When is the Mares Novices Hurdle 2020?

Cheltenham Thursday 12th March 4.50pm

Festival Mares Novices Hurdle (Grade 2) (4yo+)

Distance: 2 miles 1 Furlongs

Weights: 10st 8lbs (4yo), 11st 2lbs (5yo+)

Penalties: 5 lb for winners of Class 1 wfa hurdle, 3 lb for winners of Class 2 wfa, 3 lb for winners of Class 1 handicap hurdle

The penultimate race on day three is registered as the Dawn Run Mares Novice Hurdle but now that Tattersalls is the sponsor the official title is “National Hunt Breeders Supported By Tattersalls Mares Novices Hurdle”, this was inaugurated in 2016 and it is a novice hurdle open to fillies and mares aged four years old or over.

It is run on the new course over a distance of about two miles and one furlong with eight hurdles to be jumped, winners of this will likely compete in the Mares Hurdle in future years.

Mares Novices Hurdle Trends and Statistics

Here are the Festival Mares Novices Hurdle Statistics and Trends

With only four years data we don’t have a lot to go on but here goes:

• Trainer: All four winners to date have been trained by Willie Mullins.
• Age: All four were aged five.
• Starting Price: Three of the four were sent off  short priced favourite.
• Last Run: Three of the four won on their previous run. Three of the four had run within 47 days.
• Distance Form: All four had run at least once and won at least once over between 1m 7f and 2m 1f.
• Hurdle Form: All four had at least two hurdle runs and at least one hurdle win.
• Graded form: Three of the four had won at least a Grade 3 race.

Who are the Mares Novices Hurdle Leading Contenders?

The leading contenders for the Festival Mares Novices Hurdle 2020 are:

•  MINELLA MELODY
  
• LAMARCKISE
• COLREEVY
• FLORESSA
• DOLCITA

What’s Keith’s Mares Novices Hurdle Tips for 2020?

Here is Keith’s tip for the 2020 Mares Novices Hurdle.

With this race having only been around for the last four years, we do not yet have the in-depth statistics and trends that I like to study and uncover the hidden gems, as I can with the other races at the Festival.

The claims of Willie Mullins are hard to ignore having won all four renewals, and he is likely to saddle the ex-French LAMARCKISE, who has won on her only start in Ireland.

There is a stronger contender likely to be lining up in the race though, the Henry De Bromhead trained MINELLA MELODY, who is three from three over hurdles, including the Grade 3 Solerina at Fairyhouse in January. Leading narrowly before the last, she extended her advantage on the run up to the line in the capable hands of Rachael Blackmore.

 

My selection for the Mares Novices Hurdle 2020 is: MINELLA MELODY 3/1 (NRNB).

As this article is written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to St Patricks Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 3. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 3 card, and his final Day 3 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 3 tips (including for this race) on the morning of St Patricks Day.

What was Keith’s Mares Novices Hurdle Tip for 2019?

For the 2019 Mares Novices Hurdle, Free Racing Tips Tipster Keith advised:

Anti-post favourite is the unbeaten HONEYSUCKLE trained by Henry De Bromhead but the one for me is MY SISTER SARAH who has won 3 from 4 and is taken to continue the tremendous record of Willie Mullins in the race.

My selection MY SISTER SARAH 14/1 each way.

Result: MY SISTER SARAH unplaced (13/22) she was never travelling properly in midfield and dropped to the back of the field but picked up a few places towards the finish under pressure.

Mares Novices Hurdle Previous Winners

• 2016 Limini 5 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
  
• 2017 Let’s Dance 5 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
  
• 2018 Laurina 5 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
  
• 2019 Eglantine Du Seuil 5 Noel Fehily Willie Mullins

As these articles are written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to St Patricks Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 3. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 3 card, and his final Day 3 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 3 tips on the morning of St Patricks Day.

Who is FRT’s Cheltenham Day 3 Tipster?

Keith Bond is our resident pro tipster here at FRT Towers. Keith lives and breathes horse racing, having begun his love of horse racing over 40 years ago with a part time job at Catterick Racecourse, as one of three fourteen year-olds looking after two jumps and a hurdle.

Over the years, Keith has been a regular at the northern tracks attending countless race meetings and building up a network of contacts, and a portfolio of systems and strategies. 

He was one of the co-founders of Free Racing Tips all the way back in 2008, and his free tips are now backed by more than seventy thousand FRT members every single day.

“Thanks Keith – It’s great to be part of an amazing group of people all after the same thing, passing on tips to beat the bookies” 

Colin Parkinson, Harrow.

The FRT community love Keith’s attention to detail, knowledge of past races, and ability to pick horses…

“You offer some great tips, some fantastic outsiders tipped up as well. Most tipsters just put up favourites. Well done and keep up the good work”

John Woolley, Stockport