The 2023 Stayers’ Hurdle looks set to be an almighty duel between two excellent chase horses who have already been trading blows during the current season and there could be little to split them coming up the famous Cheltenham hill when this three-mile showdown takes place.
This is always a huge race when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival, with the best staying hurdle horses competing over three miles. We’re looking forward to what is sure to be a thrilling encounter and the latest Cheltenham betting odds suggest that it is a wide open betting heat featuring some talented horses.
Klassical Dream is no stranger to success at the Cheltenham Festival, with the eight-year-old having won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle three years ago. There have been some lengthy absences since then, although the Willie Mullins-trained runner did score a victory as the 7/4 favourite in the Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle.
We are also talking about a horse who won the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle, with the eight-year-old potentially establishing some dominance in this division. However, Champ is another game battler who has shown plenty of class at the Festival and the Nicky Henderson-trained runner can’t easily be discounted.
Champ won the Howden Long Walk Hurdle by beating Thyme Hill and he has been reverted from fences after last season’s poor show in the Gold Cup. Buzz also comes from the Nicky Henderson stable, with the horse enjoying a two mile three furlong encounter when obliging in the Coral Hurdle back in November.
Flooring Porter looks set to have another crack at this race and the seven-year-old is the reigning staying champion after landing the victory at 12/1 last season, with Gavin Cromwell saddling his runner for another crack at this Grade 1 encounter. The second-placed finish behind Klassical Dream at Leopardstown suggests that a big run could be on the cards.