Leamington Novices’ Hurdle

The Leamington Novices Hurdle is a Grade 2 race over two miles and five furlongs at Warwick in January.

It is regarded as a trial for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. No Refuge (2005), The New One (2013) and Willoughby Court (2017) all won both races.

Inglis Drever won this event in 2004 and would go on to win the Stayers Hurdle three times while other notable winners include Carruthers (2008) and Thomas Hobson (2016).

Find out more about the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle:

Race Overview – Leamington Novices Hurdle

Horses five years old and older may compete in the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race at Warwick, it is run over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 5 furlongs (4,225 metres), and eleven hurdles must be cleared.

The novice hurdlers’ race is due to take place in January each year.

Famous Leamington Novices Hurdle Winners

The Leamington Novices Hurdle was first run in 2002 with victory going to Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy with Classified.

The race was abandoned due to frost the following season but was back with a bang in 2004 when Inglis Drever won for Howard Johnson and Graham Lee.

Inglis Drever went on to win the World Hurdle (now Stayers Hurdle) in 2005, 2007 and 2008. His other career wins include three Long Distance Hurdles, the Kingwell Hurdle and the Cleeve Hurdle. The same combination returned with No Refuge the following season, the first of three subsequent winners of the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The New One followed the same route in 2013 for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies. He finished an unlucky third in the Champion Hurdle the following year and would go on to earn over £1 million in prize money. He won half of his forty career starts including four Champion Hurdle Trials at Haydock, three International Hurdles and the Aintree Hurdle.

2017 winner Willoughby Court also won the Ballymore at Cheltenham while other notable winners here include Carruthers (2008) and Thomas Hobson (2016). Carruthers won the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury while Thomas Hobson made his mark on the level. Willie Mullins trained him to win the Ascot Stakes in 2017 and the Grade 2 Doncaster Cup in 2018.

Key Leamington Novices Hurdle Trials

Winners of this race come from a wide variety of races but it is worth noting that nine of the last twelve had won on their previous start.

Previous course form is also a factor with four of them having raced at least once here previously.

The Ballymore Novices Hurdle is the big target at the Cheltenham Festival for winners of this race. Three have gone on to win that race and six of the last twelve winners have run in the Ballymore.

Five ran in the three-mile Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham but all were beaten.

Leamington Novices Hurdle Betting Trends

The last twelve winners of this race have all been in the first three in the betting. There were four winning favourites, six second favourites and two third favourites.

The New One was the shortest-priced winner at 1-2 while the longest price was 6-1, shared by Three Musketeers (2015) and Beakstown (2019).

Six five-year-olds and six six-year-olds have won the last twelve renewals while an official rating of 127 or higher is usually required to win this.

The New One was the highest-rated winner in recent years on 143.

Leamington Novices Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Four trainers have won this race twice; Howard Johnson, Emma Lavelle, Nigel Twiston-Davies and Dan Skelton.

Skelton’s winners were Three Musketeers (2015) and Beakstown (2019). Harry Skelton rode both horses to draw level with two-time race winner Graham Lee (Inglis Drever and No Refuge).

Facts about the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle

• The Leamington Novices’ Hurdle is a National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older.
• It is run on the New Course at Warwick Racecourse, and it is scheduled to take place each year in January.
• The race is run over a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs.
• The race is scheduled to take place on the second day of the Warwick Winter Festival, which is held in late January or early February.

Summary of the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle

Thank you for reading our Leamington Novices’ Hurdle guide.

We have looked at trends, betting, tips and more so you have all the information you need whether you are looking to place a bet or simply enjoy this quality race.

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