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.
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
Time
Thursday Races
Status
Distance
13:20
Mares Novices' Hurdle
Grade Two
2m 1f
14:00
Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase
Grade Two Handicap
2m 4f
14:40
Pertemps Final
Listed Handicap
3m
15:20
Ryanair Chase
Grade One
2m 4f
16:00
Stayers' Hurdle
Grade One
3m
16:40
Paddy Power Plate
Grade Three Handicap
2m 4f
17:20
Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Class Two Handicap
3m 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.
