You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle Preview
Get ready for the Cheltenham roar, the opening race of the Festival is the Supreme Novices Hurdle!
First run in 1946 as the Gloucestershire Hurdle, it was renamed to its current name in 1978. It is run over 2m½f on the old course at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the race being restricted to novices and often producing winners who continue to shine at the Festival in future years.
This race is the ultimate star-maker. Legends like Constitution Hill (who won by 22 lengths in a record time in 2022), Altior, and Douvan all started their legendary careers by winning this curtain-raiser.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle will hold the title of 'Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle'.
Uncover Supreme Novices' Hurdle winning strategies through our deep dive into past race patterns and trainer performance, and supercharge your bets with these top free bets for Cheltenham.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Information:
- Supreme Novices' Hurdle Past Winners
- Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Supreme Novices' Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Our dedicated Cheltenham tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Cheltenham throughout the season, so be sure to head over there. 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 2026
How competitive is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2007 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 130%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Supreme Novices' 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 Supreme 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 Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Supreme Novices' Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Constitution Hill (3:44.35) in 2022
- Altior (3:46.00) in 2016
- Vautour (3:46.40) in 2014
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 9 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -7.36. Ahead of the 2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:44.35 was set by Constitution Hill in 2022, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2024 when Slade Steel won in a time of 4:12.87 for trainer Henry De Bromhead, who booked Rachael Blackmore in the saddle.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Supreme Novices' Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Supreme Novices' Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:52.04 | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo 11-7 4/6F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 4:12.87 | Slade Steel (IRE) 6yo 11-7 7/2 | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2023 3:59.69 | Marine Nationale (IRE) 6yo 11-7 9/2 | Michael O'Sullivan Barry Connell (IRE) |
| 2022 3:44.35 | Constitution Hill (GB) 5yo 11-7 9/4F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2021 3:56.32 | Appreciate It (IRE) 7yo 11-7 8/11F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2020 4:08.20 | Shishkin (IRE) 6yo 11-7 6/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2019 3:59.56 | Klassical Dream (FR) 5yo 11-7 6/1 | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2018 4:05.00 | Summerville Boy (IRE) 6yo 11-7 9/1 | Noel Fehily Tom George (GB) |
| 2017 3:53.20 | Labaik (FR) 6yo 11-7 25/1 | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2016 3:46.00 | Altior (IRE) 6yo 11-7 4/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 12 winners with an additional 17 placings from 131 runners
- GB: 8 winners with an additional 23 placings from 176 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2025 Supreme Novices' Hurdle Replay
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race seven times, with those seven winners coming from Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019), Appreciate It (2021) and Kopek Des Bordes (2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is Nicky Henderson (3 wins).
Here are the Supreme Novices' Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 | 54-7-14 | +10.90 | -8.67 |
| Nicky Henderson | 30-3-15 | -14.75 | -8.81 |
| Gordon Elliott | 11-1-5 | +15.00 | +8.27 |
| Barry Connell | 2-1-2 | +3.50 | +3.00 |
| Alan King | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -6.50 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Paul Nolan | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Dan Skelton | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Nico de Boinville, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Altior (2016), Shishkin (2020) and Constitution Hill (2022). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is Paul Townend (2 wins).
Here are the Supreme Novices' Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico de Boinville (Old Park Star) | 7-3-4 | +8.25 | +4.65 |
| Paul Townend (Leader dAllier) | 16-2-4 | -12.60 | -11.04 |
| Jack Kennedy (El Cairos) | 7-1-5 | +19.00 | +12.60 |
| Harry Cobden (Too Bossy For Us) | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Mark Walsh (Mighty Park) | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -2.17 |
| J J Slevin (Talk The Talk) | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Sean Flanagan (Eachtotheirown) | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.70 |
| Harry Skelton (Mydaddypaddy) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Sean O'Keeffe (Sageborough) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 5, 3, (2, 11, 12), 5, 3, 4, 7, 2, (1, 9), 1, 2, (2, 4), 11, (4, 10), 4, 1, (1, F), 2, 8, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion 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 (50%) - Highest Won is not Cl3-6
- 20 / 20 (62%) - Not in a Cl4-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - No bigger than 40/1
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Not in a Cl4-6 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - No bigger than 20/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Had 2 - 5 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Carried 154 - 166lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Break of 16 - 121 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran over 2m - 2m4f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 121/5 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 2 - 5 placings (Season)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Highest Run is not Cl3-5
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Place)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Within the first 14 of the market
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not BB/CH/RO in colour
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Supreme 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 Supreme Novices' Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trend Shortlist
Cheltenham will host the 2026 renewal of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which will be run at 1:20 pm on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Sober Glory (14/1)
- Philip Hobbs & Johnson White (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- Ben Jones (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: Baron Noir (14/15), Koktail Brut (14/15), Mydaddypaddy (14/15), Old Park Star (14/15), Talk The Talk (14/15), Eachtotheirown (13/15), Leader dAllier (13/15), El Cairos (9/15), Mighty Park (9/15), Too Bossy For Us (7/15) and Sageborough (6/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:31 am Sunday 8th March 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Talk The Talk won the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle last time out, and a total of 9 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of +8.26.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +15.42, is when runners had 1 career start in the class.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Class 4 when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-91.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 303 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 6 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Galileo (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Oscar (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Ebaziyan in 2007, winning for W P Mullins at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Davy Condon. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Kopek Des Bordes Leopardstown - 1st of 10 (4/5) | Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle |
| 2024 - Slade Steel Leopardstown - 2nd of 10 (6/1) | Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle |
| 2023 - Marine Nationale Fairyhouse - 1st of 8 (11/2) | Royal Bond Novice Hurdle |
| 2022 - Constitution Hill Sandown - 1st of 6 (2/5) | Formby Novices' Hurdle |
| 2021 - Appreciate It Leopardstown - 1st of 13 (1/3) | Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle |
| 2020 - Shishkin Huntingdon - 1st of 5 (1/2) | Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices Hurdle |
| 2019 - Klassical Dream Leopardstown - 1st of 7 (9/4) | Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle |
| 2018 - Summerville Boy Sandown - 1st of 5 (8/1) | Formby Novices' Hurdle |
| 2017 - Labaik Naas - 6th of 7 (12/1) | Paddy Power Onside App Novice Hurdle |
| 2016 - Altior Kempton - 1st of 10 (11/8) | William Hill On Your Mobile Novices 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 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 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 BetMGM 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 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 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 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 the 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 fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Supreme Novices' Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in January
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
