Rising Stars Novices’ Chase

The Hyde Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 race over two miles and five furlongs at Cheltenham in November.

The race often features possible contenders for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Notable past winners include Black Jack Ketchum (2005), Diamond Harry (2008), Fingal Bay (2011), Coneygree (2012) and Thyme Hill (2019).

Find out more about the Rising Stars Novices Chase:

Race Overview

In Great Britain, horses must be four years old or older to compete in the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase steeplechase.

There are seventeen fences to jump throughout the race, which is held at Wincanton over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 4 furlongs (2 miles, 4 furlongs, and 35 yards, or 4,225 metres).

The novice chasers’ race is slated to take place in early November each year.

Famous Hyde Novices’ Hurdle Winners

This race was first run in 1996 with victory going to Nicky Henderson’s Hunting Lore. 2005 winner Black Jack Ketchum went on to win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for Jonjo O’Neill and Tony McCoy.

2008 winner Diamond Harry finished third in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. He went on to win the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Fingal Bay (2011) recorded his biggest success in the 2014 Pertemps Network Final when he defied 11st 12lbs.

The most famous winner of the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle was Coneygree in 2012. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a novice in 2015, the first horse to do so since Captain Christy in 1974. Thyme Hill added his name to the roll of honour in 2019 and went on to become one of the highest rated staying hurdlers in the country.

Key Hyde Novices’ Hurdle Trials

Four of the last twelve winners ran in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow, two of them completing the double. Fingal Bay won both races in 2011, as did Thyme Hill in 2019. Timesremembered (2013) and Blaklion (2014) both finished runner-up at Chepstow.

Hyde Novices’ Hurdle winners do well on their next outing, six of the last twelve being successful. Two won the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury and two won the Bristol Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. Fingal Bay (2011) and On The Blind Side (2017) went on to win the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on their next start.

Hyde Novices’ Hurdle Betting Trends

Five and six-year-olds have accounted for the last eighteen winners of this race. Tarxien (2001) and Brewster (2004) won at the age of seven while Majestic (1999), Sheer Genius (2000) and Jollyolly (2003) were successful as four-year-olds.

Only three of the last twelve favourites were successful; Fingal Bay (2011), Thyme Hill (2019) and Does He Know (2020). Nine of those winners featured in the first three in the betting. The longest priced winner during that period was Parlour Games (2014) at 10-1.

Hyde Novices’ Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Philip Hobbs has won the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle three times; Tidal Force (1997), Massini’s Maguire (2006) and Fingal Bay (2011). Nicky Henderson won the inaugural race in 1996 with Hunting Lore but had to wait until On The Blind Side for his second victory in 2017.

Tony McCoy won the race a record four times including three successive seasons with Tarxien (2001), Taming (2002) and Jollyolly (2003). His final victory came aboard Black Jack Ketchum in 2005.

Rising Stars Novices’ Chase Previous Result

Take a look at this result from Wincanton Racecourse:

Summary of the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase

Thank you for reading our Rising Stars Novices’ Chase guide.

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