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2025 Mares' Novices' Hurdle Tips, Odds and News

The opening race on day three's card at the Cheltenham Festival is the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. Named after the legendary former Gold Cup winner Dawn Run, there have only been six runnings of this Group Two race, and Irish trainer Willie Mullins has won five of them.

Mares' Novices' Hurdle Key Facts

Date Thursday 12th March, 2026
Time 1:20pm
Course Cheltenham Festival
Status Grade Two
Distance 2m 1f
Prize Pool £90k
Age 4YO+

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Mares' Novices' Hurdle Tips

Our guide to the Mares' Novices' Hurdle will be published in the weeks leading up to the Cheltenham Festival.

Mares' Novices' Hurdle Result

Position
Name
SP
1st Air Of Entitlement 16/1
2nd Sixandahalf 85/40f
3rd Diva Luna 12/1

Mares' Novices' Hurdle Day Card

Cheltenham Day 3 Card

TimeThursday RacesStatusDistance
13:20Mares Novices' HurdleGrade Two2m 1f
14:00Jack Richards Novices' Handicap ChaseGrade Two Handicap2m 4f
14:40Pertemps FinalListed Handicap3m
15:20Ryanair ChaseGrade One2m 4f
16:00Stayers' HurdleGrade One3m
16:40Paddy Power PlateGrade Three Handicap2m 4f
17:20Kim Muir Challenge CupClass Two Handicap3m 2f

Mares' Novices' Hurdle History

The Mares' Novices' Hurdle is the newest race at the Cheltenham Festival. This Grade Two was created in 2016. It's open only to mares who are novices over hurdles, and is run over a trip of 2m and 1f.

The race was initially known as the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle. The name of legendary mare and Gold Cup winner, Dawn Run was attached to the race in 2020, and is now called the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

The Mares' Novices' Hurdle has been dominated by one man, Willie Mullins. Mullins has won all five runnings of the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, since Limini won the inaugural renewal in 2016. Mullins has also dominated the Mares' Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

Limini was followed into the winners' enclosure by Let's Dance. The following season, 4/7 favourite Laurina destroyed her rivals with an excellent 18-length success.

It looked like Mullins didn't have a strong hand to play in 2019. Ireland Champion Trainer then went on to saddle the first two past the post, as 50/1 shot Eglantine Du Seuil headed 66/1 shot Concertista.

Having failed to win a race over hurdles, Concertista was free to enter the Mares' Novices' Hurdle for the second time in 2020. Daryl Jacob's mount proceeded to bolt up, as Willie Mullins saddled four of the first five horses over the line.

In contrast, 2021 saw Mullins fail to saddle the winner of placers in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, as Telmesomethinggirl headed a 1-2 for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

Mares' Novices' Hurdle Winners

Year
Winner
2025 Air Of Entitlement
2024 Golden Ace
2023 You Wear It Well
2022 Love Envoi
2021 Telmesomethinggirl
2020 Concertista
2019 Eglantine Du Seuil
2018 Limini
2017 Let's Dance
2016 Limini