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 youāre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Greatwood Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in November of each year, the Greatwood Hurdle was first introduced back in 1987 when Celtic Shot for Fred Winter and Peter Scudamore took the inaugural running of the race. The race is run at Cheltenham racecourse and is open to runners aged three years old or older, and is a Class 1 Premier Handicap run over an extended two miles.
Greatwood is a charity organisation for the welfare of retired racehorses who feature within the OLBG Charity Scheme. There have been some very good winners of the race, with the likes of Detroit City, Sizing Europe, Menorah, Dell' Arca & Old Guard all landing the wins.
Greatwood Hurdle Information:
Our dedicated Cheltenham tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Greatwood Hurdle, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Cheltenham throughout the season, so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Schedule for the November Meeting at Cheltenham section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Greatwood Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2008 when the race had an over-round of 116%. The race in 2015 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 138%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Greatwood Hurdle, the over-round has been 125%, which means the bookie expects to pay out Ā£100 for every Ā£125 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Greatwood 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 Greatwood Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Greatwood Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Nietzsche (3:48.60) in 2018
- Brampour (3:51.17) in 2011
- West Cork (3:51.20) in 2021
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 Greatwood Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +10.75. Ahead of the 2026 Greatwood Hurdle, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:48.60 was set by Nietzsche in 2018, trained by Brian Ellison and ridden by Danny McMenamin, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2012 when Olofi won in a time of 4:13.08 for trainer Tom George, who booked Paddy Brennan in the saddle.
Greatwood Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Greatwood 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 Greatwood Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:00.69 | Alexei (GER) 5yo 11-4 100/30F | Brendan Powell Joe Tizzard (GB) |
| 2024 3:59.08 | Burdett Road (GB) 4yo 11-10 7/2 | Harry Cobden James Owen (GB) |
| 2023 4:05.33 | Iberico Lord (FR) 5yo 11-0 7/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2022 3:54.72 | I Like To Move It (GB) 5yo 12-0 17/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2021 3:51.20 | West Cork (GB) 7yo 10-13 11/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2020 4:10.69 | The Shunter (IRE) 7yo 10-0 13/2 | Robbie Power Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2019 4:10.64 | Harambe (GB) 6yo 11-0 16/1 | Tom Bellamy Alan King (GB) |
| 2018 3:48.60 | Nietzsche (GB) 5yo 9-7 20/1 | Danny McMenamin (7lbs) Brian Ellison (GB) |
| 2017 4:04.40 | Elgin (GB) 5yo 10-8 10/1 | Wayne Hutchinson Alan King (GB) |
| 2016 3:56.10 | North Hill Harvey (GB) 5yo 11-0 6/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Greatwood Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 43 placings from 262 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 7 placings from 56 runners
2025 Greatwood Hurdle Replay
Greatwood Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading 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 Alan King (2 wins), Paul Nicholls (2 wins), Dan Skelton (2 wins) and Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Greatwood Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Hobbs | 18-3-5 | +2.20 | -1.09 |
| Alan King | 20-2-8 | +8.00 | +12.07 |
| Paul Nicholls | 19-2-6 | +7.00 | +4.63 |
| Dan Skelton | 17-2-5 | +2.00 | +4.19 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 11-2-3 | +8.50 | +3.44 |
| Nicky Henderson | 21-1-7 | -13.00 | -8.90 |
| David Pipe | 11-1-3 | +2.00 | +0.88 |
| Brian Ellison | 10-1-4 | +11.00 | +12.00 |
| Gary Moore | 10-1-3 | -4.00 | -3.32 |
| Tom George | 6-1-2 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
Greatwood Hurdle Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Greatwood Hurdle over the last 20 renewals, with both Harry Skelton and Harry Cobden, who have both won the race two times. Harry Skelton winners have been with North Hill Harvey (2016) and West Cork (2021). Harry Cobden winners have been with Old Guard (2015) and Burdett Road (2024).
Here are some of the top Greatwood Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (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 Skelton | 11-2-4 | +8.00 | +4.69 |
| Harry Cobden | 8-2-3 | +9.50 | +4.82 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-1-2 | +2.50 | +0.81 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-1-2 | +3.00 | +1.88 |
| Danny McMenamin | 4-1-1 | +17.00 | +9.50 |
| Tom Bellamy | 4-1-2 | +13.00 | +9.25 |
| Brendan Powell | 1-1-1 | +3.33 | +2.08 |
| Brian Hughes | 7-0-0 | -7.00 | -7.00 |
| Dougie Costello | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | +0.50 |
| Danny Cook | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -0.50 |
2026 Greatwood Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 8, 2, (2, 4), 3, 11, 18, (6, 16), 2, (8, PU), 11, F, 4, 12, 3, 9, 2, RO, 3, 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 (67%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (70%) - Within the first 11 of the market
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Had 2 - 6 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Not in a G2/LST/Cl2-3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Fewer than 4 placings (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Fewer than 9 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Had 3 - 12 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 14/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in 3 - 15 races (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 129+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 5 - 32 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 4 races (Higher Class)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Furthest Placed 2mĀ½f - 2m5f
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 3 wins (Hcps)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Greatwood 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 Ā£6,000 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 Greatwood Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Greatwood Hurdle Trend Analysis
ā The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +24.70, is when runners ran in a Class 4 on debut.
ā The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race restricted to 4-6yo on debut, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-53.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Greatwood Hurdle is Ascot; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 302 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 16 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Greatwood Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Doyen (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Getaway (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Nietzsche in 2018, winning for Brian Ellison at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Danny McMenamin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Greatwood Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Greatwood Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Alexei Ascot - 1st of 11 (13/8) | Lavazza Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Burdett Road Ascot - 6th of 9 (41/1) | British Champions Long Distance Cup |
| 2023 - Iberico Lord Sandown - 2nd of 15 (15/2) | bet365 Novices Championship Final Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - I Like To Move It Cheltenham - 18th of 26 (8/1) | County Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - West Cork Kempton - 2nd of 9 (5/1) | Sky Bet Dovecote Novices Hurdle |
| 2020 - The Shunter Cork - 4th of 11 (11/2) | Paddy Power From The Horses Mouth Podcast EBF Novice Chase |
| 2019 - Harambe Chepstow - 7th of 9 (11/2) | Unibet Persian War Novices Hurdle |
| 2018 - Nietzsche Newmarket (Rowley) - 2nd of 9 (9/1) | WSG Sports Signage Supports #superjosh Charity Handicap |
| 2017 - Elgin Ascot - 1st of 14 (6/1) | William Hill Handicap Hurdle |
| 2016 - North Hill Harvey Wincanton - 5th of 5 (1/1) | Elite Hurdle |
Schedule for the November Meeting at Cheltenham
Here is the schedule for the November Meeting at Cheltenham, each race will be linked to the race blog and detail last year's winner in the table below.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Friday) Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase | Sweet David (GB) 5yo - 5/1 | Gabriel Leenders Felix De Giles |
| Day 1 (Friday) Hyde Novices Hurdle | No Drama This End (IRE) 5yo - 5/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| Day 1 (Friday) Shloer Chase | LEau du Sud (FR) 7yo - 100/30 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| Day 2 (Saturday) Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices Chase | July Flower (FR) 6yo - 6/5 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| Day 2 (Saturday) JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle | One Horse Town (IRE) 3yo - 100/30 | Harry Derham Paul O'Brien |
| Day 2 (Saturday) Paddy Power Gold Cup | Panic Attack (IRE) 9yo - 6/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| Day 3 (Sunday) Greatwood Hurdle | Alexei (GER) 5yo - 100/30 | Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell |
| Day 3 (Sunday) November Meeting Handicap Chase | Marble Sands (FR) 9yo - 7/1 | David Killahena & Graeme McPherson Kielan Woods |
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 Greatwood 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
