The Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle is the centrepiece staying hurdle race of the Punchestown Festival and a key end‑of‑season target for the division’s leading three‑mile hurdlers.
It offers 300,000 euros in total prize money, with 176,700 euros to the winner, and brings together Cheltenham runners with Ireland’s best festival specialists over 2m7f110y.
This year’s renewal has an extra layer because the top two in the betting, Teahupoo and Bob Olinger, both carry the Robcour silks but represent different powerhouse yards, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, respectively.
Their rivalry has already defined recent seasons at this trip and now moves to Punchestown, backed up by a supporting cast that includes Honesty Policy and Kawaboomga as well as seasoned operators such as Jetara, Franciscan Rock, Jimmy Du Seuil and Meet And Greet.
Champion Stayers Hurdle Odds
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Teahupoo | Gordon Elliott | Jack Kennedy | 9/4 |
| 5 | Kawaboomga | W P Mullins | Mark Walsh | 10/3 |
| 1 | Bob Olinger | Henry De Bromhead | Darragh O’Keeffe | 9/2 |
| 3 | Honesty Policy | Gordon Elliott | Harry Cobden | 5/1 |
| 4 | Jimmy Du Seuil | W P Mullins | Paul Townend | 5/1 |
| 8 | Jetara | Mrs John Harrington | Sam Ewing | 28/1 |
| 2 | Franciscan Rock | M F Morris | Josh Williamson | 40/1 |
| 6 | Meet And Greet | Oliver McKiernan | Phillip Enright | 125/1 |
Teahupoo – Gordon Elliott & Jack Kennedy
Teahupoo comes here as the established benchmark in the staying hurdle division, with 14 career wins and the highest official rating in this field.
He has developed into a specialist around three miles, landing Grade 1 races at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham, and Punchestown, including the 2024 Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham and back‑to‑back wins in this race.
This season, he produced a top‑class performance in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, beating Bob Olinger by seven lengths, and then edged Ballyburn in a tight Grade 1 at Fairyhouse.
His most recent Cheltenham run, where he was beaten by seven lengths into sixth by Home By The Lee, was below his previous Stayers Hurdle standard, yet his profile at Punchestown suggests a return to a more galloping right‑handed track can help him rebound.
Bob Olinger – Henry De Bromhead & Darragh O’Keeffe
Bob Olinger is an incredible hurdler and is 4-for-5 at Cheltenham, including the 2025 Stayers Hurdle, where he produced a career‑defining performance to defeat Teahupoo by one and three-quarters lengths.
De Bromhead has him back to peak form, chasing home Teahupoo at Leopardstown over Christmas, an encouraging seasonal return that suggested he retains much of his old ability despite being an 11‑year‑old this season.
While some suggest he might now be slightly better short of extreme test conditions at Grade 1 level, his Punchestown entry underlines that connections still see him as a major force at three miles.
Honesty Policy – Gordon Elliott & Harry Cobden
Despite being only six years old, Honesty Policy has progressed rapidly through the ranks and now looks firmly established as a high‑class staying hurdler.
He was a Grade 1 novice winner over 2m4f at Aintree, then stepped up to three miles with credit at Punchestown last season and has since run very well in all three starts this season in open Grade 1 company.
Most recently, he finished a staying‑on third to Home By The Lee in the Aintree Stayers Hurdle, confirming that three miles on good to soft to good ground suits him well.
He remains relatively unexposed against some older rivals, but that could play to his strengths.
Kawaboomga – Willie Mullins & Mark Walsh
Kawaboomga is one of the more interesting improvers in the line‑up, having only five hurdle runs, winning just one of them.
After showing promise in France and on his Irish debut (a flat race in Limerick in 2023), he won a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse over 2m before stepping up to graded company this season.
A very good second in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse over just short of 2m4f, showed promise, and he should improve again.
However, this is his first Grade 1, and he still has to prove his stamina fully at this distance, and in such deep company.
If it were any other combo other than Mullins/McManus, I imagine his odds would be a lot longer.
Jimmy Du Seuil – Willie Mullins & Paul Townend
Jimmy Du Seuil is best known for winning the 2025 Coral Cup at Cheltenham, advertising himself as a Graded‑class performer. Since then, he has only campaigned over fences, winning a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse in good style.
Returning to hurdles for a race like this would play to his proven stamina around intermediate and staying trips, but he still has to show that he can translate his handicap and novice form into open Grade 1 staying company against seasoned specialists.
Given his lightly raced profile and Mullins’ record of improving this type, an each‑way role is more realistic than expecting him to topple the established stayers at the first attempt.
Franciscan Rock – Mouse Morris & Josh Williamson
Franciscan Rock is a solid staying hurdler who has mixed Graded races with strong handicaps and arrives here off a career‑best second in the Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
In that race, he was prominent throughout, handled good to soft ground, and finished six lengths behind Jingko Blue, confirming that he is fully effective on a sounder surface.
When he contested this race last year, he was outpaced once the taps were turned on and finished eighth behind Teahupoo, which underlines the class gap he needs to close.
His consistency makes him a plausible candidate to run into minor prize money if some of the principals underperform, but on all known form, he looks a notch below the leading Robcour pair and the more upwardly mobile younger horses.
Jetara – Jessica Harrington & Sam Ewing
Jetara brings strong mares’ Grade 1 form and proven three‑mile stamina into open company. She has been placed multiple times at the highest level, notably third behind Teahupoo in this race last year.
This season she has mixed her campaigns, running on the Flat and then returning to hurdles with respectable efforts, including third in Grade 2’s at Navan and Doncaster.
At Cheltenham in the Mares Hurdle, she stayed on for fifth behind Wodhooh and, with the mares’ allowance, has a realistic chance of picking up place money again in 2026, though on bare ratings she still has something to find with Teahupoo and Bob Olinger.
Meet And Greet – Oliver McKiernan & Phillip Enright
Meet And Greet is a tough and versatile campaigner who has mixed hurdles and fences, but his form suggests he is just below the very top level.
He pulled up in this race last year and recently has been chasing, though at a much lower level than any of his rivals. A victory would be a surprise on the balance of form.
Champion Stayers Hurdle 2026 Prediction
From a form and ratings perspective, Teahupoo sets the standard as a multiple Grade 1 winner over three miles, and goes into this race looking for his third consecutive win.
He is undoubtedly the most reliable top‑end performer in the field when conditions suit.
Bob Olinger is the most obvious threat, having beaten Teahupoo in the 2025 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle and arriving here after another good run at Cheltenham and a fine second at Leopardstown over Christmas.
However, at eleven, he may now be marginally more vulnerable at this level, especially if the race develops into a sustained test from a long way out.
Honesty Policy looks the best of the younger improvers after a series of solid Grade 1 efforts over three miles at Cheltenham and Aintree, and he appeals as the most likely horse to chase the Robcour pair home.
BETFRED
