
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 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in February of each year at the Musselburgh Racecourse is the Scottish Stayers Novices Hurdle, a race contested over three miles for novice hurdlers.
The race is a class two, which was established in 2013 and serves as a trial for the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a month later. Bardenstown Lad, the winner of this race in 2022, went on to finish third in the Albert Bartlett at 20/1.
Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Information:
- Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Past Winners
- Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Musselburgh, then head over to the Musselburgh 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 Other Principal Races at Musselburgh Racecourse section for links to these.

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How competitive is the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 12 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 105%. The race in 2014 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 113%, whilst on average over the last 12 renewals of the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle, the over-round has been 110%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ110 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Scottish Stayers Novices' 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 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle races over the last 12 renewals:
- Seeyouatmidnight (5:36.20) in 2014
- Shanroe Santos (5:42.00) in 2015
- Intense Approach (5:44.88) in 2025
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 12 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 12 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -5.00. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 12 renewals, it was Seeyouatmidnight, trained by Sandy Thomson and ridden by Ryan Mania, who set the fastest winning time in the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 5:36.20 in 2014. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Olly Murphy and jockey A P Heskin with I K Brunel who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 6:06.80 in the 2020 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Scottish Stayers Novices' 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 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:44.88 | Intense Approach (GB) 6yo 11-8 5/4F | James Bowen John C McConnell (IRE) |
| 2024 5:59.10 | Ottizzini (IRE) 7yo 10-12 14/1 | Sean Quinlan S R B Crawford (IRE) |
| 2023 5:56.60 | Inis Oirr (IRE) 6yo 11-0 15/2 | Derek Fox Lucinda Russell (GB) |
| 2022 6:03.38 | Bardenstown Lad (GB) 7yo 11-8 8/15F | Brian Hayes John C McConnell (IRE) |
| 2021 5:56.58 | Threeunderthrufive (IRE) 6yo 11-8 11/10F | A P Heskin Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2020 6:06.80 | I K Brunel (GB) 6yo 11-5 8/5 | A P Heskin Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2018 6:05.20 | Red River (IRE) 5yo 11-5 3/1 | David Bass Kim Bailey (GB) |
| 2017 5:47.80 | Monbeg Charmer (IRE) 6yo 11-10 100/30 | Brian Hughes Charlie Longsdon (GB) |
| 2016 5:59.90 | O O Seven (IRE) 6yo 11-13 11/10F | Andrew Tinkler Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2015 5:42.00 | Shanroe Santos (IRE) 6yo 11-7 11/4F | Leighton Aspell Lucy Wadham (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 9 placings from 55 runners
- IRE: 3 winners with an additional 1 placing from 9 runners
Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle over the last 12 renewals, with both Charlie Longsdon and John C McConnell, who have both won the race two times. Charlie Longsdon winners have been with Superior Quality (2013) and Monbeg Charmer (2017). John C McConnell winners have been with Bardenstown Lad (2022) and Intense Approach (2025).
Here are some of the top Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Longsdon | 3-2-2 | +12.33 | +8.33 |
| John C McConnell | 3-2-2 | +0.78 | -0.22 |
| Paul Nicholls | 7-1-2 | -4.90 | -3.53 |
| Lucinda Russell | 6-1-3 | +2.50 | +2.75 |
| Nicky Henderson | 4-1-2 | -1.90 | -2.40 |
| Sandy Thomson | 3-1-1 | +20.00 | +11.75 |
| S R B Crawford | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Kim Bailey | 1-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.88 |
| Lucy Wadham | 1-1-1 | +2.75 | +1.72 |
| Olly Murphy | 1-1-1 | +1.60 | +0.00 |
Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Hughes | 6-1-2 | -1.67 | -1.00 |
| Derek Fox | 3-1-2 | +5.50 | +3.75 |
| Sean Quinlan | 2-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
| Ryan Mania | 1-1-1 | +22.00 | +13.75 |
| David Bass | 1-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.88 |
| James Bowen | 1-1-1 | +1.25 | +0.78 |
| Brian Hayes | 1-1-1 | +0.53 | +0.00 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.90 |
| Craig Nichol | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | +0.13 |
| Danny Cook | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -2.00 |
2026 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 6, 2, (1, 4), 1, 4, 2, 2, 1, 1, F, 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.
- 12 / 12 (69%) - Carried 152 - 163lbs (Debut)
- 12 / 12 (72%) - Not in FRA/SCO/WAL (Debut)
- 12 / 12 (75%) - Ran over 2m - 2m5½f (Debut)
- 12 / 12 (77%) - Break of 25 - 106 days (Last Place)
- 12 / 12 (78%) - Carried 152 - 162lbs (LTO)
- 12 / 12 (81%) - Ran over 2m - 3m (LTO)
- 12 / 12 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 75+ (Last 3)
- 12 / 12 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 116+ (Non-Hcps)
- 12 / 12 (83%) - Off a break of 25 - 106 days
- 12 / 12 (86%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 12 / 12 (86%) - Beaten no more -20l (LTO)
- 12 / 12 (86%) - In a field of 6 - 17 (Debut)
- 12 / 12 (88%) - Highest Placed is not G3/Cl3
- 12 / 12 (89%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 12 / 12 (89%) - Not in a LST/Cl2-3 (Debut)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Musselburgh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Scottish Stayers Novices' 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 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.

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Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 6+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +38.45, is when runners ran on Soft ground when last winning.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in Scotland when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-18.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle are Cheltenham, Ludlow and Sandown; there have been a total of 2 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 11 winners from a total of 62 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 2 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle; that stallion, Midnight Legend, has produced 2 winners (2020,2014).
Looking at the winning odds over the last 12 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Seeyouatmidnight in 2014, winning for Sandy Thomson at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of Ryan Mania. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 12 renewals, there have been 5 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 2026 Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle.
Route to the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Scottish Stayers Novices' Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Intense Approach Cheltenham - 1st of 5 (2/1) | William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices Hurdle |
| 2024 - Ottizzini Thurles - PU of 10 (10/1) | Horse & Jockey Hotel Rated Novice Hurdle |
| 2023 - Inis Oirr Kelso - 6th of 12 (2/1) | Watch The Replay At Racing TV Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - Bardenstown Lad Cheltenham - 1st of 8 (313/100) | 888Sport Whats Your Thinking Novices Hurdle |
| 2021 - Threeunderthrufive Ludlow - 1st of 4 (7/4) | Shukers Introductory Hurdle |
| 2020 - I K Brunel Newbury - 4th of 11 (10/1) | Conundrum EBF Stallions "National Hunt" Novices Hurdle |
| 2018 - Red River Sandown - 3rd of 7 (4/1) | Ballymore Novices Hurdle |
| 2017 - Monbeg Charmer Wetherby - 2nd of 7 (4/9) | Mark Gillson Special Birthday Celebration Novices Hurdle |
| 2016 - O O Seven Sandown - 2nd of 5 (5/1) | Formby Novices' Hurdle |
| 2015 - Shanroe Santos Ludlow - 1st of 16 (20/1) | Jubilee Restaurant Maiden 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 Scottish Stayers Novices' 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.
Other Principal races at Musselburgh Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Musselburgh racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.




