FIRSTLY, THE SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE – THE RACE THAT OPENS THE FESTIVAL AT 1.30PM ON TUESDAY MARCH 12TH
SINCE 2013, WILLIE MULLINS’ HAS WON THE RACE 5 TIMES AND FINISHED SECOND THREE TIMES FROM 30 RUNNERS – HE FINISHED 2ND, 3RD, 5TH AND 6TH LAST YEAR
IRELAND HAS WON 14 OF THE LAST 23 RENEWALS – BUT ONLY 5 WERE RETURNED AS THE OUTRIGHT FAVOURITE
9 OF THE LAST 11 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 6/1 OR SHORTER BUT ONLY 2 WERE RETURNED AS THE OUTRIGHT FAV (PLUS 2 JOINT-FAVS)
NICKY HENDERSON HAS WON 2 OF THE LAST 4 AND 3 OF THE LAST 8
- THE ARKLE – 2:10PM, RACE 2 ON DAY 1
WILLIE MULLINS HAS WON THIS RACE 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 9 YEARS
IRELAND HAS WON 6 OF THE LAST 9
THE FAVOURITE HAS WON 9 OF THE LAST 12 ARKLES AND 7 OF THE LAST 12 WINNERS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AS THE ODDS-ON FAVOURITE
- ULTIMA HANDICAP CHASE – 2.50PM
THERE HAS BEEN JUST ONE WINNING-FAV IN THE LAST 14 YEARS (PLUS ONE JOINT-FAV, WHICH WAS CORACH RAMBLER LAST YEAR)
NO HORSE TRAINED IN IRELAND HAS WON IN THE LAST 14 YEARS
DAVID PIPE WON THIS IN 2016 AND 2017 AND SENT OUT THE SECOND IN 2022. HE MIGHT RUN JAMAICO THIS YEAR, WHO IS A BIG PRICE.
LUCINDA RUSSELL’S HORSES ARE RUNNING WELL AND SHE WON THIS RACE LAST YEAR WITH CORACH RAMBLER. SHE COULD HAVE TWO RUNNERS THIS YEAR.
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT NOBLE YEATS FINISHED NINTH IN 2022 OFF 147.
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- CHAMPION HURDLE – 3:30PM THE BIG RACE OF THE DAY
NINE WINNING FAVS IN THE LAST 13 YEARS
NICKY HENDERSON HAS WON 4 OF THE LAST 7
WILLIE MULLINS HAS WON 4 OF THE LAST 13
JUST 2 OF THE LAST 13 WINNERS HAD AN SP IN DOUBLE FIGURES – ESPOIR D’ALLEN (16/1, 2019) AND ROCK ON RUBY (11/1, 2012)
8 OF THE LAST 11 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 5/2 OR SHORTER
- THE CLOSE BROTHERS MARES HURDLE, 4:10PM
THIS RACE HAS BEEN WON BY IRELAND IN 13 OF THE 16 YEARS IT HAS BEEN STAGED
LOVE ENVOI WON THE GRADE 2 MARES’ NOVICES AT THE FESTIVAL IN 2022 AND FINISHED SECOND TO HONEYSUCKLE IN THIS RACE LAST YEAR – HER RECORD AT CHELTENHAM IS 122
MARIE’S ROCK IS TOUGH AND CLASSY AND IT WAS A GOOD EFFORT TO WIN THE RELKEEL HURDLE AT CHELTENHAM IN JAN 2023 OFF A BREAK – SHE COMES INTO THIS ON THE BACK OF A GRADE 2 HURDLE WIN AT DONCASTER, ALTHOUGH SHE FINISHED SEVENTH IN THIS RACE LAST YEAR
- 4.50PM – BOODLES JUVENILE HANDICAP HURDLE (THE FRED WINTER)
JUST ONE WINNING FAV IN THE LAST 11 YEARS
8 OF THE 11 HAVE BEEN RETURNED AT 10/1 OR BIGGER – LAST YEAR’S WINNER, JAZZY MATTY, WAS 18/1
6 OF THE 11 HAVE BEEN RETURNED AT 25/1 OR BIGGER – INCLUDING JEFF KIDDER AT 80/1 IN 2021
IRELAND HAS WON THE LAST 6 RUNNINGS OF THIS RACE, BUT ONLY ONE OF THEM WAS RETURNED AS THE FAV – BAND OF OUTLAWS (7/2) FOR JOSEPH O’BRIEN IN 2019
- THE MAUREEN MULLINS NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP, 5:30PM
THIS RACE HAS BEEN WON BY IRELAND IN 8 OF THE LAST 11 YEARS
WILLIE MULLINS (4) AND GORDON ELLIOTT (3) HAVE WON 7 OF THE LAST 11 BETWEEN THEM
WILLIE HAS WON THREE OF THE LAST 6 AND FOUR OF THE LAST 11
GORDON ELLIOTT HAS WON 3 OF THE LAST 9 (4 IF YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR GALVIN’S WIN IN 2021)
PRIOR TO LAST YEAR (GAILLARD DU MESNIL, 10/11 FAV), THE LAST WINNING FAV WAS BACK IN FOCUS (9/4, 2013) BUT SEVEN OF THE LAST 10 WINNERS WERE RETURNED AT 8/1 OR SHORTER, AND 5 OF THE LAST 9 AT 9/2 OR SHORTER
7YOS HAVE WON SIX OF THE LAST 9