When is the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 2020?

Cheltenham Friday 13th March 2.10pm

Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (5yo+)

Distance: 2 miles

Weights:  Handicap

The second race on day four is the Randox Health County Hurdle better known as the County Hurdle.  It is run over about two miles and one furlong and they clear eight hurdles as in the previous race.

Dan Skelton has saddled three of the last four winners. 

County Handicap Hurdle Trends and Statistics

Here are the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 12 year trends ans statistics:

• Age – Nine of the last twelve winners have been aged five or six.
• Starting Price – No favourites have won in the last twelve years and the lowest priced winner has been 8/1 with 7 winners being 20/1 or higher.
• Weight – Nine of the last twelve winners carried between 10st 5lb and 11st 1lb.
  
• Last Run – Just two of the last twelve winners won on their last run, ten of the last twelve winners ran between 12 and 97 days ago.
• Course Form – Nine of the last twelve winners had at least one previous run at Cheltenham but only one of the twelve winners had a previous win at Cheltenham.
• Distance Form – Ten of the last twelve winners had at least five previous runs over 1m 7f to 2m 1f and all twelve winners had at least one win over that distance.
• Hurdle Form – twn of the last twelve winners had at least five previous runs over hurdles and all twelve winners had at least one previous win over hurdles.
• Official Rating – All twelve winners were rated 132 or higher.
• Season Form – Eleven of the last twelve winners had at least two in the current season and seven had at least 1 win during the season.

Who are the County Handicap Hurdle Leading Contenders?

Here are the leading contenders for the 2020 County Handicap Hurdle

• NEVER ADAPT
• CIEL DE NEIGE
• PIC D’ORTHY
• UNEXPECTED
• NOT SO SLEEPY

What’s Keith’s County Handicap Hurdle Tips for 2020?

Here is Keith’s tip for the 2020 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle.

Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins have won seven of the last twelve renewals of this race between them.

After flicking through the likely contenders, one that stands out is CIEL DE NEIGE. Trained by Mullins, third last March in the juvenile handicap hurdle he has ran really well in every race since although on the down side he is yet to win.

Unlucky not to break his duck at Newbury in the Grade 3 Betfair hurdle, where he was just beaten by PIC D’ORTHY, who may reoppose in this but will be 3lb worse off at the weights.

 My selection for the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle 2020 is: CIEL DE NEIGE 20/1 each way (NRNB).

As this article is written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 4. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 4 card, and his final Day 4 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 4 tips (including for this race) on the morning of Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.

What was Keith’s County Handicap Hurdle Tip for 2019?

Last year, for the 2019 County Handicap Hurdle, Free Racing Tips Tipster Keith advised:

Back to guessing the line-up but OFF YOU GO, WONDER LAISH, WHISKEY SOUR, ESPOIR D’ALLEN, PAKORA and GRAND SANCY all seem likely types.

My selection so long as it turns up on the day is PAKORA 20/1 each way, this lightly raced Willie Mullins charge has the right sort of profile and handles any going.

Result: Sadly, PAKORA was a Non Runner.

Keith’s replacement tip advised on the morning of the race was MONSIEUR LECOQ (10/1 each way) who was a bit of a monkey on raceday, unseating his rider on way to the start. During the race he was held up towards rear of midfield, nudged along after 3 out making a bit of headway approaching the last, stayed on but was never any threat,  finishing tenth of fourteen.

County Handicap Hurdle Previous Winners

• 2008 Silver Jaro 50/1 5 10–13 Noel Fehily Tom Hogan
  
• 2009 American Trilogy 20/1 5 11-00 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
  
• 2010 Thousand Stars 20/1 6 10-05 Katie Walsh[a] Willie Mullins
  
• 2011 Final Approach 10/1 5 10–12 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
  
• 2012 Alderwood 20/1 8 11-01 Tony McCoy Thomas Mullins
  
• 2013 Ted Veale 10/1 6 10-06 Bryan Cooper Tony Martin
  
• 2014 Lac Fontana 11/1 5 10–11 Daryl Jacob Paul Nicholls
  
• 2015 Wicklow Brave 25/1 6 11-04 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
  
• 2016 Superb Story 8/1 5 10–12 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton H
  
• 2017 Arctic Fire 20/1 8 11–12 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
  
• 2018 Mohaayed 33/1 6 10–08 Bridget Andrews Dan Skelton
  
• 2019 Ch’tibello 12/1 8 11-05 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton

As these articles are written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 4. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 4 card, and his final Day 4 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 4 tips on the morning of Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.

Who is FRT’s Cheltenham Day 4 Tipster?

Keith Bond is our resident pro tipster here at FRT Towers. Keith lives and breathes horse racing, having begun his love of horse racing over 40 years ago with a part time job at Catterick Racecourse, as one of three fourteen year-olds looking after two jumps and a hurdle.

Over the years, Keith has been a regular at the northern tracks attending countless race meetings and building up a network of contacts, and a portfolio of systems and strategies. 

He was one of the co-founders of Free Racing Tips all the way back in 2008, and his free tips are now backed by more than seventy thousand FRT members every single day.

“Thanks Keith – It’s great to be part of an amazing group of people all after the same thing, passing on tips to beat the bookies” 

Colin Parkinson, Harrow.

The FRT community love Keith’s attention to detail, knowledge of past races, and ability to pick horses…

“You offer some great tips, some fantastic outsiders tipped up as well. Most tipsters just put up favourites. Well done and keep up the good work”

John Woolley, Stockport