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2026 West Yorkshire Hurdle Preview
Established in 1990, the West Yorkshire Hurdle is a Grade Two hurdle that takes place at the Wetherby Racecourse in either late October or early November of each year.
The race is contested over a three-mile trip, with runners aged four or older permitted to enter. In the early 2000s, the race was better known as the John Smiths Hurdle, as they sponsored the race from 2000-12.
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West Yorkshire Hurdle Information:
- West Yorkshire Hurdle Past Winners
- West Yorkshire Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- West Yorkshire Hurdle Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Wetherby tips page that will cover this race, as well as all the other races on the day. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Wetherby Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the West Yorkshire Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2014, when the race had an over-round of 106%. The race in 2021 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 116%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the West Yorkshire Hurdle, the over-round has been 111%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £111 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 West Yorkshire 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 West Yorkshire Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run West Yorkshire Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Nautical Nitwit (5:43.20) in 2018
- Silsol (5:49.90) in 2016
- Cole Harden (5:52.00) in 2014
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the West Yorkshire Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -20.00. Whilst we wait for the 2026 West Yorkshire Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Nautical Nitwit, trained by Philip Kirby and ridden by Thomas Dowson, who set the fastest winning time in the West Yorkshire Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 5:43.20 in 2018. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and jockey Timmy Murphy with Redemption I who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 6:50.60 in the 2006 renewal.
West Yorkshire Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the West Yorkshire Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the West Yorkshire Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:53.75 | Strong Leader (GB) 8yo 11-8 15/8 | Sean Bowen Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2024 6:05.70 | Beacon Edge (IRE) 10yo 11-2 9/4 | Danny Gilligan Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2023 6:10.87 | Botox Has (FR) 7yo 11-6 15/2 | Caoilin Quinn Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2022 5:57.30 | Proschema (IRE) 7yo 11-2 9/2 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2021 6:05.19 | Indefatigable (IRE) 8yo 10-7 5/1 | Daryl Jacob Paul Webber (GB) |
| 2020 6:19.28 | Roksana (IRE) 8yo 10-7 13/8F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2019 6:24.07 | The Worlds End (IRE) 8yo 11-0 7/2 | A P Heskin Tom George (GB) |
| 2018 5:43.20 | Nautical Nitwit (IRE) 9yo 11-0 15/2 | Thomas Dowson Philip Kirby (GB) |
| 2017 6:15.10 | Colins Sister (GB) 6yo 10-10 10/1 | Paddy Brennan Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2016 5:49.90 | Silsol (GER) 7yo 11-1 13/2 | Jack Sherwood Paul Nicholls (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the West Yorkshire Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 24 placings from 119 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 8 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
West Yorkshire Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the West Yorkshire Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Tidal Bay (2012 & 2013) and Silsol (2016). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the West Yorkshire Hurdle are Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins), Philip Hobbs (2 wins) and Dan Skelton (2 wins).
Here are some of the top West Yorkshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 11-3-8 | +5.75 | +5.75 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 9-2-5 | +8.00 | +4.74 |
| Philip Hobbs | 7-2-3 | +4.00 | +1.53 |
| Dan Skelton | 7-2-4 | +1.13 | +2.05 |
| Paul Webber | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.00 |
| Gordon Elliott | 3-1-1 | +0.25 | -2.00 |
| Warren Greatrex | 3-1-1 | +0.25 | -2.00 |
| Olly Murphy | 3-1-2 | -0.12 | +1.06 |
| Fergal O'Brien | 2-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.25 |
| Philip Kirby | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
West Yorkshire Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the West Yorkshire Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Harry Skelton, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Roksana (2020) and Proschema (2022).
Here are some of the top West Yorkshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Skelton | 6-2-4 | +2.13 | +3.05 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-1-1 | -0.25 | -1.28 |
| Thomas Dowson | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 2-1-1 | +1.25 | -1.00 |
| Sean Bowen | 2-1-1 | +0.88 | +0.18 |
| Caoilin Quinn | 1-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.69 |
| Danny Gilligan | 1-1-1 | +2.25 | +0.00 |
| Harry Cobden | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -1.27 |
| Dougie Costello | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Brian Hughes | 2-0-2 | -2.00 | -0.40 |
2026 West Yorkshire Hurdle Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 1, (1, 2), 2, 4, 1, 3, (2, 4), 3, 2, F, (2, 3), 3, 4, 1, 3, 4, (3, 4), 3, F
The percentage shown is the proportion 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 (63%) - Within the first 4 of the market
- 20 / 20 (76%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Held an OR of 142+
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Achieved an RPR of 144+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Highest Placed is not G3/LST/Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Held an OR of 120+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 144+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Highest Won is not G3/Cl3/Cl5
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not on GF/STD (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved a TS of 110+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 135+ (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 40/1 (Debut)
- 17 / 20 (81%) - Beaten no more -12l (Debut)
- 17 / 20 (82%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 17 / 20 (82%) - No more than 1 fall (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Wetherby racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the West Yorkshire 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 West Yorkshire Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 West Yorkshire Hurdle Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the West Yorkshire Hurdle will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
West Yorkshire Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +17.18, is when runners ran in a Non Handicap last time out.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip won of 3m; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-21.
The course which has produced the most winners of the West Yorkshire Hurdle is Aintree; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 17 winners from a total of 122 runners, while female runners have produced 3 winners from a total of 7 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the West Yorkshire Hurdle:
- Alkalde (2 Wins)
- Flemensfirth (2 Wins)
- Stowaway (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the West Yorkshire Hurdle; that stallion is Kayf Tara, who has failed to produce a winner from 7 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Redemption I in 2006, winning for Nigel Twiston-Davies at odds of 12/1 under the guidance of Timmy Murphy. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the West Yorkshire Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the West Yorkshire Hurdle. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Strong Leader Aintree - 2nd of 11 (5/1) | Liverpool Hurdle |
| 2024 - Beacon Edge Cheltenham - 5th of 12 (14/1) | Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Botox Has Cheltenham - 4th of 7 (15/2) | Cleeve Hurdle |
| 2022 - Proschema Chepstow - 7th of 10 (12/1) | Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Indefatigable Pontefract - 1st of 8 (13/8) | Injured Jockeys Fund Maiden Stakes |
| 2020 - Roksana Cheltenham - 4th of 9 (12/1) | Close Brothers Mares Hurdle |
| 2019 - The Worlds End Aintree - 9th of 15 (25/1) | Liverpool Hurdle |
| 2018 - Nautical Nitwit Wetherby - 2nd of 7 (11/1) | Bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting 2nd & 3rd November Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - Colins Sister Fairyhouse - 5th of 7 (8/1) | Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle |
| 2016 - Silsol Auteuil - 8th of 12 (57/1) | Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this West Yorkshire Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
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