• 16/03/2023
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One of the top races in the National Hunt season brings attention to Cheltenham’s Mares Novices’ Hurdle betting tips in this racing preview.

Our betting experts provide top Mares Novices’ racing tips, all of which will be uploaded on this page.

We aren’t quite at the point of knowing the final declarations and just how the starting line-up will look for this big Grade 2 race.

But there is plenty to look through still, as this Mares Novices’ Hurdle betting preview scours through some history and trends of the race.

Last year saw a minor shock as a British-trained winner won the race for just the second time. Jamie Snowden’s You Wear It Well got the better of Henry De Bromhead’s Magical Zoe, with 6/4 favourite Luccia disappointing in 4th. 

Who will follow in her footsteps? Will it be another underdog, or will the one of the favourites land the honours? Follow our Mares Novices’ tips for more.

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Mares Novices’ Hurdle – Overlooked Outsiders

It is worth giving credit to longer-priced outsiders in a horse racing field. Even if it’s an each-way value that you are looking for.

Some do warrant respect, and with that in mind, our tipsters (we cover the Cheltenham tips for every race) will examine the entire field once it has been declared for Mares Novices’ Hurdle betting.

This is one of the newer races at the Cheltenham Festival, but already it has produced a winner at massive odds.

In 2019, one of the overlooked outsiders, Eglantine Du Seuil, romped home first with a 50/1 SP for trainer Willie Mullins.

There was also a 50/1 second in the race in 2022, as Ahorsewithnoname chased home the eventual winner Love Envoi. Last year saw 16/1 shot You Wear It Well land the honours, becoming the second biggest odds winner in the short history of the race.

Look for our top outsider tips for Mares Novices’ betting at the Cheltenham Festival when we get a little closer towards the start of this year’s 4-day event.

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2024 Mares Novices’ Hurdle Runners + Odds – Thursday, 14th March 4.50

Horse/Form	Silks	Jockey/Trainer	Odds
Luccia 11-11		J: Nico de Boinville T: Nicky Henderson	15/8
Lot Of Joy 221		J: Paul Townend T: Willie Mullins	9/2
Under Control 11		J: Mark Walsh T: Nicky Henderson	25/1
You Wear It Well 1-1121		J: Gavin Sheehan T: Jamie Snowden	12/1
Magical Zoe 1-11		J: A P Heskin T: Henry De Bromhead	7/1
Princess Zoe 1		J: Danny Mullins T: Anthony Mullins	17/2
Halka Du Tabert 1-113		J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott	11/1
Ahorsewithnoname 2232-P		J: Sean Bowen T: Nicky Henderson	25/1
Jetara 032122		J: Sean O’Keeffe T: Mrs John Harrington	25/1
Foxy Girl 2-21		J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry De Bromhead	10/1
Nikini 3-4112		J: Patrick Mullins T: Willie Mullins	33/1
The Model Kingdom 113132		J: B J Cooper T: Noel Meade	25/1
Ladybank 81		J: Aidan Coleman T: Henry De Bromhead	66/1
Mullenbeg 211162		J: Harry Cobden T: Milton Harris	80/1
Endless Escape -51111		J: Ben Jones T: Ben Clarke	100/1
Shecouldbeanything 1-1132		J: Jordan Gainford T: Gordon Elliott	40/1
Banntown Girl 23-423		J: Keith Donoghue T: Stephen Gerard Carey	80/1
Poetic Music 6-1321		J: Paddy Brennan T: Fergal O’Brien	80/1
Belle The Lioness 31-221		J: Darragh O’Keeffe T: Henry De Bromhead	150/1
Still Ciel B22105		J: Shane Fitzgerald T: Henry De Bromhead	250/1
Inspiratrice 601U3		J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Nicky Martin	200/1

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How to pick a Mares Novices’ Hurdle Winner

The tips from our racing experts can help narrow the field when it comes to picking a winner for Mares’ Novice hurdle betting at Cheltenham 2024.

Some key trends should point you in the right direction, and here are some of the trends that our tipsters will look at.

There have been three favourites in the seven previous editions of this race to come home with a win. But, unfortunately, those were in each of the first three editions, and it hasn’t happened since. So the racing trend has just gone the other way.

Last Mares Novices’ Winners Odds

• 2023 You Wear It Well 16/1
• 2022 Love Envoi 15/2
• 2021 Telmesometinggirl 5/1
• 2020 Concertista 9/2
• 2019 Eglantine Du Seuil 50/1
• 2018 Laurina 4/7F
• 2017 Lets Dance 11/8F
• 2016 Limini 8/11F

Being one of the newer additions to the Cheltenham Festival, this Grade 2 fixture will only get stronger and stronger as the renewals tick by.

An Irish runner had won all the six previous editions of the Mares Novices’ Hurdle before the Brits have won the last two renewals. Trainer Willie Mullins has had a heavy hand in this contest so far, winning five of the seven renewals.

The first four Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winners had been aged five years old, but the most recent four have been won by six-year-olds.

Six of the eight winners had run in Ireland last time out, with the exception being the most recent two winners. In addition, the first six winners of the race each had made between 1 and 3 starts in the previous 180 days before the race. Love Envoi and You Wear It Well have since bucked that trend though, with both having had four starts in the past 180 days. 

All but one had previously placed in at least a Grade 3 before, while only last year’s winner You Wear It Well had been beaten by more than three lengths on their debut. So those are some pointers to help paint a picture.

But there is a lot more to browse through to get a finer, more nuanced view of the Mares Novices’ Hurdle betting landscape, which is what our tipsters will be providing when uploading tips closer to the start of the Festival.

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All About The Mares Novices’ Hurdle: Past and Present

The race only entered the Cheltenham Festival scene in 2016 as the 4-day event grew to 28 races. As a result, the fixture was launched specifically for the Festival.

The official name is the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, but it is currently the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle because of sponsorship reasons.

It’s a Grade 2 contest featuring eight hurdles on the New Course at Cheltenham at a distance of 2m 1f. It’s open to fillies and mares of at least four years of age.

4-year-olds have a weight of 10st 9lb, while 5-year-olds and above are at 11st 5lb. 

Some penalties affect weights in this Grade 2 contest. Any former Class 1 weight for age winners have an extra 5lb, while there is 3lb for winners of a Class 2 weight for age or Class 1 handicap hurdle.

There isn’t a lot of history then for the Mares Novices’ Hurdle, but one piece of outstanding form has come from trainer Willie Mullins. He has produced five of the eight previous winners.

His winning streak, which started in the inaugural 2016 edition with Limini, was snapped in 2021 when Henry de Bromhead’s Telmesomethinggirl got the win, and he’s not had a winner in the race since then.

The leading jockey is Ruby Walsh, who won the first two editions on Limini and Let’s Dance.

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How Do Horses Qualify for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Race?

Entry for runners in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is a minimum age of four years old. This is a race for novice hurdlers, those who haven’t won in the sphere before the start of the current season.

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What is the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Prize Money in 2024?

While we await details of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle prize money for 2024, last year’s winner, You Wear It Well, took £59,083.50. The rest of the race payouts were 2nd £22,260, 3rd £11,140.50, 4th £5,565, 5th £2,793, 6th £1,396.50, 7th £693 and 8th £357.

Mares Novices’ Hurdle Past Winners

In terms of notable winners of the Mares’ Novices’, which can only be won once by a horse in her career, 2021 winner Telmesomethinggirl stands out. After winning at the Festival, she was tested against the boys in the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown the following month, and did well to finish fifth. 

Year	Horse	Odds	Jockey	Trainer
2023	You Wear It Well	16/1	Gavin Sheehan	Jamie Snowden
2022	Love Envoi	15/2	Jonathan Burke	Harry Fry
2021	Telmesomethinggirl	5/1	Rachael Blackmore	Henry de Bromhead
2020	Concertista	9/2	Daryl Jacob	Willie Mullins
2019	Eglantine Du Seuil	50/1	Noel Fehily	Willie Mullins
2018	Laurina	4/7F	Paul Townend	Willie Mullins
2017	Let’s Dance	11/8F	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2016	Limini	8/11F	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins

Other Races on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival

The Mares Novices’ Hurdle is part of the St Patricks’ Day celebration on Day 3, and it is the penultimate race of the day. Here are the rest of the races for Thursday at the Festival:

13:30 The Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

14:10 The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed)

14:50 The Ryanair Steeplechase (Grade 1)

15:30 The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

16:10 The Paddy Power Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Grade 3)

16:50 The Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

17:30 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (sponsored by the JRL Group) (0-145)