The Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle

The The Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle is one of the longest serving events at the Cheltenham Festival and was first won by Trespasser in 1920. The race also has a history of disruptions, being abandoned on five occasions, most recently due to the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak. The race is a class A Grade 3 hurdles race run on the Cheltenham New Course.

Horses aged five and over run in the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle, covering a distance of 2 miles and 1 furlong.

Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle Betting & Trends

Weight: The last five race winners carried between 10 and 11st. Horses carrying 11st or more have won only three races in the past decade.
Age: The last five winners of the County Handicap Hurdle have been aged between 5 and 11 years of age. Four of these were between the ages of 5 and 6.
Odds: Winners of this race have ranged in antepost price from 4/1 to 50/1. Only one antepost favourite has won the County Handicap Hurdle during this period with four winners priced 20/1 or lower.
Jockey: Ruby Walsh has won the race three times in the past six years.
Trainer: Paul Nicholls has trained six winners in the last six years.
Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle Tip: There's always a chance of an upset in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle, which marks it as a good lay betting opportunity. Punters keen on backing an entry should focus on horses between the ages of 5 and 6 carrying under 11st in weights with place or each-way bets on a selection of suitable candidates.

Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle Winners

No Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle winner has been able to retain the title in the last decade of the race. This is typical of handicap races which see previous winners carry extra weights that make consecutive wins extremely difficult. The most notable winner of the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle in recent years was Rooster Booster who won the race in 2002 before going on to win the 2003 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle.

Ruby Walsh, the Irish jockey who looks certain to claim the Champion Jockey title from Tony McCoy in the near future, has an excellent record in the County Hurdle. Walsh won the race in 2004 and 2006 and lost out narrowly in 2007 when he came in second.

Trainers Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls have shared the honours for best trainer in the last decade of the race with each trainer claiming two victories. The race itself is described as the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle on the race card in honour of one of Ireland’s greatest national hunt trainers.

BetFred - £50 Free Bets

Try online betting and sports betting with Betfred and get a free bet for your efforts. Enjoy a wide selection of online betting including football, horse racing, and golf.