Turners Novices’ Hurdle

The Turners Novices’ Hurdle, also known as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle for registration purposes, is the first race of the day on the second day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival. The race was first established in 1971 and is open to novice hurdlers. Its registered title is named in honour of Baring Bingham who was a developer who purchased the Prestbury Park land back in 1898 and played a pivotal role in organising the first-ever Cheltenham Festival in 1902.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle Overview

The Turners Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade One hurdle for novices aged four years or older and is run over 2 miles and 5 furlongs on the old course. Ten hurdles must be negotiated with the likely prize money to the winner around £84,000.

Along with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the Tuesday and the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday, it is one of the three races open to novices-only at the meeting. The leading performers will likely go forward to the Aintree and Punchestown Festivals to renew rivalry.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle Betting Trends and Statistics

• Willie Mullins is the trainer to follow here having won 7 of the past 18 renewals.
• The Irish seem to have a stranglehold on the race having now won 10 of the last 12 runnings.
• 15 of the past 27 winners came into the race as unbeaten including 8 of the last 12 winners.
• Winning bumper form is a big positive with the past 16 winners having all scored in that sphere.
• The market is a good guide with seven favourites scoring in the past 14 years with the only double-figure priced winner in the last decade being Willoughby Court at 14/1 in 2017.
• Six-year-olds have easily the best record in the race having won 19 of the past 26 runnings.
• The winner is likely to be seen back the following year as a novice chaser in either the Turners Novices’ Chase or the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over a longer trip. However, there have been occasions when the winner stays hurdling and contests the Champion Hurdle.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle History

First run in 1971, it was originally called the Alsworth Hurdle. Insurance company Sun Alliance took over sponsorship in 1974 and the race was known as the Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle for the following 36 years.

The race has been sponsored by Baring Bingham Properties in the past (for the second time as they also sponsored the race between 2007-2009). Last year it was known as the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle before changing its name to the Turners Novices’ Hurdle for this renewal.

Some of the noteworthy winners of the race include Simonsig (2012), Faugheen (2014), Samcro (2014), Envoi Allen (2020) and Impaire Et Passe (2023).

Turners Novices’ Hurdle Winners