Confirmed runners and riders for the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Thursday's other Grade 1 races

Stayers’ Hurdle favourite Teahupoo faces 12 rivals in the Paddy Power-sponsored feature race (3.30) on day three.

Jack Kennedy’s mount arrives on the back of one run this campaign when beating Impaire Et Passe by a length in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December.

Last year’s winner and stablemate Sire Du Berlais and dual Stayers’ scorer Flooring Porter feature in the field along with Cleeve Hurdle scorer Noble Yeats, who is the mount of Harry Cobden, and Willie Mullins's two-time festival winner Sir Gerhard.

Cheltenham Festival free bets: Paddy Power offer

Sir Gerhard’s stablemate Monkfish has not been declared for the Stayers’ Hurdle. He is entered in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday. Proschema was the other horse not to feature in the final field.

Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo leads the home challenge. The 2019 Stayers’ hero Paisley Park will contest the race for a sixth time and is joined by fellow veterans in last year’s second Dashel Drasher and the 12-year-old Champ.

Asterion Forlonge, Buddy One, Home By The Lee – sporting first-time blinkers – and Janidil complete the line-up for the £325,000 race.

Banbridge: declared for the Ryanair ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Banbridge heads an 11-runner field in the Ryanair Chase (2.50). The Joseph O’Brien-trained eight-year-old has a 2-2 record at Cheltenham, winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the festival in 2022 and a novice chase the following season.

JJ Slevin’s mount landed the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree last season and was successful on his sole start this campaign when beating subsequent Ascot Chase winner Pic D’Orhy in the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton in January.

His rivals include Stage Star, a three-time winner from five starts at Cheltenham including in last season’s Turners Novices’ Chase, and Envoi Allen, who is seeking a fourth festival win. He beat Shishkin in last season’s Ryanair Chase.

Grey Dawning, Ginny’s Destiny and Iroko feature in a strong home team for the opening Turners Novices’ Chase (1.30) on day three.

Facile Vega, a Champion Bumper winner and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle second, has also been declared in the 11-runner field for the 2m4f event.

The unbeaten trio of Brighterdaysahead, Jade De Grugy and Dysart Enos are among an 11-runner field for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4.50).

Leading Pertemps Final (2.10) contenders Cleatus Poolaw, Gaoth Chuil and Icare Allen have been declared for the 3m handicap hurdle. Noble Birth is the last horse to make the cut in a full field of 24, with J’Ai Froid and White Rhino the two reserves.

The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (4.10) has failed to attract a full field, with favourite Crebilly among the 21 runners in a race that has a safety factor of 24.

Fellow JP McManus-owned handicap favourite Inothewayurthinkin heads the weights in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (5.30) for amateur jockeys. Dom Of Mary was the last horse to make the cut in the 24-runner line-up. Christopher Wood and Read To Return are the two reserves. 

Stayers' Hurdle runners and riders

• Asterion Forlonge jockey tbc
• Buddy One Jack Gilligan
• Champ Jonjo O'Neill Jr
• Crambo Jonathan Burke
• Dashel Drasher Rex Dingle
• Flooring Porter Keith Donoghue
• Home By The Lee JJ Slevin
• Janidil Jody McGarvey
• Noble Yeats Harry Cobden
• Paisley Park Tom Bellamy
• Sire Du Berlais Mark Walsh
• Sir Gerhard Paul Townend
• Teahupoo Jack Kennedy

Ryanair Chase runners and riders

• Ahoy Senor Derek Fox
• Banbridge JJ Slevin
• Capodanno Mark Walsh
• Conflated Jack Kennedy
• Envoi Allen Rachael Blackmore
• Fil D'Or Keith Donoghue
• Fugitif Sean Bowen
• Ga Law Gavin Sheehan
• Hitman Bryony Frost
• Protektorat Harry Skelton
• Stage Star Harry Cobden

Turners Novices' Chase runners and riders

• Colonel Harry Gavin Sheehan
• Djelo Charlie Deutsch
• Facile Vega Paul Townend
• Ginny's Destiny Harry Cobden
• Grey Dawning Harry Skelton
• Iroko Jonjo O'Neill Jr
• Le Patron David Noonan
• Letsbeclearaboutit Keith Donoghue
• Sharjah jockey tbc
• Zanahiyr Jack Kennedy
• Jamaico Jack Tudor

Get £40 in free bets with Paddy Power for Cheltenham

Paddy Power are offering £40 in free bets for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival now.

You can follow these simple steps outlined below to grab £40 in free bets to place on the big races at Cheltenham. It's fast, secure and straightforward.

1. Head over to Paddy Power through this link and click the 'Sign Up' button
2. Create your username and password
3. Place a minimum £10 bet at minimum odds of 1-2 (1.5) or greater
4. £40 of free bet tokens will added to your balance

Paddy Power betting sign-up offer: the key terms and conditions

It's worth taking a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions associated with the new player promotion before signing up. Doing so will help you get a better grasp of the details of the Cheltenham Festival betting offer and what's expected of you as a new player.

• New customer offer
• Place a £10 Sportsbook bet on any Cheltenham Festival race at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) and get £40 in free bets
• SMS verification required
• Free bets awarded on qualifying bet settlement and can be used on any Cheltenham race or UEFA Champions League game
• Only deposits via cards and Apple Pay will qualify
• T&Cs apply
• Please gamble responsibly

Read these next:

Confirmed runners and riders for the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and Wednesday's other Grade 1 races 

Just 2-5 to have more than nine winners and 16-1 to win ten Grade 1s: the Willie Mullins specials on offer for the Cheltenham Festival 

Get Racing Post Members' Club for just £10 a month for three months when you join in time for the Cheltenham Festival 

Do you want £1,000+ in free bets for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.