The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2025 is the traditional curtain-raiser for the Cheltenham Festival, attracting the best young hurdlers from Britain and Ireland. This race has produced future Champion Hurdle winners like Constitution Hill and Altior. Below, we analyze the key trends, recent winners, and top bets for this yearโs renewal.
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๐ Key Trends & Winning Profile
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Age: ๐
Focus on 5-6-year-olds (15 of the last 16 winners). โ Avoid 4yos (no winner since 1999) and 7+ (rare exceptions, e.g., Appreciate It in 2021).
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Form: ๐ Must have won last time out (12 of the last 14). Typically, winners have a โฅ50% hurdle win rate (21 of the last 22).
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Unbeaten Novices Dominate: ๐ 8 of the last 11 winners were unbeaten over hurdles before Cheltenham.
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Ratings: ๐ BHA 147+ (21 of the last 22 winners). Recent winners are often rated 150+.
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Trainer Trends: ๐ฎ๐ช Irish trainers dominate (8 of the last 12 winners). Nicky Henderson has a strong record, while Willie Mullins has won 5 of the last 12 renewals.
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Key Prep Races: ๐ Dublin Racing Festival (G1 Chanelle Hurdle) and Royal Bond Novice Hurdle are the most significant trials. โ Avoid runners coming from handicaps.
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What to Avoid: โ ๏ธ No winners since 1992 have worn headgear. โ No chestnut winner since 2003. ๐คฏ Only 2 outright favourites have won since 2004.
๐ Recent Winners & Trends Analysis
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2025: TBD
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2024: Slade Steel (6yo, BHA 147, 2nd in Dublin Racing Festival G1 Chanelle Hurdle)
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2023: Marine Nationale (6yo, Royal Bond winner)
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2022: Constitution Hill (5yo, unbeaten, Tolworth winner)
๐ Key Trends: Irish-trained horses tend to emerge from G1/G2 novice hurdles, while British-trained winners often target the Tolworth Hurdle.
๐ฏ Expert Verdict: Who to Bet On?
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Prioritize Irish-trained 5-6yos with strong G1/G2 form, unbeaten in 2+ hurdle races, and rated BHA 150+.
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Favourites can be risky, but contenders starting under 10/1 with a dominant recent performance hold strong appeal.
๐ฅ Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins-trained horses are always worth considering.
๐ Best Bets for Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2025 โ Top Selections
๐ Horse | ๐ Odds | ๐ฏ Trainer | ๐ฅ Age | ๐ OR | โญ RPR |
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Kopek Des Bordes | 10/11 | W P Mullins | 5 | – | 160 |
Romeo Coolio | 6/1 | Gordon Elliott | 6 | – | 156 |
Salvator Mundi | 6/1 | W P Mullins | 5 | – | 153 |
The New Lion | 14/1 | Dan Skelton | 6 | 147 | 159 |
๐ Kopek Des Bordes is the standout favourite and fits all key trends.
๐ฅ Romeo Coolio and Salvator Mundi are strong Irish challengers, while The New Lion could surprise at a bigger price.
๐ฉ Get Free Cheltenham Festival Tips & Predictions
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