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2026 Mersey Novices Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in April of each year at the Aintree racecourse is the Mersey Novices Hurdle, a Grade 1 hurdle that takes place during the Grand National meeting.
The race is open to runners aged four or older who came into the season without a win over hurdles, the race is run over a trip of two miles and four furlongs where the runners will face eleven hurdles.
Mersey Novices Hurdle Information:
- Mersey Novices Hurdle Past Winners
- Mersey Novices Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Mersey Novices Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Our dedicated Aintree tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Mersey Novices Hurdle but will also have predictions for each meeting at Aintree throughout the season so be sure to head over there. We cover every race at the Aintree Grand National Meeting and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
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How competitive is the Mersey Novices Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2013 when the race had an over-round of 114%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 124%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Mersey Novices Hurdle, the over-round has been 117%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £117 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Mersey Novices 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 Mersey Novices Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Mersey Novices Hurdle over the last 20 renewals:
- Nichols Canyon (4:45.80) in 2015
- Irish Point (4:50.05) in 2023
- Reserve Tank (4:50.30) in 2019
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Mersey Novices Hurdle next time out then you would have backed a total of 10 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of +6.31. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Mersey Novices Hurdle remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2005 renewal when Turpin Green from Nicky Richards under the guidance of Tony Dobbin, won in a time of 5:11.60, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Nichols Canyon, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by R Walsh set the quickest time of 4:45.80 in the 2015 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Mersey Novices Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Mersey Novices 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 Mersey Novices Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:55.83 | Honesty Policy (IRE) 5yo 11-7 5/1 | Mark Walsh Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2024 5:04.76 | Brighterdaysahead (FR) 5yo 11-0 6/5F | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2023 4:50.05 | Irish Point (FR) 5yo 11-7 5/1 | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2022 4:55.21 | Three Stripe Life (IRE) 6yo 11-4 5/2F | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2021 4:55.36 | My Drogo (GB) 6yo 11-4 5/4F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2019 4:50.30 | Reserve Tank (IRE) 5yo 11-4 20/1 | Robbie Power Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2018 5:04.70 | Black Op (IRE) 7yo 11-4 3/1 | Noel Fehily Tom George (GB) |
| 2017 4:51.40 | Finians Oscar (IRE) 5yo 11-4 3/1F | Robbie Power Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2016 5:10.10 | Yorkhill (IRE) 6yo 11-4 30/100F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2015 4:45.80 | Nichols Canyon (GB) 5yo 11-4 3/1F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Mersey Novices Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 14 winners with an additional 36 placings from 176 runners
- IRE: 6 winners with an additional 4 placings from 34 runners
Mersey Novices Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Mersey Novices Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Gordon Elliott who has won the race four times with those four winners coming from Three Stripe Life (2022), Irish Point (2023), Brighterdaysahead (2024) and Honesty Policy (2025). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Mersey Novices Hurdle are Paul Nicholls (3 wins), Nicky Henderson (2 wins) and W P Mullins (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Mersey Novices Hurdle, Alan King has sent a total of 14 runners to the race without recording any wins whilst Nigel Twiston-Davies has sent out 10 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Mersey Novices Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Elliott | 7-4-5 | +10.70 | +7.72 |
| Paul Nicholls | 15-3-8 | -0.50 | +0.45 |
| Nicky Henderson | 15-2-5 | -9.56 | -8.72 |
| W P Mullins | 9-2-3 | -3.70 | -3.31 |
| Donald McCain | 8-1-4 | -5.75 | -2.45 |
| Nicky Richards | 7-1-3 | +8.00 | +6.80 |
| Dan Skelton | 6-1-5 | -3.75 | +2.25 |
| Gary Moore | 4-1-1 | +19.00 | +10.20 |
| Emma Lavelle | 2-1-1 | +15.00 | +7.00 |
| Tom George | 2-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.80 |
Mersey Novices Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top Mersey Novices Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Skelton | 6-1-5 | -3.75 | +2.25 |
| Paul Townend | 6-1-1 | -4.70 | -4.81 |
| Mark Walsh | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.00 |
| Jack Kennedy | 1-1-1 | +1.20 | +0.72 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-0-4 | -7.00 | +0.50 |
| Brian Hughes | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.30 |
| Nico de Boinville | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -5.23 |
| Sean Bowen | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | +2.60 |
| Harry Cobden | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -1.80 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
2026 Mersey Novices Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, (1, 2), 5, 3, 5, 1, 2, 1, 6, 1, 1, 1, 1, 6, 3, 1, 1, 3, 1, 7
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.
- 20 / 20 (66%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 20 / 20 (70%) - Achieved an RPR of 128+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Off a break of 20 - 54 days
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 93+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 3 - 8 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Highest Run is not G3/LST/Cl2/Cl6
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Beaten no more -13l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Beaten no more -25l (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (77%) - Held an OR of 130+
- 19 / 20 (82%) - Break of 20 - 157 days (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - Not fallen (Career)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Furthest Won 2m - 2m5½f
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 11/1 (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (89%) - Not fallen (Season)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Aintree racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Mersey Novices 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 Mersey Novices Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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Mersey Novices Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +46.74 is when runners ran over 2m5f last time out.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip run of 2m4½f, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-30.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Mersey Novices Hurdle is Cheltenham, there has been a total number of 12 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 199 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 11 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Mersey Novices Hurdle:
- Kapgarde (2 Wins)
- Oscar (2 Wins)
- Presenting (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Mersey Novices Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Fame And Glory (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Westerner (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Ubak in 2013, winning for Gary Moore at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of Jamie Moore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 10 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Mersey Novices Hurdle head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters today.
Route to the Mersey Novices Hurdle
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Mersey Novices Hurdle, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Honesty Policy Leopardstown - 1st of 5 (4/9) | Connollys RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Novice Hurdle |
| 2024 - Brighterdaysahead Cheltenham - 2nd of 8 (5/6) | Mares Novices Hurdle |
| 2023 - Irish Point Naas - 1st of 6 (1/4) | Bar One Racing "Guaranteed Overnight Prices" Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle |
| 2022 - Three Stripe Life Cheltenham - 2nd of 9 (8/1) | Turners Novices Hurdle |
| 2021 - My Drogo Kelso - 1st of 7 (2/1) | Premier Kelso Hurdle |
| 2019 - Reserve Tank Kempton - 1st of 4 (11/4) | Matchbook Betting Podcast Novices Hurdle |
| 2018 - Black Op Cheltenham - 2nd of 14 (8/1) | Turners Novices Hurdle |
| 2017 - Finians Oscar Exeter - 1st of 5 (1/16) | Free Bet At 188Bet Novices Hurdle |
| 2016 - Yorkhill Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (3/1) | Turners Novices Hurdle |
| 2015 - Nichols Canyon Cheltenham - 3rd of 10 (7/2) | Turners Novices Hurdle |
Schedule for Thursday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
The three-day Grand National meeting kicks off on Thursday with four Grade 1 events on the seven-race card which features both the Aintree Hurdle and the Bowl Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:45 Aintree Manifesto Novices Chase | Impaire Et Passe (FR) 7yo - 9/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:20 Aintree Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle | Murcia (FR) 4yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:55 Aintree Bowl Chase | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 7yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 15:30 Aintree Aintree Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 5/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:05 Aintree Foxhunters Chase | Gracchus De Balme (FR) 9yo - 22/1 | J J O'Shea Mr Huw Edwards |
| 16:40 Aintree Red Rum Handicap Chase | Sans Bruit (FR) 7yo - 5/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 17:15 Aintree Nickel Coin Mares Bumper | Seo Linn (IRE) 5yo - 15/8 | P Twomey W J Lee |
Schedule for Friday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
Day 2 of the Grand National meeting is Ladies Day or Fabulous Friday, the highlights on the track being the Melling Chase plus there is the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:45 Aintree Mildmay Novices Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 11/4 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:20 Aintree National Meeting 2m4f Handicap Hurdle | Wellington Arch (GB) 6yo - 14/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:55 Aintree Top Novices Hurdle | Salvator Mundi (FR) 5yo - 7/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:30 Aintree Melling Chase | Jonbon (FR) 9yo - 4/6 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 16:05 Aintree Topham Chase | Gentleman De Mee (FR) 9yo - 14/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Aintree Sefton Novices Hurdle | Julius Des Pictons (FR) 6yo - 14/1 | Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan |
| 17:15 Aintree National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle | Shes A Saint (IRE) 8yo - 25/1 | Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell |
Schedule for Saturday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
The Grand National is obviously the showpiece of the Aintree meeting and day 3 also includes three Grade 1 events, the feature of those being the Liverpool Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Aintree National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle | Deep Cave (IRE) 7yo - 28/1 | Christian Williams Jack Tudor |
| 13:55 Aintree Mersey Novices Hurdle | Honesty Policy (IRE) 5yo - 5/1 | Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh |
| 14:30 Aintree Freebooter Handicap Chase | Cruz Control (FR) 8yo - 10/1 | Tom Lacey Stan Sheppard |
| 15:05 Aintree Liverpool Hurdle | Hiddenvalley Lake (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| 16:00 Aintree Grand National | Nick Rockett (IRE) 8yo - 33/1 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 17:00 Aintree Maghull Novices Chase | Kalif Du Berlais (FR) 5yo - 15/8 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 17:35 Aintree Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race | Green Splendour (GB) 5yo - 100/30 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Mersey Novices Hurdle Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. 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.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
