The North’s great hope Sam Spinner headlines 19 going forward for the £339,595 G1 Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle over three miles at Cheltenham on the third day of The Festival, St Patrick’s Thursday, March 15.
Sam Spinner, trained in Middleham, North Yorkshire, by Jedd O’Keeffe, is the 4/1 favourite with Sun Bets as he bids to crown his breakthrough campaign.
The six-year-old galloped his rivals into submission in the G3 Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park in November, when scoring by 17 lengths, and last time out defeated L’Ami Serge (Nicky Henderson, 11/1 with Sun Bets) by two and three quarter lengths in the G1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 23.
Fellow Northern challenger Donna’s Diamond (40/1) has been supplemented at a cost of £15,000 following two hurdle wins at Haydock Park in 2018. After romping to a 37-length victory in a handicap hurdle at the track in January, the nine-year-old repelled Agrapart by two and a quarter lengths to land the G2 Rendlesham Hurdle on February 17.
Donna’s Diamond is trained by Chris Grant, who enjoyed a winner at The Festival as a jockey when partnering Harry Hastings to success in the 1985 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Grant, who is based in County Durham, said today: “After Haydock, we were wondering where to go next and half thought about this.
“We have decided to have a go as the weather forecast looks favourable and we might not have a chance to have another runner down there for a long time.
“The softer the ground, the better for him and a real test of stamina will suit.
“We will see what turns up on the day, but it looks an open enough race. I am not saying we can win by why not have a crack at it and see what happens?”
There are seven Irish-trained contenders, headed by last year’s G3 Coral Cup victor Supasundae (Jessica Harrington IRE, 9/2). Willie Mullins’s five remaining entries include Penhill (8/1) and Let’s Dance (25/1), both successful in novices’ hurdles at The Festival in 2017, plus dual G1 victor Bacardys (12/1) and Augusta Kate (25/1).
Faugheen (Willie Mullins IRE, 10/1) and Apple’s Jade (Gordon Elliott IRE, 11/2) have also been left in, although both are set to head elsewhere.
Owner J P McManus has two live contenders in G1 Liverpool Hurdle scorer Yanworth (Alan King, 11/2), who has been running over fences this season, and last year’s Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle third Unowhatimeanharry (Harry Fry, 11/1).
Simon Munir and Isaac Souede are also double-handed courtesy of L’Ami Serge, winner of the G1 French Champion Hurdle in June, and four-time Cheltenham scorer Wholestone (Nigel Twiston-Davies, 12/1).
Wholestone’s stablemate The New One (12/1) is set to tackle three miles for the first time. The popular 10-year-old, a three-time winner of Cheltenham’s G2 Unibet International Hurdle over two miles and a furlong, has already raced at The Festival on six occasions, winning the G1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2013 and finishing third, fifth, fourth and fifth in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
Lil Rockerfeller (Neil King, 20/1) could bid to go one better, having finished second in 2017.
High-class mares La Bague Au Roi (Warren Greatrex, 16/1) and Colin’s Sister (Fergal O’Brien, 28/1), both successful in G2 company this season, also remain engaged. The Worlds End (Tom George, 20/1) and Old Guard (Paul Nicholls, 28/1) complete the six-day confirmations.
Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle – Sun Bets prices: 4/1 Sam Spinner; 9/2 Supasundae; 11/2 Apple’s Jade, Yanworth; 8/1 Penhill; 10/1 Faugheen; 11/1 L’Ami Serge, Unowhatimeanharry; 12/1 Bacardys, The New One, Wholestone; 16/1 La Bague Au Roi; 20/1 Lil Rockerfeller, The World End; 25/1 Augusta Kate, Let’s Dance; 28/1 Colin’s Sister, Old Guard; 40/1 Donna’s Diamond
Each-way 1/5 1-2-3