County Handicap Hurdle Tips 2022
Action from the Cheltenham Festival Day 4 line-up brings the County Handicap Hurdle tips into focus. This is the second race of Gold Cup day on Friday, and it is a Grade 3 handicap hurdle effort. It generally produces an exciting contest, and it’s one of those Cheltenham races where big odds come into play. Our experts are on hand to pick out some County Handicap Hurdle tips for 2022.
County Handicap Hurdle Potential Runners & Favourites
The fact that there have been a lot of winners of this race recently that have delivered the score at big odds, means that it’s worth looking down the market for County Handicap Hurdle tips. That’s while keeping some of those towards the front of the betting odds in mind too.
STATE MAN is one that has been well-supported at the head of the market for this contest. So, he warrants some respect for County Handicap Hurdle tips and the Willie Mullins-trained 5-year-old got off the mark at Limerick in February by a wide margin as a heavy favourite.
TOP BANDIT has shown plenty of encouragement in a hat-trick of hurdles successes. The first of those came at Cheltenham so you know he can handle the course.
COLONEL MUSTARD finished third behind Sir Gerhard and Three Stripe Life last time out so has to be taken seriously in this company. As does last weekends Imperial Cup winner SUPRISE PACKAGE.
Other contenders from the ante-post market in County Handicap Hurdle odds are WEST CORK, JESSE EVANS and I LIKE TO MOVE IT.
County Handicap Hurdle Confirmed Runners
| Horse | Silks | Trainer/Jockey | Odds |
| State Man |  | J: Paul Townend T: Willie Mullins | 9/2 |
| Top Bandit |  | J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott | 13/2 |
| West Cork |  | J: Harry Skelton T: Dan Skelton | 9/1 |
| Suprise Package |  | J: Kevin Sexton T: Peter Fahey | 9/1 |
| I Like To Move It | J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Nigel Twiston-Davies | 10/1 | |
| Colonel Mustard |  | J: Conor Orr T: Lorna Fowler | 11/1 |
| My Mate Mozzie |  | J: Kieren Buckley T: Gavin Cromwell | 14/1 |
| Cormier |  | J: Sean Quinlan T: Brian Ellison | 16/1 |
| First Street |  | J: Nico de Boinville T: Nicky Henderson | 18/1 |
| Jesse Evans |  | J: Sean Flanagan T: Noel Meade | 18/1 |
| Gua Du Large |  | J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry De Bromhead | 18/1 |
| Broomfield Burg |  | J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Nicky Henderson | 18/1 |
| Call Me Lyreen |  | J: R James T: Gordon Elliott | 20/1 |
| Farout |  | J: Brian Hayes T: Willie Mullins | 20/1 |
| Tritonic |  | J: A P Heskin T: Alan King | 22/1 |
| Tempo Chapter Two |  | J: Danny Mullins T: Willie Mullins | 25/1 |
| Irascible |  | J: B J Cooper T: Henry De Bromhead | 25/1 |
| Tax For Max |  | J: Sean O’Keefe T: Willie Mullins | 28/1 |
| Felix Desjy | | J: Jack Kennedy T: Gordon Elliott | 28/1 |
| Cask Mate |  | J: Denis O’Regan T: Noel Meade | 28/1 |
| Dysart Diamond |  | J: Jack Foley T: Willie Mullins | 28/1 |
| Eclair De Beaufeu |  | J: Jordan Gainford T: Gordon Elliott | 33/1 |
| Faivoir |  | J: Bridget Andrews T: Dan Skelton | 33/1 |
| Ballyadam |  | J: Aidan Coleman T: Henry De Bromhead | 33/1 |
| Bua Boy |  | J: D G Hogan T: Denis Gerard Hogan | 40/1 |
| Stepney Causeway |  | J: Jack Andrews T: Dan Skelton | 40/1 |
| Up For Parol (RESERVE) |  | J: RESERVE T: Jamie Snowden | 50/1 |
| Balko Saint (RESERVE) |  | J: Chester Williams T: Jane Williams | 66/1 |
*Odds Correct as of 12pm 16/03/22*
How Often Does a Favourite Horse Win The County Handicap Hurdle Race
The County Hurdle is such a wide-open field, and that has proven to be the case year after year. There has been just one winning favourite land in the last ten editions of this Cheltenham Festival fixture. That was Saint Roi, who scored from 11/2 in the 2020 renewal.
All but two of the last ten winners have been at least a 10/1 quote, which is where the nudge towards some longer-odds fancies comes from. Extending things out further for winning prices in the County Handicap Hurdle, half of the last ten winners have been at least 20/1.
2018 winner Mohaayed and last year’s winner Belfast Banter got their respective scores from a 33/1 SP.
County Hurdle Favourites vs Winners in The Past 10 Years
| Year | Favourite Horse* | Winning Horse |
| 2021 | You Raised Me Up (10th) | Belfast Banter (33/1) |
| 2020 | Saint Roi | Saint Roi (11/2) |
| 2019 | Whiskey Sour (4th) | Ch’tibello (12/1) |
| 2018 | Flying Tiger (16th) | Mohaayed (33/1) |
| 2017 | Ivanovich Gorbatov (6th) | Arctic Fire (20/1) |
| 2016 | Wait For Me (4th) / Great Field (PU) | Superb Story (8/1) |
| 2015 | Princely Conn (13th) | Wicklow Brave (25/1) |
| 2014 | Cheltenian (PU) | Lac Fontana (11/1) |
| 2013 | Ifandbutwhynot (9th) / Cotton Mill (PU) | Ted Veale (10/1) |
| 2012 | Citizenship (14th) | Alderwood (20/1) |
*(-) = Finishing Position, UR = Unseated Rider, F = Faller, RO = Ran Out, PU = Pulled Up
County Handicap Hurdle History & Present Time
The first time that the County Handicap was run was in 1920, and it held the spot as being the final race of the Festival for a long time. But the order was shaken up a bit in 2009, and the County Handicap was moved to the slot of being the second race on Friday’s list at the meeting.
The County Handicap Hurdle is a distance of 2m 1/2f (approx), and it is for 5-year-olds and up, featuring eight hurdles. Aside from a few absences because of weather, it has been a permanent fixture at the Cheltenham Festival since being inaugurated.
County Handicap Hurdle Jockey & Trainer Records
There has not been a horse that has won the County Handicap more than once throughout the race’s rich history. The top jockey holding the record for the most wins is Ruby Walsh, who rode four winners home in his career – the last of those was the Final Approach in 2011.
Two currently active jockeys have won the County Hurdle twice – they are Paul Townend and Harry Skelton.
When it comes to picking out the leading trainers, three have landed the County Hurdle at least three times in the last 20 renewals. They are Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, the latter two having taken four successes each.