County Hurdle Tips, Odds, Free Bets, Betting Offers & Preview
Updated: January 30, 2026 at 10:43 am GMT+0
The County Hurdle is a Grade 3 handicap hurdle race over the two miles and half a furlong where only the best-rated horses qualify for their place in the line-up.
It was traditionally the Festival finale until 2009, when it moved to its new slot as the second race on Cheltenham Gold Cup day.
Run on the New Course, runners face eight hurdles, and the pace is usually fast and furious throughout - read on for County Hurdle betting odds, tips, and free bets.
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| Race Details | |
|---|---|
| When: | Friday, March 13th - 2:00pm |
| Winner’s Prize: | £98,370 |
| Distance: | Two-miles & half-a-furlong |
| Race Type: | Grade 3 Hurdle |
| Age: | 5-Years+ |
| Course: | New Course |
| Weights: | Handicap |
| Where to Watch? | ITV Racing, Racing TV, Bookmaker Streams |
County Hurdle Betting Offers & Free Bets
The second race of the last day of the Cheltenham festival brings us a list of free bets to be used for new accounts.
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New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Bet min of £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place) within 7 days of registration. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit and £/€10 Free Sports Bet. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to the bet slip. 7-day expiry. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required
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New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £30, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms Apply 18+ #ad begambleaware
New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £10, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Free bets and Bonuses are valid for 7 days. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply
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18+ New Customers. Opt in, deposit and bet £5 on any Horse Racing market (Odds 1/1+) within 7 days of sign up. Get 2 x £10 in Free Bets for set Horse Racing markets. Free Bets expire in 30 days. Click for T&Cs. GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly.
18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. UK/IRE online. 9 Feb-8 Mar. Place & settle £/€10+ bets, min odds 1/1 on selected sports. Bet 4 days weekly to earn £/€5 Cheltenham Free Bet (FB). 5 days = £/€5 Cheltenham FB + £/€5 FB next week (NW). 6 days = £/€5 Cheltenham FB + £/€10 FB NW. 7 days = £/€5 Cheltenham FB + win a share of the £/€10k weekly jackpot (paid as cash NW). Cheltenham FBs credited 10-13 Mar, expire 13 Mar at 23:59. Free/void/cashed-out bets don’t qual. Account/bet type/settlement/payment restrictions apply.T&Cs Apply
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County Hurdle Betting Odds
A typically wide open handicap with betting sites at the moment, the latest odds for this one can be seen below.
County Hurdle Tips
Check back nearer the time for our County Hurdle tips.
However, we have daily horse racing tips courtesy of our top tipping team, Charlie McCann and Alan Kelly - click on their links below.
Charlie McCann Tips
Get exclusive daily horse racing tips from Charlie McCann here at Freebets.
Alan Kelly Tips
Get exclusive selections from Alan Kelly on daily horse racing here at Freebets.
What Happened in 2025?
Kargese came good in the 2025 renewal, landing the spoils for the Mullins and Townend combo.
County Hurdle Key Stats
- Nine of the previous 12 winners were priced 10/1 or bigger
- 11 of the last 12 winners were rated 134 or higher
- 11 of the previous 12 winners had at least two runs that season
Previous Winners of the County Hurdle
We’ve listed the last five winners of the County Hurdle in the table below.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Kargese |
| 2024 | Absurde |
| 2023 | Faivoir |
| 2022 | State Man |
| 2021 | Belfast Banter |
FAQs
When is the County Hurdle?
The County Hurdle is on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, which in 2026, will be on Friday, March 13th, with a start time of 2:00pm.
Who is the leading jockey in the County Hurdle?
Ruby Walsh rode the winner of the County Hurdle on four occasions - Sporazene in 2004, Desert Quest in 2006, American Trilogy in 2009, and Final Approach in 2011.
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