mullins
Absurde (2024) – Willie Mullins
Faivoir (2023) – Dan Skelton
State Man (2022) – Willie Mullins
Belfast Banter (2021) – Peter Fahey
Saint Roi (2020) – Willie Mullins
Ch’tibello (2019) – Dan Skelton
Mohaayed (2018) – Dan Skelton
Arctic Fire (2017) – Willie Mullins
Superb Story (2016) – Dan Skelton
Wicklow Brave (2015) – Willie Mullins
Lac Fontana (2014) – Paul Nicholls
Ted Veale (2013) – Tony Martin
Alderwood (2012) – Thomas Mullins
Final Approach (2011) – Willie Mullins

Dan Skelton has proven to be his biggest rival in this period, winning four times, all of which were in the last ten years.

Why is it important to consider County Handicap Hurdle trends when betting?

Staying informed on trends and statistics of the County Handicap Hurdle can really help your betting tactics going forward. They may not be foolproof ways of knowing who’ll take home the win for the next race, but even just having a couple of factors in mind can improve your chances of picking a would-be-winner. It doesn’t matter if it’s which trainers have seen the most success or the gap between winners competing in the past, any stat can be a useful guide for your choices.

If you’re considering betting on other races at the festival, looking at our Cheltenham blog can also help you discover more handy guides like this!

County Handicap Hurdle winners

Interested in finding out more on former victors at the festival? Read our guide on past winners of Cheltenham Festival! But as a refresher, here are the previous five winners of the County Handicap Hurdle so they stay front and centre of your memory when you place your next bet: