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2027 International Hurdle Preview
Run at Cheltenham during the Festival Trials Day that takes place in January is the International Hurdle, which is a Grade 2 that currently carries a purse of ÂŁ130k and was previously known as the Bula Hurdle.
Open to runners who are aged four or older, the race is contested over a distance of two miles and one furlong, where the competitors will face a total of eight hurdles.
International Hurdle Information:
- International Hurdle Past Winners
- International Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- International Hurdle Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham, then head over to the Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Schedule for the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the International Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024 when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2014 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 123%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the International Hurdle, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 International 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 International Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run International Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Binocular (3:46.20) in 2008
- Grandouet (3:57.71) in 2011
- Osana (3:59.33) in 2007
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 International Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -13.55. Before placing your bet on the 2027 International Hurdle, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Binocular, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by A P McCoy, who set the fastest winning time in the International Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:46.20 in 2008. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey R Walsh with Zarkandar who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:29.49 in the 2012 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
International Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the International 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 International Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: Abandoned in 2022 due to frozen ground, no 2023 renewal due to the race being moved to January.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4:24.88 | The New Lion (GB) 7yo 11-7 9/4 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2025 4:20.47 | Constitution Hill (GB) 8yo 11-10 1/12F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2024 4:14.87 | Lossiemouth (FR) 5yo 11-0 4/7F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 4:02.98 | Guard Your Dreams (GB) 5yo 11-0 5/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2020 4:08.67 | Song For Someone (GER) 5yo 11-6 6/1 | Aidan Coleman Tom Symonds (GB) |
| 2019 4:18.96 | Call Me Lord (FR) 6yo 11-0 2/1F | James Bowen Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 4:05.10 | Brain Power (IRE) 7yo 11-0 7/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2017 4:07.90 | My Tent Or Yours (IRE) 10yo 11-0 5/1 | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2016 4:06.90 | The New One (IRE) 8yo 11-8 13/8F | Richard Johnson Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2015 4:12.80 | Old Guard (GB) 4yo 11-4 7/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the International Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 25 placings from 121 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 1 placing from 15 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2026 International Hurdle Replay
International Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the International Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Nicky Henderson, who has won the race six times, with those six winners coming from Binocular (2008), Grandouet (2011), My Tent Or Yours (2017), Brain Power (2018), Call Me Lord (2019) and Constitution Hill (2025). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the International Hurdle are Nigel Twiston-Davies (5 wins), Paul Nicholls (2 wins) and Philip Hobbs (2 wins).
Here are some of the top International 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 20-6-9 | +3.58 | -0.01 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 15-5-8 | +9.60 | +6.65 |
| Paul Nicholls | 16-2-7 | -5.80 | -3.09 |
| Philip Hobbs | 6-2-2 | -1.58 | -2.95 |
| Dan Skelton | 8-1-2 | -4.75 | -5.70 |
| David Pipe | 3-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.20 |
| W P Mullins | 3-1-2 | -1.43 | -0.51 |
| Tom Symonds | 2-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.47 |
| Noel Meade | 1-1-1 | +0.91 | +0.55 |
| Alan King | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -1.55 |
International Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the International Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Sam Twiston-Davies, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from The New One (2013 & 2014), Old Guard (2015) and Guard Your Dreams (2021). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the International Hurdle is Nico de Boinville (2 wins).
Here are some of the top International 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 11-4-7 | +5.97 | +5.51 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-2-2 | +4.08 | +2.25 |
| Harry Skelton | 7-1-2 | -3.75 | -4.70 |
| James Bowen | 3-1-1 | +0.00 | -0.80 |
| Paul Townend | 1-1-1 | +0.57 | +0.36 |
| Harry Cobden | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Jonathan Burke | 2-0-2 | -2.00 | +0.75 |
| Sean Bowen | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Dave Crosse | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Nick Scholfield | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
2027 International Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 1, (4, PU), 1, 2, 1, (1, 4), 1, 1, 1, 6, 1, 3, 3, 1, 10, 6, 1, 1, PU
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 (63%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Off a break of 20 - 273 days
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Held an OR of 141+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Fewer than 3 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 143+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 117+ (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Had 4 - 16 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran in 6 - 30 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 5 - 21 races (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 137+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 1 - 7 races (1 Year)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the International 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 International Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
International Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +15.97, is when runners had a biggest odds placed of 8/1.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race worth ÂŁ5,000 on debut, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-19.
The course which has produced the most winners of the International Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Haydock, Punchestown and Ascot; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 132 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 6 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the International Hurdle; that stallion, Kings Theatre, has produced 4 winners (2016,2014,2013,2010).
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Khyber Kim in 2009, winning for Nigel Twiston-Davies at odds of 12/1 under the guidance of Paddy Brennan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 12 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2027 International Hurdle, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the International Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the International Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - The New Lion Newcastle - F of 5 (15/8) | Fighting Fifth Hurdle |
| 2025 - Constitution Hill Kempton - 1st of 4 (5/6) | Christmas Hurdle |
| 2024 - Lossiemouth Punchestown - 1st of 8 (1/2) | Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle |
| 2021 - Guard Your Dreams Ascot - 3rd of 5 (7/2) | Ascot Hurdle |
| 2020 - Song For Someone Ascot - 1st of 3 (11/4) | Ascot Hurdle |
| 2019 - Call Me Lord Ascot - 2nd of 6 (6/4) | Ascot Hurdle |
| 2018 - Brain Power Cheltenham - 4th of 6 (3/1) | Shloer Chase |
| 2017 - My Tent Or Yours Punchestown - 2nd of 10 (8/1) | Punchestown Champion Hurdle |
| 2016 - The New One Aintree - F of 6 (8/1) | Aintree Hurdle |
| 2015 - Old Guard Cheltenham - 1st of 17 (12/1) | Greatwood Hurdle |
Schedule for the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham
Here is the schedule for the Festival Trials Day 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase | Donnacha (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Nigel Hawke James Davies |
| Classic Novices Hurdle | Kripticjim (FR) 6yo - 14/1 | Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell |
| Cleeve Hurdle | Ma Shantou (IRE) 7yo - 5/2 | Emma Lavelle Ben Jones |
| Cotswold Chase | Spillanes Tower (IRE) 8yo - 11/4 | James Joseph Mangan Jack Kennedy |
| International Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 7yo - 9/4 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial | Maestro Conti (FR) 4yo - 5/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| Timeform Novices Handicap Chase | Jordans Cross (IRE) 6yo - 7/1 | Anthony Honeyball Sam Twiston-Davies |
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 International Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
