Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 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 £130k 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.
Boost your International Hurdle predictions using our comprehensive breakdown of historical race patterns and trainer performance, and don't miss out on the top Cheltenham betting offers.
International Hurdle Information:
- International Hurdle Past Winners
- International Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- International Hurdle Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Cheltenham tips on the day of the race, do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist or are they predicting other runners? 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.
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How competitive is the International Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2004 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 £100 for every £113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 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 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? From the past 20 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 to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -13.55. Ahead of the 2026 International 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 2012 renewal when Zarkandar from Paul Nicholls under the guidance of R Walsh, won in a time of 4:29.49, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Binocular, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by A P McCoy set the quickest time of 3:46.20 in the 2008 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 2014 4:06.90 | The New One (IRE) 6yo 11-8 4/7F | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the International Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 17 winners with an additional 26 placings from 123 runners
- IRE: 3 winners with an additional 1 placing from 16 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
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 | 19-6-9 | +4.58 | -0.01 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 15-5-8 | +9.60 | +6.65 |
| Paul Nicholls | 16-2-7 | -5.80 | -3.09 |
| Philip Hobbs | 7-2-2 | -2.58 | -3.95 |
| 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 |
| E J O'Grady | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.56 |
| 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 | 4-2-2 | +5.08 | +2.25 |
| James Bowen | 3-1-1 | +0.00 | -0.80 |
| Paul Townend | 1-1-1 | +0.57 | +0.36 |
| Harry Skelton | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.70 |
| 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 |
2026 International Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 1, 1, (4, PU), 1, 2, 1, (1, 4), 1, 1, 1, 6, 1, 3, 3, 1, 10, 6, 1, 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.
- 20 / 20 (64%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Off a break of 20 - 273 days
- 20 / 20 (74%) - 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 (80%) - Ran in 6 - 30 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 117+ (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Had 4 - 16 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 5 - 21 races (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 6 - 21 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 137+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Placed within last 3 starts
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 £6,000 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.
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International Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +15.97 is when runners had a biggest odds placed of 8/1.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race worth £5,000 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 has been a total number of 6 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course which has produced the second most winners is Punchestown, there has been a total number of 4 winners of this race who ran at Punchestown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 135 runners whilst the 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 13 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find you a bet on the 2026 International 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 | Moon DOrange (FR) 7yo - 7/2 | John C McConnell Sean Bowen |
| Classic Novices Hurdle | Sixmilebridge (IRE) 6yo - 9/1 | Fergal O'Brien Kielan Woods |
| Cleeve Hurdle | Gowel Road (IRE) 9yo - 5/2 | Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies |
| Cotswold Chase | LHomme Presse (FR) 10yo - 4/5 | Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch |
| International Hurdle | Constitution Hill (GB) 8yo - 1/12 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial | East India Dock (GB) 4yo - 1/2 | James Owen Sam Twiston-Davies |
| Timeform Novices Handicap Chase | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 4/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this International Hurdle Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
