The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1
National Hunt 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 on the Old Course at
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
over a distance of about 2 miles and ½
furlong (2 miles and 87 yards, or ), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for
novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the
Cheltenham Festival in March.
It is the first event on the opening day of the Festival, and its start is traditionally greeted by the "Cheltenham Roar", a loud cheer generated by the crowds of onlookers.
History
The race was originally called the Gloucestershire Hurdle, and it used to be split into two or three separate divisions. The Irish trainer
Vincent O'Brien recorded ten victories in the race during an eight-year spell in the 1950s.
It became known as the Lloyds Bank Champion Novices' Hurdle in 1974, when
Lloyds Bank began a brief period of sponsorship. Its present title was introduced when
Waterford Crystal started to back the race in 1978. This association continued until 1990, and since then the event has had several different sponsors. The current sponsor as of 2021 is the bookmaking company
Sky Bet.
Records
Leading jockey since 1972 (6 wins):
*
Ruby Walsh – ''Noland (2006), Al Ferof (2011), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019)''
Leading
trainer since 1972 (7 wins):
*
Willie Mullins – ''Tourist Attraction (1995), Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019), Appreciate It (2021)''
Winners since 1946
* ''Separate divisions of the race indicated by (1), (2) and (3).''
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
*
List of British National Hunt races
References
*
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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External links
''Supreme Novices' Hurdle – Cheltenham''Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database
*
* Race Recording
Supreme Novices' HurdleYouTube
{{Cheltenham Festival
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Cheltenham Racecourse
National Hunt hurdle races