William Hill is today announced as the new sponsor of the County Handicap Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.
Staged over an extended two miles on the final day of Jump racing’s Olympics, Gold Cup Day, the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle will take place on Friday 14th March in 2025. It is always one of the Festival’s most competitive contests and frequently attracts a maximum field.
The leading bookmaker builds on its successful recent association with The Jockey Club. It is the Official Betting Partner of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree and this year will also sponsor the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at the Merseyside venue on Boxing Day. This weekend will see William Hill put its name to five races at Cheltenham’s opening meeting of the season – The Showcase.
To kick off William Hill Showcase Saturday (October 26th), Nick Luck will host ‘The William Hill Showcase Saturday Centaur Preview’ from 1130am to 12.05pm in The Centaur. Nick will be joined by racing greats, Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty ahead of Saturday’s Showcase raceday, as they talk you through the card and pick their ones to watch. Entry into The Centaur is free for Club and Tattersalls ticket holders.
William Hill’s association with the Home of Jump Racing in the past included sponsorship of the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase at The Festival from 1998 to 2010, while it also backed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2009, 2012 and 2013.
Dan Glavin, Bookmaker Partnerships Manager at The Jockey Club, said: “It is fantastic to welcome back such a famous brand as William Hill to sponsorship at The Cheltenham Festival.
“We extend our thanks to William Hill for its generous support, including the sponsorship of the County Hurdle and throughout the season, starting on Friday at The Showcase.”
Daryl West, William Hill's Head of Media and Sponsorship, said; "As William Hill celebrates over 90 years in the industry we're embracing our heritage and being part of horse racing's biggest days is something we've done throughout our history. Racedays don't come much bigger than Gold Cup Day, so we're delighted to be a part of it and back at the Cheltenham Festival in 2025.
"The County Hurdle is always a great betting heat and we've seen some incredible hurdlers use it as a springboard to greatness. It's a brilliant race for William Hill to showcase our commitment to proper prices for our customers and it's a race that we've regularly offered extra places for each-way backers.
"As Official Betting Partners of the Grand National and now Cheltenham Festival partners once again, we're delighted to strengthen our relationship with The Jockey Club. This is in addition to the Champion Chase at Punchestown meaning we're right at the heart of the action at all three major spring festivals."
The County Hurdle is a race that William Hill ambassadors Sir AP McCoy and Barry Geraghty can both look back fondly at too.
Sir AP McCoy won the race on Blowing Wind in 1998 and said: “The County Hurdle was the sign that Blowing Wind was developing into a real talent. He was unlucky not to win the Grand National a few years later, but the County Hurdle was his first real big day and we've seen that a few times down the years with the likes of Rooster Booster and State Man, who went on to great things.”
Barry Geraghty, a dual winner of the County Hurdle, said: “Spirit Leader's win crowned a great week for me. I was top rider at the Fesitval that year and when I won on Spirit Leader that gave me my fifth winner of the week, which was a record back then. I also had my last ever Cheltenham Festival winner on Saint Roi in the race, so the County Hurdle has fond memories for me.”
William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m 179y – Facts & Figures
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The first County Hurdle was run in 1920 and won by Trespasser, ridden by George Duller, who until 1973 also had a race named after him at Cheltenham’s premier meeting.
FIELD SIZE
A total of 32 horses lined up in 1970 and there were 30 runners in 2005, although the race currently has a maximum field limit of 26. The smallest field in the race’s history was in 1976 when 13 horses went to post.
WEIGHTS
Teapot II scored off 12st 7lb in 1953, while Arctic First carried top-weight of 11st 12lb in 2017. Winnie The Witch’s victory in 1991 was with 9st 8lb.
MULTIPLE WINNERS
No horse has won the County Hurdle twice since 1946.
MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAINER
Willie Mullins with seven winners - Thousand Stars (2010), Final Approach (2011), Wicklow Brave (2015), Arctic Fire (2017), Saint Roi (2020), State Man (2022) and Absurde (2024).
MOST SUCCESSFUL JOCKEY
Ruby Walsh and Paul Townend are the most successful riders with four wins each. Walsh was aboard Sporazene (2004), Desert Quest (2006), American Trilogy (2009) and Final Approach (2011). Townend’s wins have come on Wicklow Brave (2015), Arctic Fire (2017), State Man (2022) and Absurde (2024).
OVERSEAS-TRAINED WINNERS
IRELAND (21): Teapot II (1953), Bold Baby (1954), Friendly Boy (1958), Albergo (1960), Bahrain (1963), Khan (1970), Kilcoleman (1977), Staplestown (1981), Spirit Leader (2003), Pedrobob (2007), Silver Jaro (2008), Thousand Stars (2010), FInal Approach (2011), Alderwood (2012), Ted Veale (2013), Wicklow Brave (2015), Arctic Fire (2017), Saint Roi (2020), Belfast Banter (2021), State Man (2022), Absurde (2024)
BETTING
Bold Baby scored at odds of 13-8 in 1954, while the longest-priced winner in recent years was Silver Jaro at 50-1 in 2008.
DID YOU KNOW?
The fastest time winning time is 3m 51.2s by Moody Man in 1990.
In 1998, Blowing Wind picked up a £50,000 bonus having won the Imperial Cup at Sandown Park the previous weekend. The bonus was offered by Sunderlands, the sponsor of the Imperial Cup at the time, to any horse that won the Sandown Park race and then any contest at The Festival.
The Mullins family have an exceptional record, with brothers Tony (2007 Pedrobob), Willie (2010 Thousand Stars, 2011 Final Approach, 2015 Wicklow Brave, 2017 Arctic Fire, 2020 Saint Roi, 2022 State Man, 2024 Absurde) and Tom (2012 Alderwood) all having trained winners of the race.
The 2002 winner Rooster Booster and 2022 hero State Man both progressed to win the Champion Hurdle.
