These are the five key contenders in the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday

The countdown to the Cheltenham Festival continues and day three of the festival features the blockbuster battle for the Stayers' Hurdle.

The feature race is the leading long-distance hurdle event in the national hunt calendar, with 12 flights over a daunting distance of about three miles on the New Course lying in wait.

Paisley Park was the odds-on favourite to win last year's renewal, but he failed to fire as 50-1 shot Lisnagar Oscar claimed a shock victory – and the reigning champ is among a host of runners including last year's Pertemps winner Sire Du Berlais.

All eyes, however, will be on the fierce rivalry between joint-favourites Paisley Park and Thyme Hill. Last November's Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury saw Thyme Hill get the better of his rival by a length and a half, before Paisley Park – the 2019 Stayers' Hurdle winner – exacted revenge at Ascot three weeks later.

Since 2002, Baracouda and Inglis Drever have retained their crown the following season and the magnificent Big Bucks won four on the bounce between 2009 and 2012 – so give plenty of respect to returning previous winners of the Stayers' Hurdle.

Here, we take a look at some of the main contenders for the standout race on the third day of the festival…

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle odds

10-3 Paisley Park, Thyme Hill

8-1 Sire Du Berlais

12-1 Flooring Porter

14-1 The Storyteller

16-1 Lisnagar Oscar

20-1 Vinndication, Fury Road

25-1 Beacon Edge

* 33-1 bar. Odds correct at time of publication

Who are the key contenders?

Paisley Park, having lost his crown to 50-1 shot Lisnagar Oscar last year, bids to reclaim it after he was found to have a heart issue after the race.

Since recovering, trainer Emma Lavelle brought the nine-year-old back to form to finish second to Thyme Hill before reversing that result in the Long Walk at Ascot just before Christmas.

Whether we've seen the best of Paisley Park remains to be seen, but he does need to bounce back to the sort of level that will instil a certain degree of confidence with punters he let down at last year's festival.

Thyme Hill could very well end up staying over hurdles and if that turns out to be the case, he has the qualities to make an impact at the very highest level.

An unlucky fourth in the Albert Bartlett at last year's festival, the Phillip Hobbs-trained seven-year-old has age on his side and looks set to renew an intriguing rivalry with Paisley Park as the two principal contenders.

In a call hosted by Great British Racing, four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson said he believes Thyme Hill could be in the Gold Cup in two years' time.

He added: "We've definitely got a fair idea of what we want to do and how we'd like the race to be run.

"He's got the right profile and I still think there's more improvement to come. I can see him winning the Stayers' Hurdle.

In a nutshell, Thyme Hill may have had the edge, but it could be a classic case of 'who turns up on the day'.

Sire Du Berlais, heading the Irish challenge, could very well cause an upset and prove that he is the best three-mile hurdler around – and he makes tons of appeal.

A horse that appears to produce his best work in the spring, Sire Du Berlais has progressed into an accomplished graded performer – now looking to step up to land Grade 1 glory.

The nine-year-old and lightly-raced sort is a big-time player when it matters the most and has excellent course form – defying top weight and winning the Pertemps at each of the past two festivals.

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The Storyteller is expected to run in the Stayers' Hurdle before heading to the Grand National at Aintree.

The ten-year-old has been in excellent form this season winning a Grade 1 chase at Down Royal in October, and finishing strongly to take second place, six lengths behind Flooring Porter in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.

However, age is against this consistent veteran – the only Stayers' winner in double digits was Crimson Embers in 1986 when a sprightly 11-year-old.

Lisnagar Oscar, a surprise 50-1 winner in 2020, produced his best piece of form since last year's victory when chasing home Third Wind in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock in February.

It was his first run since undergoing wind surgery in December. His early-season performances were most disappointing, but with that resurgence of form, he looks an each-way player.

He couldn't do it again, could he?

What are the quickest Stayers' Hurdle times?

These are the top three quickest runs in the Stayers' Hurdle over the last 20 renewals:

2000 Baccanal (5:36.60)

2006 My Way De Solzen (5:38.20)

2015 Cole Harden (5:40.70)

Where have the winning runners come from?

Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Stayers Hurdle have been based:

GB 15 winners with an additional 21 placings from 184 runners

IRE 3 winners with an additional 16 placings from 76 runners

FR 2 winners with an additional 3 placings from 12 runners

USA 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner

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