Greatwood Hurdle Tips, Odds, & Racecards

The Greatwood Hurdle is a premier handicap that usually attracts a large field. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham on the third and final day of the November meeting. It is run over an extended two miles, is open to runners aged four or older, and is worth just over £56,000 to the winner.

Below, you will find all the information you need to bet on the Greatwood Hurdle. Our expert tipsters will provide their top picks the day before the race. You can also gain key insights on the runners and riders through our Greatwood Hurdle racecard and read our essential betting trends to help you find a winner.

Greatwood Hurdle Overview

This race was first introduced back in 1987 when Celtic Shot won it for Fred Winter and Peter Scudamore doing the steering. Many decent horses have won this in the past including the likes of Menorah, Rooster Booster and Rigmarole.

Contenders who line up for this race are often in their first run of the campaign and improve for the run, so the race’s form is worth following. Last year’s renewal saw many runners win subsequently, with the likes of Iberico Lord, Luccia, Soningino Nemean Lion, Go Dante, and a couple of others going on to frank the form.

Participants who line up here often stick to similar types of handicaps as the season progresses and their ultimate aim is to come back and do it all again during the Cheltenham Festival at the same track the following March.

Greatwood Hurdle Betting Trends and Statistics

The Irish do not have a spectacular record in this race having won only four of the past twenty-eight renewals (Space Trucker 1996, Accordion Etoile 2004, Sizing Europe 2007 and The Shunter 2020). As with any race previous course and distance experience is beneficial and five-year-olds have a terrific recent record in this race.

The winner is usually quite well-found in the market, although Nietzsche produced a 20/1 shock win in 2018. He was partnered on that occasion by a seven-pound claimer in Danny McMenamin. It can be a real advantage to have an apprentice on board, particularly if they have made a decent start to their riding careers.

The leading modern-day trainer in the Greatwood Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Philip Hobbs who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Detroit City (2006), Menorah (2010) and Garde La Victoire (2014). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Greatwood Hurdle are Paul Nicholls Alan King, Dan Skelton and Nigel Twiston-Davies who have all won it twice.

Greatwood Hurdle History

As mentioned above, the first Greatwood Hurdle took place back in 1987. It has held many names since that first race and spent a period of time being a Listed level race. The race was sponsored by Greatwood, a charity that looks after the welfare of retired horses, between the years 2003 and 2011.

The Racing Post briefly sponsored the race between 2012 and 2013 before UK bookmaker Stan James took over sponsorship and returned the race name to the Greatwood Hurdle. Unibet’s takeover of Stan James saw them also take over the sponsorship of the race in 2017 but the race has retained its current name ever since.

Greatwood Hurdle Winners