Dublin Racing Festival | Sunday 1st February 2026 | Leopardstown | Grade 1, 2m
Last updated: January 2026 | Data source: HorseRaceBase
The Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 is Ireland's championship 2m novice hurdle and the most important Supreme Novices' Hurdle trial. This DRF highlight has produced 12 Supreme winners, making it essential viewing for Cheltenham punters. The race is dominated by Willie Mullins, who has won it an extraordinary 20+ times. When analysing the Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026, the key question is: will the winner head to the Supreme (2m) or Ballymore (2m5f)?
✅ Key Finding
Deloitte winners → Supreme Novices Hurdle: 12 winners, +16.15 P/L. THE key Supreme trial!
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Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 Key Contenders
Based on the trial path data, horses who performed well in the Future Champions (Dec Leopardstown), Royal Bond (Fairyhouse), and Navan G1 are the key contenders for the Deloitte. Here's the current picture heading into DRF weekend:
| Horse | Trainer | Trial Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skylight Hustle | Gordon Elliott | Won Future Champions Dec 2025 (3/1F) | Talk The Talk fell last when leading - fortunate winner? Key trial path (8 Deloitte wins) |
| Doctor Steinberg | Willie Mullins | Won Navan G2 Dec 2025 (3/1) | Made all, kept on strongly. Mullins dominates Deloitte! |
| Blake | Noel Meade | 2nd Royal Bond Nov 2025 (8/1) | Ex-flat horse, HD behind Koktail Brut. Interesting profile. |
| Love Me Tender | Willie Mullins | 3rd Future Champions Dec 2025 | Left 3rd after Talk The Talk fell. JP McManus owned. |
| Le Divin Enfant | Willie Mullins | 4th Future Champions Dec 2025 | Led until headed, kept on one pace. |
| Koktail Brut | Gordon Elliott | Won Royal Bond, then 7th Future Champions (tailed off!) | ⚠️ Huge concern - beaten 82L in Future Champions after Royal Bond win |
⚠️ Talk The Talk Drama: In the Future Champions (Dec 2025), Talk The Talk (J P O'Brien) fell at the last when leading. He was travelling strongly and would likely have won. If he lines up in the Deloitte, he could be the one to beat - but the fall will be a concern.
Deloitte → Cheltenham: Where Do Winners Go?
The Deloitte is a 2m race, so winners typically target the Supreme (2m). However, some go to the longer Ballymore (2m5f) if they show stamina. Here's the historical path data:
| Cheltenham Target | Runners | Winners | P/L | Notable Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme Novices Hurdle | 12 | 7 | +16.15 | Klassical Dream, Appreciate It, Sir Gerhard |
| Ballymore/Turners (2m5f) | 13 | 4 | -5.84 | Samcro (Ballymore 2018), Ballyburn (Turners 2024) |
💡 Key Insight: Deloitte winners who go to the Supreme have a 58% win rate (+16.15 P/L). Those who go to the Ballymore/Turners have a 31% win rate but negative P/L. The message is clear: follow Deloitte winners to the Supreme.
Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 Trial Paths
These races feed INTO the Deloitte - horses who performed well here often contest the DRF Grade 1:
| Previous Race | Ran | Wins | P/L | 2025/26 Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Champions G1 (Dec Leopardstown) | 26 | 8 | +17.1 | Skylight Hustle 3/1F |
| Navan Novice Hurdle G1/G2 | 5 | 3 | +7.17 | Doctor Steinberg 3/1 |
| Royal Bond G2 (Fairyhouse) | 4 | 2 | -1.2 | Koktail Brut 8/13F |
| Slaney Novice Hurdle (Naas) | 6 | 1 | -3 | TBC (Jan 2026) |
| Leopardstown G1 2m6f (Jan DRF) | 3 | 1 | -0.9 | Final Demand 11/8F (won, going chasing) |
Deloitte Novice Hurdle Historical Winners
Willie Mullins dominates this race like few others. Here are the recent winners:
| Year | Winner | Odds | Trainer | Cheltenham Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kopek Des Bordes | 4/5F | Mullins | Won Supreme! 4/6F |
| 2024 | Ballyburn | 10/11F | Mullins | Won Turners 1/2F (stayed 2m5f) |
| 2023 | Il Etait Temps | 14/1 | Mullins | 4th Supreme |
| 2022 | Sir Gerhard | 8/13F | Mullins | Won Ballymore 4/6F |
| 2021 | Appreciate It | 1/3F | Mullins | Won Supreme 5/6F |
| 2020 | Asterion Forlonge | 4/1 | Mullins | Fell Supreme (when upsides leader) |
| 2019 | Klassical Dream | 9/4F | Mullins | Won Supreme 2/1F |
| 2018 | Samcro | 4/6F | Elliott | Won Ballymore 8/11F |
✅ Mullins Dominance: Willie Mullins has won the Deloitte 20+ times. In the last 8 years, he's won 7 of them. If Mullins has the favourite, he's almost always the answer.
Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2025 Result
🏆 Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2025
1st: Kopek Des Bordes (4/5F) - Mullins/Townend - 5yo - disputed lead, led 3 out, went clear 2 out, eased, impressive 13L
2nd: Karniquet (16/1) - Mullins/P Mullins - slowly away, stayed on into 2nd, 13L
3rd: Good And Clever (16/1) - Greatrex/Bowen - UK raider, hampered, kept on, 22L
Kopek Des Bordes then won the Supreme at Cheltenham (4/6F). Classic Deloitte → Supreme path.
Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 Betting Strategy
✅ DO
- Back Mullins favourites (20+ wins!)
- Target Future Champions winners/placed
- Follow winner to the Supreme
- Look for horses with 2 runs this season
- Target 5-6yo horses
❌ AVOID
- Opposing Mullins favourites
- Horses who flopped after earlier win (like Koktail Brut)
- UK raiders without Irish G1 form
- Big outsiders (favourites dominate)
Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 Analysis
Heading into the Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026, the key contenders from the trial paths are:
| Horse | Trial Path | Fits Trends? |
|---|---|---|
| Skylight Hustle | Won Future Champions (key path: 8 wins) | ⚠️ Elliott not Mullins - but Future Champions path is dominant |
| Doctor Steinberg | Won Navan G2 (3 Deloitte wins from path) | ✅ Mullins-trained = huge positive |
| Talk The Talk | Fell Future Champions when leading | ⚠️ Would have won? Fall is a concern. J P O'Brien. |
| Love Me Tender | 3rd Future Champions | ✅ Mullins, JP McManus - solid credentials |
| Koktail Brut | Won Royal Bond → 7th Future Champions (82L!) | ❌ Huge regression - avoid |
💡 Bottom Line: The Deloitte Novice Hurdle 2026 shapes up as a battle between Elliott's Skylight Hustle (Future Champions winner) and Mullins' Doctor Steinberg (Navan winner). History strongly favours Mullins in this race (20+ wins), so any Mullins runner at a reasonable price deserves respect. The winner should then be followed to the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham where this trial has produced 7 winners at +16.15 P/L.
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Data source: HorseRaceBase Big Race Trends | Last updated: January 2026 | See also: Racing Post Cheltenham Guide
Related: Supreme Novices Trends | DRF Complete Guide | Festival Hub