The Dovecote Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2
National Hunt
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
aged four years or older. It is run at
Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for
novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession
A profession is a field of work that has ...
hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late February.
The race was first run in 1988 as a Listed event and was raised to Grade 2 in 1991.
The leading contenders sometimes go on to compete in the
Supreme Novices' Hurdle
The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of a ...
in March. The most recent horse to achieve victory in both events was Flown in 1992.
Records
Leading jockey (3 wins):
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Robert Thornton – ''Senorita Rumbelita (2006), Trenchant (2009), Grumeti (2012)''
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Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty (born 16 September 1979) is a retired Irish jockey. He is the second most successful jockey of all time at the Cheltenham Festival.
Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997 and three years later he became the Irish Champio ...
– ''Forgotten Voice (2013), Days of Heaven (2015), Winter Escape (2016)''
Leading
trainer (8 wins):
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Nicky Henderson
Nicholas John Henderson (born 10 December 1950) is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer six times.
Background
His father was Johnny Henderson who was one of the founders of the Racecourse Holdings Tru ...
– ''Over The Counter (1988), Flown (1992), Kimanicky (1996), Premier Generation (1999), Shatabdi (2007), Forgotten Voice (2013), Days of Heaven (2015), River Wylde (2017)''
gurWinners since 1988
See also
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Horse racing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British National Hunt races
A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or 3 status.
History of the National Hunt Patter ...
References
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Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
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** , , , {{Racing Post, 831465, 2023, 02, 25, 28
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pedigreequery.com– ''Dovecote Novices' Hurdle – Kempton.''
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Kempton Park Racecourse
National Hunt hurdle races
Recurring sporting events established in 1988
1988 establishments in England