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.
2026 National Spirit Hurdle Preview
The National Spirit Hurdle is scheduled to take place in February of each year at the Fontwell racecourse. It is a Grade 2 hurdle that is run over a trip of two miles and three furlongs, in which a total of ten hurdles are to be jumped. The race is open to runners aged four or older and is considered a trial for the Stayers Hurdle. My Way De Solzen (2006) was the last runner to do the double.
National Spirit Hurdle Information:
- National Spirit Hurdle Past Winners
- National Spirit Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- National Spirit Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Fontwell 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 2026
How competitive is the National Spirit Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2025 when the race had an over-round of 106%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 117%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the National Spirit Hurdle, the over-round has been 111%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ111 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 National Spirit 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 National Spirit Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run National Spirit Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Brewinupastorm (4:42.53) in 2023
- Botox Has (4:47.35) in 2022
- Old Guard (4:48.00) in 2018
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 National Spirit Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.17. Ahead of the 2026 National Spirit Hurdle, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2011 renewal when Celestial Halo from Paul Nicholls under the guidance of Harry Skelton, won in a time of 5:23.30, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Brewinupastorm, trained by Olly Murphy and ridden by Aidan Coleman set the quickest time of 4:42.53 in the 2023 renewal.
National Spirit Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the National Spirit 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 National Spirit Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2024 renewal was abandoned due to a waterlogged course.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 .00 | Nemean Lion (GER) 8yo 11-10 2/1 | Richard Patrick Kerry Lee (GB) |
| 2023 4:42.53 | Brewinupastorm (IRE) 10yo 11-4 7/2 | Aidan Coleman Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2022 4:47.35 | Botox Has (FR) 6yo 11-4 20/1 | Joshua Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2021 4:53.60 | Brewinupastorm (IRE) 8yo 11-3 3/1 | Aidan Coleman Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2020 5:05.50 | William Henry (IRE) 10yo 11-7 5/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2019 4:50.20 | Vision Des Flos (FR) 6yo 11-5 7/2 | Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2018 4:48.00 | Old Guard (GB) 7yo 11-7 11/4 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2017 4:48.50 | Camping Ground (FR) 7yo 11-11 9/1 | Joshua Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2016 4:59.20 | Lil Rockerfeller (USA) 5yo 11-7 7/4F | Trevor Whelan Neil King (GB) |
| 2015 5:12.50 | Kilcooley (IRE) 6yo 11-3 3/1 | Noel Fehily Charlie Longsdon (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the National Spirit Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 24 placings from 124 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
National Spirit Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the National Spirit Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Celestial Halo (2011), Prospect Wells (2013) and Old Guard (2018). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the National Spirit Hurdle are Alan King (2 wins), Gary Moore (2 wins), David Pipe (2 wins) and Olly Murphy (2 wins).
Here are some of the top National Spirit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 21-3-9 | -10.75 | -8.04 |
| Alan King | 12-2-7 | -1.09 | +0.68 |
| Gary Moore | 7-2-3 | +24.00 | +14.48 |
| David Pipe | 5-2-2 | +4.50 | +1.56 |
| Olly Murphy | 4-2-3 | +4.50 | +2.94 |
| Nicky Henderson | 8-1-2 | -2.00 | -1.87 |
| Neil King | 5-1-2 | -2.25 | -2.20 |
| John Flint | 2-1-1 | +15.00 | +9.00 |
| Charlie Longsdon | 1-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.88 |
| Kerry Lee | 1-1-1 | +2.00 | +1.25 |
National Spirit Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top National Spirit 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 Cobden | 6-1-2 | -2.25 | -2.77 |
| Harry Skelton | 4-1-1 | -1.50 | -2.06 |
| Nico de Boinville | 2-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.13 |
| Trevor Whelan | 2-1-2 | +0.75 | +0.80 |
| Richard Patrick | 1-1-1 | +2.00 | +1.25 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-0-3 | -4.00 | -1.31 |
| Tom Cannon | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.00 |
| Dylan Johnston | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.19 |
| Nick Scholfield | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Mattie Batchelor | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 National Spirit Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 7, 1, 1, 2, 1, UR, 4, 1, 3, 4, 2, 1, (3, 5), 2, 2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 3
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 (79%) - Held an OR of 110+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran in 4 - 12 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved an RPR of 133+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Highest Run is not G3/LST/Cl2-4
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 92+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Off a break of 8 - 64 days
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 4 - 17 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 2 - 7 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a Cl4-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 8 - 43 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Carried 148 - 166lbs (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (81%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 17 / 20 (67%) - Held an OR of 145+
- 17 / 20 (81%) - Placed within last 3 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Fontwell racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the National Spirit 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 National Spirit Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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National Spirit Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +29.01, is when runners had 1 career place in the class.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Jumps (Chase) race last time out, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-18.
The course which has produced the most winners of the National Spirit Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Ascot and Sandown; 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 117 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 9 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the National Spirit Hurdle:
- Apple Tree (2 Wins)
- Milan (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the National Spirit Hurdle; that stallion is Kahyasi, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Botox Has in 2022, winning for Gary Moore at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Joshua Moore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 National Spirit Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the National Spirit Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the National Spirit Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Nemean Lion Windsor - 1st of 5 (313/100) | Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle |
| 2023 - Brewinupastorm Cheltenham - 5th of 9 (12/1) | careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle |
| 2022 - Botox Has Cheltenham - 3rd of 14 (13/2) | Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Brewinupastorm Taunton - 1st of 10 (3/1) | Invest Southwest Seniors Handicap Hurdle |
| 2020 - William Henry Cheltenham - 8th of 8 (16/1) | Cleeve Hurdle |
| 2019 - Vision Des Flos Wincanton - 3rd of 5 (11/4) | Betway Kingwell Hurdle |
| 2018 - Old Guard Cheltenham - 4th of 8 (9/2) | Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle |
| 2017 - Camping Ground Cheltenham - 5th of 6 (11/2) | Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle |
| 2016 - Lil Rockerfeller Ascot - 3rd of 17 (10/1) | "40 Years of Keltbray" Holloways Handicap Hurdle |
| 2015 - Kilcooley Kempton - PU of 13 (14/1) | Lanzarote 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 National Spirit 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
