Cheltenham Festival: Antepost Tips For The Novice Hurdles

We’re now six weeks out from the headline week of the National Hunt season, the Cheltenham Festival.

Our blog looks at the ante post markets for the four Novice Hurdle races at the Cheltenham Festival.

Check out our weekly Cheltenham Festival antepost picks here!

A reminder that we are offering our ‘Non-Runner Money Back’ offer on all 28 races at the Festival, as well as ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ across all UK and Irish racing from 8am onwards on the day.

Check out our Non Runner Money Back markets

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

The opening race of the Festival is always a thrilling spectacle, setting the tone for the week with an electrifying atmosphere and that famous Tuesday roar. History suggests a strong form trend, with 10 of the last 12 winners having triumphed in their previous outing—an encouraging stat for many of this year’s early entries.

Currently leading the market are Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba and Willie Mullins’ Salvator Mundi, both priced at 3/1. Of the two, Lulamba’s impressive UK debut makes a compelling case, drawing plenty of attention.

Though also entered in the Triumph Hurdle, the 3/1 odds for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle coupled with our non-runner money back offer, could make him a smart pick. If he lines up for the opener, he just might prove to be the class act of the field.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle

Gordon Elliott’s The Yellow Clay has seen significant market support since his impressive victory in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s at Naas in early January, and is now as short as 6/1 for the Cheltenham Festival.

The current favourite, however, is The New Lion, who stormed to victory in the Challow Hurdle and has since been snapped up by none other than JP McManus for a hefty sum—rumoured to be in the region of seven figures.

As we all know, running in the iconic McManus silks at Cheltenham is never a bad thing, and with Dan Skelton speaking positively about his chances, it’s no surprise to see him as short as 2/1.

Looking further down the market for some value, Henry de Bromhead’s The Big Westerner stands out. She made an eye-catching hurdles debut at Punchestown, followed by an authoritative win in the Grade 2 Lyons of Limerick a month later.

Historically, this is a key trend to note—10 of the last 12 winners of this race had already secured at least one Grade 1–3 victory. At 12/1, she could be an excellent each-way prospect.

Mares Novices’ Hurdle

Willie Mullins’ Maughreen currently leads the market at 5/2 following her recent Maiden Hurdle victory at Punchestown. However, given the competitive nature of this race, that price might be on the short side.

One horse who stands out as a strong contender is Sixandahalf, trained by William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell. Sitting as the second favourite, she could very well be the one to beat.

Her hurdle debut was arguably more impressive than Maughreen’s, and if you swapped the trainers’ names, we might well be seeing a shift in the market. At 4/1, Cromwell’s mare represents solid value, making her a tempting option for those looking beyond the favourite.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

This year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle looks to be a wide-open contest, and at this early stage, it’s still difficult to know which novices will line up. That’s why the non-runner money back offer is particularly useful in these races.

The Albert Bartlett has a history of producing big-priced winners, with Stellar Story landing the race at 33/1 last year—a reminder that value can often be found further down the market.

One horse that stands out at a bigger price is Deryhassen Paddy, trained by another William Hil ambassador, Lucinda Russell.

He secured victory in the Berkshire Winter Million Stakes at Windsor, just doing enough to maintain his unbeaten record. With Cheltenham’s more galloping track likely to suit him, he could be a lively each-way contender at 20/1.

William Hill are Non Runner Money Back on all 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival