Top Novices’ Hurdle

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James Dooley

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The Top Novices Hurdle is a Grade 1 race for four-year-olds and upwards over two miles.

The Top Novices’ Hurdle takes place on the 12th of April 2024 at 2:55pm.

It takes place at the Aintree Grand National meeting in April and is often a target for horses that ran in the Supreme at the Cheltenham Festival.

Notable past winners include Browne’s Gazette (1984), Granville Again (1991), My Tent Or Yours (2013) and Buveur D’Air (2016).

Find out more about Top Novices Hurdle:

Top Novices’ Hurdle

Race Overview – The Top Novices Hurdle

Horses must be four years old or older to compete in the Grade One National Hunt hurdle race known as the Top Novices’ Hurdle.

There are nine hurdles to clear throughout the race, which is raced at Aintree over a distance of around 2 miles and a half furlong (2 miles and 103 yards, or 3,313 metres).

The novice hurdlers’ race is scheduled to take place each year in the first week of April during the Grand National meeting.

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Top Novices’ Hurdle Previous Winners

Check out the previous winners for this race:

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainer
2013My Tent Or Yours6Tony McCoyNicky Henderson
2014Josses Hill6Barry GeraghtyNicky Henderson
2015Cyrus Darius6Brian HughesMalcolm Jefferson
2016Buveur d’Air5Noel FehilyNicky Henderson
2017Pingshou7Robbie PowerColin Tizzard
2018Lalor6Richard JohnsonKayley Woollacott
2019Felix Desjy6Jack KennedyGordon Elliott
no race 2020 [b]
2021Belfast Banter6Kevin SextonPeter Fahey
2022Jonbon6Aidan ColemanNicky Henderson
2023Inthepocket6Rachael BlackmoreHenry de Bromhead

Top Novices’ Hurdle 2023 Result

Check out the latest result from this race:

Famous Top Novices Hurdle Winners

The Top Novices Hurdle is the two-mile championship race for novices at the Aintree Festival.

Remarkably, not horse has won the Supreme and the Top Novices Hurdle since Browne’s Gazette won it for Michael Dickinson in 1984. This is in part due to the lure of the Punchestown Festival with Supreme winners favouring that meeting.

The Top Novices Hurdle has been won by two subsequent Champion Hurdle winners in Granville Again (1991) and Buveur D’Air (2016). The latter won this race for Nicky Henderson who has a fine record in the event. Buveur D’Air was initially sent chasing but reverted to hurdles to claim two Champion Hurdle victories.

Henderson’s other winners include My Tent Or Yours. He won the valuable Betfair Hurdle, the Fighting Fifth, the Christmas Hurdle and was runner-up three times in the Champion Hurdle. The closest he came was in 2014 when beaten a neck by Jezki, both horses carrying the colours of JP McManus.

Key Top Novices Hurdle Trials

Seven of the last eleven winners of this race ran in the Supreme last time out. F

ive of those had been placed so this has proved a happy hunting ground for horses in the frame at Cheltenham.

Only two recent winners reappeared at the Punchestown Festival. Pingshou (2017) and Felix Desjy (2019) finished second and third respectively in the Champion Novice Hurdle at that meeting.

Four of the last eleven favourites have prevailed in this event and all were trained by Nicky Henderson; Darlan (2012) at 7-4, My Tent Or Yours (2013) at 4-11, Josses Hill (2014) at 6-4 and Jonbon (2022) at Evens. The Lambourn Trainer was also responsible for 11-4 second favourite Buveur D’Air (2016).

There have been a couple of shock results in recent times with Pingshou (2017) at 16-1 and Lalor (2018) at 14-1.

Six-year-olds have won seven of the last eleven renewals and an official rating of 141 or higher is usually required to win here.

The highest-rated winner in recent times was My Tent Or Yours (158).

Top Novices Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Nicky Henderson had not won this race until General Miller in 2010. He has since gone on to add a further five victories; Darlan (2012), My Tent Or Yours (2013), Josses Hill (2014), Buveur D’Air (2016) and Jonbon (2022).

Tony McCoy won this race five times; Fataliste (1998), Straw Bear (2006), Blythe Knight (2007), Darlan (2012) and My Tent Or Yours (2013).

Betting on the Top Novices Hurdle

The Top Novices Hurdle features some of the most promising hurdlers in training and the form of the Supreme Hurdle at Cheltenham has been a key factor.

Nicky Henderson’s recent record speaks for itself so any entries from his yard will be worth noting.

Top Novices’ Hurdle Facts

  • The Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses which are four-years-old or above.
  • It is run at Aintree over a distance of 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running, there are nine hurdles to be jumped.
  • The race is scheduled to take place each year in April.

Summary of the Top Novices’ Hurdle

Thank you for reading our Top Novices’ Hurdle guide.

One of the best novice hurdle races of the season, the Top Novices Hurdle has been won by some great horses over the year.

It is one of the highlights of the Aintree Festival.

Here are all the related articles to the Aintree Festival 2024.

If you do choose to bet, please bet responsibly.

James Dooley avatar
James Dooley
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur who founded British Racecourses because of his love for horse racing. James owns 14 racehorses through Dooley Thoroughbreds, so he understands all aspects of horse racing, from wagering bets, and booking jockeys to sourcing the best horse racing trainers. James Dooley’s connections give him inside information on horse racing tips and best chances of a winner.