Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

The Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is a National Hunt race held every year on Cheltenham Racecourse. It’s part of the Cheltenham Festival’s third day, which is also St. Patrick’s Day. The event is the second to last race, after the Festival Plate and before the Kim Muir.

This Grade 2 race is a recent addition to the Festival’s schedule, with the first Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle was held in 2016. As with any Cheltenham Festival race, it draws sizable attention from punters.

That interest is partially due to being a high-level showcase for young novice mares.

Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle: Betting Odds

Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle: Tips, Predictions and Previews

As the day of the race draws near, betting lines are bound to shift following news and developments. However, one thing is clear: horses trained by Willie Mullins tend to dominate. Mullins-trained mares have won the competition every year since its inception.

That’s why the bookies heavily favour Shewearsitwell. This 5-year-old Irish foal was trained by Mullins and is in top form. With three victories in three runs in Ireland, the mare is in excellent shape.

Not too far behind in the odds is Gypsy Island, trained by Peter Fahey. Also a five-year-old Irish mare, the horse had three victories in three runs in 2019. However, she hasn’t run at all in 2020.

Closing off the top 3 favourites is Hook-Up, a French 4-year-old filly also trained by Willie Mullins. While less experienced than Shewearsitwell or Gypsy Island, Hook Up did win at Fairyhouse this November. The horse narrowly missed the top 10 at Cheltenham back in March.

Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle: Recent Winners