If you’re new to horse racing betting then you’re likely to encounter plenty of weird terminology that sounds like another language. Indeed, even experienced racing punters sometimes haven’t a clue what all the jargon means in the sport!
One of the terms you’re likely to come across is a ‘stayer’. This is a term that has seeped into the English language and is used every day to describe someone or something as durable. And you’re likely to hear it at Cheltenham this spring too.
The term stayer originally comes from the horse racing industry. So, Paddy Power is here to explain what a stayer is, in the latest in our series of Demystifying Racing betting guides…
What is a stayer?
A stayer is a classic horse racing term used to describe horses that are capable of running over long distances. These horses are likely to be durable and have plenty of energy in them, but they don’t release it in short bursts, like sprinters do.
Owners and trainers quickly realise when developing a horse whether or not it will be a stayer. Indeed, a lot of work goes into training a thoroughbred so it can specialise in either long distance races or short sprints.
Grand National winners have to be stayers, otherwise they wouldn’t have the energy to get around Aintree’s 30-jump course. Likewise, you wouldn’t enter a stayer into the mega-short Temple Stakes at Haydock.
WELCOME TO PADDY POWER NEWS!
FAMOUS STAYER RACES
There are plenty of races across the UK and Ireland that are ‘stayers’ (i.e. held over long distances). These races all run for longer than two miles and include the Ascot Gold Cup, the St Leger Stakes, the Belmont Stakes in the US and Australia’s Melbourne Cup. The Cheltenham Festival also stages plenty of long-distance runs and subsequently attracts some of the world’s best stayers – including the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, which gets underway at 3:30pm on Thursday 16 March this year.
France, meanwhile, stages the Prix du Cadran every year. This 4km race held at Longchamp Racecourse every October is a lung-busting marathon for the horses, and only the best stayers can compete in such a battle. Famous champions of the Prix du Cadran include Vazirabad, Alandi and Westerner.
Pick your jaw from off the floor – Lisnagar Oscar lands the @paddypower Stayers' Hurdle at 50-1!@rebcurtis is back in the big time after an extraordinary result in the big race 👏 #CheltenhamFestival @Adamkwedge pic.twitter.com/5lHrXFHMBk
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 12, 2020
BETTING ON STAYERS
If a horse has a reputation as a stayer and it enters into a long race then they are likely to be towards the top of the racing betting odds. Yet race cards can sometimes be misleading with stayers races, because the form guide of each horse won’t stipulate the distances they have previously run.
So, when betting on stayers, be sure to check out the info guide attached to every runner in the Paddy Power race card. This is where you’ll discover if your pick truly has form over distance.
Chances are a horse selected for a stayer race is well versed in running over two miles. But it’s worth double checking before you place your bet!
- Why are there false starts in horse races like the Grand National?
- How many horses are there in the Grand National?
- Grand National prize money: How much does the Grand National winner get?
- 9 things to consider when picking a Grand National winner
- Grand National fence names and the stories behind every Aintree jump
- How high are Grand National fences at Aintree Racecourse?
- What are Grand National fences made of at Aintree Racecourse?
- Grand National fences: Order of jumps, total and which are taken twice
- Grand National weights: Why do horses carry different weights at Aintree?
- How many people usually attend the Grand National? What is Aintree’s capacity?
- What is the distance of the Grand National? How far do the horses run?
- How does a horse qualify for the Grand National?
- When did a horse last win the Grand National carrying top weight?
- Do Grand National reserve horses ever run in the race at Aintree?
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
- What is a sire and a dam? Why is breeding so important in horse racing?
- What’s the difference between a colt, filly, gelding, stallion and mare?
- What does it mean when a horse goes to stud?
- What do horse racing commentators mean by sectional times?
- What is the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot? Which members of the Royal Family attend?
- How do they choose Epsom Derby stall numbers? Is there a draw bias?
- How long does it take horses to complete the Epsom Derby? How fast are the runners?
- What has happened to the Queen’s racehorses?
- What is a stewards’ enquiry in horse racing?
- What does it mean when a horse is exposed?
- What happens when there is a dead-heat in horse racing?
- What does the Clerk of the Course do in horse racing?
- What does schooling mean in horse racing?
- How are horses named and who approves them?
- Men must wear socks and other weird Royal Ascot dress codes
- Market movers: What is a market mover in horse racing?
- What is a Ladies’ Day in horse racing and why do they exist?
- Where’s the toilet and how much is a beer – Paddy’s guide to Cheltenham
- How many horse racing courses are there in the UK? Full list
- Top 8 most famous race horses of all time
- 8 of the best retired UK and Irish jockeys
The latest Cheltenham horse racing odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
LIKE PADDY POWER NEWS? OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE TO WHINGE? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN OUR READER SURVEY