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2026 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Preview
The Close Brothers Mares Hurdle grew in strength during the period when OLBG took up the sponsorship and developed the supporting 'OLBG Mares Road to Cheltenham' programme. Now a Grade 1 contest and with the Mares Novice race having been added to the festival in 2016, mares racing in the UK is looking stronger than ever.
Below we highlight some pointers, looking at trends and discussing the form to help you to find the winner of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle. Who are our racing tipsters tipping to win this year's Close Brothers Mares Hurdle?
Optimize your Close Brothers Mares Hurdle picks with our comprehensive analysis of previous race trends and trainer statistics, then explore the Cheltenham free bets for added value.
Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Information:
- Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Past Winners
- Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham then head over to the Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 18 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 115%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 127%, whilst on average over the last 18 renewals of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle, the over-round has been 121%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £121 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trends, see which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal, we also have a section that looks at the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Close Brothers Mares Hurdle over the last 18 renewals:
- Quevega (4:44.60) in 2014
- Vroum Vroum Mag (4:45.00) in 2016
- Maries Rock (4:45.40) in 2022
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 18 if you had followed the winner of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle next time out then you would have backed a total of 10 winners. Backing all 14 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of +17.04. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 18 renewals, it was Quevega, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by R Walsh who set the fastest winning time in the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle, the runner won the race in a time of 4:44.60 when winning the race in 2014. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer W P Mullins and jockey Paul Townend with Lossiemouth who set the slowest winning time, the race-winning time was 5:10.38 in the 2024 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
| Mares Hurdle 10 Mar @ 15:20 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lossiemouth | 3.00 | |
| Jade De Grugy | 5.00 | |
| Wodhooh | 6.00 | |
| Brighterdaysahead | 9.00 | |
| Kargese | 13.00 | |
Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:53.87 | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo 11-5 4/6F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 5:10.38 | Lossiemouth (FR) 5yo 11-5 8/13F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 5:05.13 | Honeysuckle (GB) 9yo 11-5 9/4F | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2022 4:45.40 | Maries Rock (IRE) 7yo 11-5 18/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2021 4:56.51 | Black Tears (GB) 7yo 11-5 11/1 | Jack Kennedy Mrs Denise Foster (IRE) |
| 2020 5:08.73 | Honeysuckle (GB) 6yo 11-5 9/4 | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2019 5:00.26 | Roksana (IRE) 7yo 11-5 10/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2018 5:10.10 | Benie Des Dieux (FR) 7yo 11-5 9/2 | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 4:50.20 | Apples Jade (FR) 5yo 11-5 7/2 | B J Cooper Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2016 4:45.00 | Vroum Vroum Mag (FR) 7yo 11-5 4/6F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 15 winners with an additional 20 placings from 91 runners
- GB: 3 winners with an additional 15 placings from 158 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle over the last 18 renewals is W P Mullins who has won the race eleven times with those eleven winners coming from Quevega (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014), Glens Melody (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016), Benie Des Dieux (2018) and Lossiemouth (2024 & 2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle is Henry De Bromhead (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Close Brothers Mares Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 18 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 40-11-20 | -10.18 | -8.35 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 9-2-4 | -2.50 | +2.90 |
| Nicky Henderson | 20-1-4 | -1.00 | -5.47 |
| Dan Skelton | 7-1-3 | +4.00 | +3.50 |
| Gordon Elliott | 7-1-4 | -2.50 | -0.70 |
| Donald McCain | 5-1-1 | +16.00 | +8.00 |
| Mrs Denise Foster | 1-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.60 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 9-0-1 | -9.00 | -8.50 |
| Alan King | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -3.70 |
| Harry Fry | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -4.30 |
Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle over the last 18 renewals is Paul Townend who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Glens Melody (2015) and Lossiemouth (2024 & 2025). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle is Rachael Blackmore (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Close Brothers Mares Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 18 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 11-3-8 | -0.71 | -0.27 |
| Rachael Blackmore | 7-2-4 | -0.50 | +3.40 |
| Harry Skelton | 7-1-3 | +4.00 | +3.50 |
| Nico de Boinville | 6-1-1 | +13.00 | +5.80 |
| Jack Kennedy | 5-1-3 | +7.00 | +4.05 |
| Danny Mullins | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -3.90 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Jonathan Burke | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.40 |
| Sean Bowen | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Mr P W Mullins | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2026 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, F, 1, 3, 3, F, 2, 2, 4, (1, 7), 1, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well.
- 18 / 18 (44%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 18 / 18 (57%) - Achieved a TS of 116+ (Non-Hcps)
- 18 / 18 (58%) - Carried 153 - 162lbs (Last Win)
- 18 / 18 (59%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 18 / 18 (60%) - Held an OR of 125+ (Last Win)
- 18 / 18 (65%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 18 / 18 (77%) - Ran in 2 - 7 races (1 Year)
- 18 / 18 (78%) - Ran in 7 - 22 races (Career)
- 18 / 18 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 128+ (Last Win)
- 18 / 18 (79%) - No bigger than 10/1 (LTO)
- 18 / 18 (80%) - Highest Won is not G3/Cl4-5
- 18 / 18 (81%) - Beaten no more -12½l (Debut)
- 18 / 18 (81%) - Not in a Handicap (LTO)
- 18 / 18 (82%) - Held an OR of 129+
- 18 / 18 (87%) - Placed within last 3 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Cheltenham racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 9+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +1.57 is when runners were 1st in the betting market.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Handicap last time out, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-48.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle is Punchestown, there has been a total number of 7 winners of this race who ran at Punchestown last time out. The next best course which has produced the second most winners is Leopardstown, there has been a total number of 3 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle:
- Robin Des Champs (6 Wins)
- Great Pretender (3 Wins)
- Sulamani (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Midnight Legend (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Alflora (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 7 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 18 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Whiteoak in 2008, winning for Donald McCain at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Jason Maguire. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 18 renewals there have been 10 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Lossiemouth Leopardstown - F of 5 (8/11) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2024 - Lossiemouth Cheltenham - 1st of 5 (4/7) | International Hurdle |
| 2023 - Honeysuckle Leopardstown - 2nd of 5 (11/8) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2022 - Maries Rock Warwick - 1st of 4 (6/4) | Virgin Bet Warwick Mares Hurdle |
| 2021 - Black Tears Punchestown - 1st of 5 (2/5) | Quevega Mares Hurdle |
| 2020 - Honeysuckle Leopardstown - 1st of 9 (8/11) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2019 - Roksana Sandown - 3rd of 5 (10/1) | 888Sport Contenders Hurdle |
| 2018 - Benie Des Dieux Naas - 1st of 6 (1/1) | BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares Chase |
| 2017 - Apples Jade Punchestown - 2nd of 6 (2/5) | Quevega Mares Hurdle |
| 2016 - Vroum Vroum Mag Ascot - 1st of 10 (4/6) | OLBG.com Mares Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, the feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Coral Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last best up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Close Brothers Mares Hurdle Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
