Prestige Novices’ Hurdle

The Prestige Novices Hurdle is a Grade 2 race over just short of three miles at Haydock Park in February.

The race is now sponsored by Albert Bartlett and is considered an important trial for their three-mile novice event at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Notable past winners include Grand National winners Miinnehoma (1990) and Neptune Collonges (2006).

Find out more about the Prestige Hurdle:

Race Overview – The Prestige Hurdle

Horses four years old and older may compete in the Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle competition known as the Prestige Novices’ Hurdle in Great Britain.

There are twelve hurdles to clear throughout the race, which is raced at Haydock Park over a distance of around 2 miles and 7 furlongs (2 miles, 6 furlongs, and 177 yards, or 4,588 metres).

This event is a main event to take place in February 2024.

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Prestige Novices’ Hurdle Previous Result

Check out the latest result from this race:

Famous Prestige Novices Hurdle Winners

The Prestige Novices Hurdle was originally run at Newbury in 1977 as the Philip Cornes Saddle of Gold Stayers Novices Hurdle Final. It was then run at Chepstow from 1992 until switching to Haydock in 2001. Early winners include the high-class Gaye Chance (1981) and Pike’s Peak (1986).

In 1990 it was won by Martin Pipe’s Miinnehoma. He famously went on to win the 1994 Aintree Grand National for owner comedian Freddie Star. The Prestige produced a second subsequent Grand National winner in 2006 in Neptune Collonges. The grey also won the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2007 and 2008 before his memorable photo-finish victory at Aintree in 2012.

2003 winner Iris’s Gift won the Sefton Novices Hurdle at Aintree. He would almost certainly have won one of the novice events at Cheltenham but took his chance in the World Hurdle instead when finishing runner-up to Baracouda. He went one better the following season and also claimed the Liverpool Hurdle.

Other notable winners of the Prestige include Brindisi Breeze (2012), Definitly Red (2015) and Lisnagar Oscar (2019). The latter was a shock 50-1 winner of the Stayers Hurdle, beating a field that included Paisley Park, Apple’s Jade and Penhill.

Key Prestige Novices Hurdle Trials

There are no obvious trials for the Prestige Novices Hurdle but it may be worth noting that nine of the last twelve winners had won their most recent start.

The same number had already won over three miles and had at least two previous wins over hurdles.

The Albert Bartlett is the main target for winners of this race at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nine of the last twelve winners ran in that race, although only Brindisi Breeze (2012) was successful.

Prestige Novices Hurdle Betting Trends

There have been four winning favourites and one successful joint-favourite in the last twelve seasons. Brindisi Breeze returned 9-2 joint-favourite.

The winning outright favourites were Two Rockers (2013), Chef Des Obeaux (2018), Ramses De Teillee (2020) and Hillcrest (2022).

Back In Focus (2011) was a shock winner at 16-1 but the only recent winner outside the first three in the betting was 8-1 chance Jonniesofa in 2016.

Six-year-olds have the best record in the race. T

he oldest winner was the eleven-year-old Rothko in 1992.

Prestige Novices Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys

The Prestige has been won by a wide range of trainers.

Howard Johnson trained the winner three times between 2004 and 2011.

Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have two winners apiece.

It is a similar story among the jockeys. Peter Scudamore and Mark Pitman both rode the winner twice between 1988 and 1991 but every subsequent renewal has gone to a different rider.

Betting on the Prestige Novices Hurdle

The Prestige Novices Hurdle is usually won by a high-class performer, although it has not produced the winner of the Albert Bartlett since the ill-fated Brindisi Breeze in 2012.

The first three in the market have dominated and the winner often goes on to make its mark over fences.

Facts about the Prestige Novices’ Hurdle

• The Prestige Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older.
• It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 7 furlongs, and during its running, there are 12 hurdles to be jumped.
• It was first to run in 1977.

Summary of the Prestige Novices’ Hurdle

Thank you for reading our Prestige Novices’ Hurdle guide.

The race is often an informative one, won by horses who go on  to perform well at the major jumps racing festivals including Cheltenham and Aintree.

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