The Mersey Novices Hurdle is a Grade 1 race for four-year-olds and upwards over two and a half miles.
The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle takes place on the 13th of April 2024.
It takes place at the Aintree Grand National Festival meeting in April. The race usually attracts runners from the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The last horse to win both races was Yorkhill in 2016. Other notable winners include Wayward Lad (1980), Morley Street (1989) and Best Mate (2000).
In our Mersey Novices Hurdle guide, we provide the latest odds and tips for the big race on Saturday. If you are looking to wager any bets for the final day be sure to check out our full list of betting tips for day 3 of the Aintree Festival.
Find out more about the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle:
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Race Overview – The Mersey Novices Hurdle
Horses four years old and older may compete in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade One National Hunt hurdle competition in Great Britain.
It is held in Aintree, Merseyside, and is run over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres).
Eleven hurdles must be cleared during the race.
The novice hurdlers’ event is planned to take place each year in the first week of April during the Grand National meeting.
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Mersey Novices’ Hurdle Previous Winners
Check out the previous winners for this race:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Ubak | 5 | Jamie Moore | Gary Moore |
| 2014 | Lac Fontana | 5 | Tony McCoy | Paul Nicholls |
| 2015 | Nichols Canyon | 5 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2016 | Yorkhill | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2017 | Finian’s Oscar | 5 | Robbie Power | Colin Tizzard |
| 2018 | Black Op | 7 | Noel Fehily | Tom George |
| 2019 | Reserve Tank | 5 | Robbie Power | Colin Tizzard |
| no race 2020 [b] | ||||
| 2021 | My Drogo | 6 | Harry Skelton | Dan Skelton |
| 2022 | Three Stripe Life | 6 | Davy Russell | Gordon Elliott |
| 2023 | Irish Point | 5 | Davy Russell | Gordon Elliott |
Mersey Novices’ Hurdle Previous Result
Check out the latest result from this race:
Famous Mersey Novices Hurdle Winners
1980 winner Wayward Lad is best remembered for this three wins in the King George VI Chase at Kempton (1982, 1983, 1985). He also went close in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
1989 winner Morley Street won at the Aintree Festival for five successive seasons. He won the Aintree Hurdle for the next four years. His other career wins included the 1991 Champion Hurdle and the Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase in 1990 and 1991.
In 2000 the race was won by another National Hunt legend in Best Mate. Henrietta Knight’s gelding won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He also won a King George with career earnings in excess of £1 million.
The Mersey Novices Hurdle has continued to produce high-class winners including Simonsig (2012), Nichols Canyon (2015) and Yorkhill (2016).
Key Mersey Novices Hurdle Trials
Six of the last eleven winners have run in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Two of them had won and three were placed.
Seven of the eleven went on to contest the Champion Novices Hurdle at Punchestown, producing two victories with two placed.
Mersey Novices Hurdle Betting Trends
Favourites have a great record in this event, winning seven of the last eleven renewals; Simonsig (2012), Lac Fontana (2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Yorkhill (2016), Finian’s Oscar (2017), My Drogo (2021) and Three Stripe Life (2022). Simonsig (4-9) and Yorkhill (30-100) were both following up victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
It has not all been plain sailing for the favourites with a couple of shock results. Ubak (2013) won at 22-1 for Gary Moore and Jamie Moore.
Reserve Tank (2019) returned just two points shorter for Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power.
Five-year-olds have the best recent record with six winners in eleven seasons.
The last four-year-old to win was Bouggler in 2009.
Mersey Novices Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys
Martin Pipe won it four times, the last being Classified in 2002.
Paul Nicholls also has four victories in the race; Garde Champetre (2004), Natal (2006), Elusive Dream (2008) and Lac Fontana (2014).
Willie Mullins trained the winner in successive seasons with Nichols Canyon (2015) and Yorkhill (2016).
Ruby Walsh won the race four times; Garde Champetre, Natal, Elusive Dream and Nichols Canyon.
Tommy Carmody won it for three successive seasons from 1979 to 1981 aboard Taffy, Wayward Lad and Hareshaw.
Betting on the Mersey Novices Hurdle
The Mersey Novices Hurdle has been a great race for favourites in recent years and the Ballymore at Cheltenham often provides some pointers.
A couple of shock results should not deter punters from keeping faith with Cheltenham form for this event.
Mersey Novices’ Hurdle Facts
- The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in the United Kingdom for four-year-old and above horses.
- It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres), and during its running there are eleven hurdles to be jumped.
- The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April.
- The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle was first run in 1977.
Summary of the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle
Thank you for reading our Mersey Novices’ Hurdle guide.
This top-class race has produced many great winners over the past few years who have gone on to prove themselves top-class.
We look at form, history, stats, betting odds and more, so you all have all the info you need, whether placing a bet or watching the race.
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