Ballymore Novices Hurdle Betting Odds 2023
Bob Olinger ridden by Rachael Blackmore coming home to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle during day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle is the opening race on day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival. It is over two miles and five furlongs and is an alternative option for novices entered for either the two-mile Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or three-mile Albert Bartlett. This route has been taken by subsequent Champion Hurdle winners Istabraq (1997), Hardy Eustace (2003) and Faugheen (2014).Sir
Gerhard was a well-backed favourite when winning the last year for Willie Mullins, who also saddles this year’s likely favourite, Impaire Et Passe. The race has an illustrious roll of honour, with the likes of Istabraq, Faugheen and Envoi Allen all winning this race in their novice hurdling season.
Irish-trained runners have become increasingly dominant in recent years. The victory of Bob Olinger in 2021 was their seventh in the last eight seasons. The only British-trained winner during that period was Willoughby Court in 2017. The Ballymore Novices Hurdle Odds 2023 suggest that trend is likely to continue with the Willie Mullins-trained Sir Gerhard currently a short-priced favourite.
Latest Ballymore Novices Hurdle Betting Odds *
*Best prices correct at time of writing
Impaire Et Passe 13/8
Hermes Allen 10/3
Gaelic Warrior 9/2
Good Land 6/1
Champ Kiely 15/2
Ho My Lord 18/1
American Mike 28/1
Marbles Sands 40/1
Master Chewy 100/1
Persian Time 100/1
Ballymore Novices Hurdle Odds and Entries 2023
Impaire Et Passe is unbeaten in two runs for Willie Mullins and was an easy winner of the Grade 2 SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown in January. He looks ready for this step up in trip and will be popular in the betting. Good Land is from a yard having a great season and has won his completed starts over hurdles. His latest victory was in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival in February. He could be underrated in the market and is one to consider.
The standout British challenger in the contest looks to be the Paul Nicholls-trained Hermes Allen. He has won three races over hurdles this season, including the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury in December. Challow Hurdle winners do not tend to have an excellent record at Cheltenham, but he could be one to buck the trend.
Gaelic Warrior was well-fancied to win the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on last year’s opening day but could not overcome his evident inexperience when finishing 2nd. He has impressed this season but does tend to jump right-handed, while Willie Mullins also trains Champ Kiely and Ho My Lord.
The remainder of the British runners are much bigger odds, including Marbles Sands, Master Chewy and Persian Time.
Betting on the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle is also known as the Baring Bingham to honour the organiser of the first ever Cheltenham Festival in 1902. This race is more than half a mile longer than the Supreme Hurdle and the best novices are often entered for both races. A final decision on their chosen engagement often hinges on the going as this can become a stamina test in soft or heavy ground.
The most famous winner of the Ballymore Hurdle was Aidan O’Brien’s Istabraq in 1997. He became the fifth horse in history to win three Champion Hurdles (1998-2000). Faugheen (2014) was the most recent horse to win this race and go on to win the Champion Hurdle the following year. He is one of a record six winners for Willie Mullins who has led the dominance of Irish-trained horses in recent years.
Favourites in the Ballymore Hurdle betting have won four of the last five renewals with Samcro (2018), Envoi Allen (2020), Bob Olinger (2021) and Sir Gerhard (2022). Shock results are rare in recent times with Willoughby Court (14-1 in 2017) being only the double-figure priced winner in the past twelve years. Six-year-olds have been the most successful age group for a bet on the Ballymore Novices Hurdle, accounting for ten of the last twelve winners.
Ballymore Novices Hurdle News
With such a solid recent record in this race, it is hard to get away from the Irish-trained runners in this contest.
Impaire Et Passe has been strong in the betting recently and has more improvement at this trip. Hermes Allen is currently his closest rival in the betting, but the record of Challow Hurdle winners raises plenty of concerns. Good Land is a previous Grade 1 winner and remains unexposed over hurdles. However, he also has proven stamina for this journey and looks like the solid each-way bet.
It’s a tough race to call, but it does look likely that the Ballymore is set to be won by Ireland for the sixth consecutive year.