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Pulse Racing
County Hurdle
Detailed race analysis for The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
* note all data is from 2016 unless otherwise stated.
RACE SUMMARY
First run in 1920, the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle is one of the Cheltenham Festival’s most competitive handicaps.
It is a Premier Handicap for horses aged five and older, with runners carrying different weights according to their official ratings.
Run on the New Course over 2 miles 1-furlong horses jump eight hurdles. The race has a maximum field of 26 runners and is renowned for producing progressive hurdlers, with former winners including Rooster Booster and State Man, both of whom went on to win the Champion Hurdle.
WINNING PROFILE
AVERAGE AGE
6.3
141
AVERAGE OFFICIAL RATING
AVERAGE HURDLE RUNS PRIOR
9.4
PATH TO CHELTENHAM
The following races have produced the most County Hurdle winners since 2016:
-
(2) Welsh Champion Hurdle (Limited Handicap) (Dunraven / DragonBet) (Ffos Las / Chepstow, October)
Number of horses that ran in these races and went on to win at Cheltenham that season in brackets.
TRAINER WINS
TRAINER S/R
WINS BY AGE
PULSE INSIGHT
Irish-trained are 6/86 | 7.0%, with the British-trained 5/168 | 3.0%
French-breds are 6/84 | 7.1% and above the average of 4.3% for the race
Favourites are 3/10 | 30%
8/1 or shorter: 4/40 | 10.0%
The County has been the Mullins and Skelton show with a combined 9/11 | 81.8% from 84 runners, 9/64 | 14%
Dan Skelton has won this four times from just twenty runners 4/20 | 20.0%
Willie Mullins has five winners from forty-four 5/44 | 11.4%
Paul Townend has a very strong record of 4/11 | 40% and would return a profit of £30.60 to £1 level stakes
PULSE EDGE
PULSE SUMMARY
The Mullins and Skelton Show
With nine winners in the last eleven renewals between them it's certainly been the Mullins and Skelton show since 2016. Mullins has had a future Champion Hurdle winner in State Man so can use this as a launch pad for those well handicapped.
Paul Townend has had 26 handicap hurdle rides at the Festival since 2016 and only four wins - all these wins have been in the County Hurdle.
PULSE VERDICT
Pulse Rate
Mullins & Skelton clearly plan ahead for the County hurdle with 9/11 winners at a combined strike rate of 9/64 | 14%
Pulse Stopper
Horses with headgear are 2/71 | 2.81%
Pulse Insight
Irish-trained are 6/86 | 7.0% (Willie Mullins with 5 of the 6)
British-trained 5/168 | 3.0%. (Dan Skelton has 4 of those 5).
Pulse Edge
Townend has a 0/15 | 0% handicap hurdle record outside of the County - though has 4/11 record in the County.
ALL DATA FROM 2016 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
LAST UPDATED SEPT 2026