You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2025 Elite Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in November of each year at the Wincanton racecourse, the Elite Hurdle is a Grade 2 race that is run over a trip of one mile and seven furlongs, in which these runners aged four or older will face a total of eight hurdles.
Established in 1992 and originally staged at Cheltenham, it was moved to Wincanton in 1994, and between 1998 & 2017, the race was a limited handicap and because of the differing types of races, please approach the trends with caution.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2025 renewal of the Elite Hurdle will hold the title of 'BetMGM Elite Hurdle'.
Elite Hurdle Information:
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Wincanton tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet?
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Elite Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 105%. The race in 2007 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 118%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Elite Hurdle, the over-round has been 112%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ112 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2025 Elite Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Elite Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Elite Hurdle Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Elite Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Knappers Hill (3:25.26) in 2022
- Sceau Royal (3:25.30) in 2016
- Nearby (3:25.80) in 2010
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Elite Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -12.89. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2025 Elite Hurdle.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Knappers Hill, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Harry Cobden, who set the fastest winning time in the Elite Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:25.26 in 2022. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Barry Geraghty with Chomba Womba who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 3:56.78 in the 2008 renewal.
Elite Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Elite Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Elite Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 3:30.90 | Rubaud (FR) 6yo 11-8 11/10F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2023 3:41.30 | Rubaud (FR) 5yo 11-8 1/2F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2022 3:25.26 | Knappers Hill (IRE) 6yo 11-2 11/8F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2021 3:29.50 | Sceau Royal (FR) 9yo 11-6 4/5F | Daryl Jacob Alan King (GB) |
| 2020 3:30.30 | Sceau Royal (FR) 8yo 11-0 4/5F | Daryl Jacob Alan King (GB) |
| 2019 3:36.70 | Fusil Raffles (FR) 4yo 11-3 4/7F | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 3:31.70 | Verdana Blue (IRE) 6yo 10-11 5/2 | Jeremiah McGrath Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2017 3:49.20 | London Prize (GB) 6yo 10-9 4/1 | Tom O'Brien Ian Williams (GB) |
| 2016 3:25.30 | Sceau Royal (FR) 4yo 11-10 4/6F | Daryl Jacob Alan King (GB) |
| 2015 3:38.20 | Irving (GB) 7yo 11-10 9/2 | Nick Scholfield Paul Nicholls (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Elite Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 22 placings from 125 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
2024 Elite Hurdle Replay
Elite Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Elite Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race seven times, with those seven winners coming from Celestial Halo (2009 & 2011), Zarkandar (2012), Irving (2015), Knappers Hill (2022) and Rubaud (2023 & 2024).
Here are the Elite Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 27-7-15 | -4.31 | -5.48 |
| Dan Skelton | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -0.30 |
Elite Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Elite Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Harry Cobden, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Knappers Hill (2022) and Rubaud (2023 & 2024).
Here are the Elite Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden (Rubaud) | 7-3-4 | -1.02 | -3.16 |
| Tristan Durrell (Frere dArmes) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | +0.00 |
2025 Elite Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (4, 9), 2, 3, 2, (1, 3), 9, F, 2, 2, F, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, (1, 2), 1, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (64%) - Not in a Cl3-5 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Had 4 - 13 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Achieved a TS of 111+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 133+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved a TS of 117+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Break of 14 - 272 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Highest Won is not Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 4 - 23 placings (Further)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 135 - 165lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Highest Placed is not Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Furthest Placed 2m½f - 2m5f
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 1 - 7 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Wincanton racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Elite Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Elite Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Elite Hurdle Trend Shortlist
Wincanton will host the 2025 renewal of the Elite Hurdle, which will be run at 2:55 pm on Saturday, 8th November 2025, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer and jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Rubaud (1/3)
- Paul Nicholls (27-7-15 -4.31 / -5.48)
- Harry Cobden (7-3-4 -1.02 / -3.16)
Others: Hamlets Night (10/15), Tax For Max (10/15) and Frere dArmes (6/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (4:35 pm Thursday 6th November 2025), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Elite Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +14.32, is when runners had 1 season win.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Class 3 when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-22.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Elite Hurdle are Kempton and Aintree; there have been a total of 4 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 123 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 6 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Elite Hurdle:
- Doctor Dino (3 Wins)
- Air Chief Marshal (2 Wins)
- Galileo (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Purple Bay in 2014, winning for John Ferguson at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Mikey Ennis. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 8 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2025 Elite Hurdle.
Route to the Elite Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Elite Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2024 - Rubaud Kempton - 1st of 8 (9/4) | TrustATrader Approved And Reviewed Trades People Hurdle |
| 2023 - Rubaud Kempton - 1st of 5 (2/1) | Trustatrader Approved And Reviewed Trades People Hurdle |
| 2022 - Knappers Hill Chepstow - 1st of 10 (16/5) | Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Sceau Royal Kempton - 1st of 4 (7/4) | Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Hurdle |
| 2020 - Sceau Royal Ffos Las - 1st of 12 (10/1) | Welsh Champion Hurdle |
| 2019 - Fusil Raffles Punchestown - 1st of 5 (13/8) | Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle |
| 2018 - Verdana Blue Kempton - 1st of 6 (8/13) | Matchbook VIP Hurdle |
| 2017 - London Prize Newmarket (Rowley) - 2nd of 34 (16/1) | Cesarewitch Handicap |
| 2016 - Sceau Royal Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (9/2) | Masterson Holdings Hurdle |
| 2015 - Irving Ayr - PU of 14 (15/2) | Scottish Champion Hurdle |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Elite Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
