• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

BettingSites.co

Betting Sites - Best UK Online Bookmakers & Sports Betting Websites

  • Home
  • Top 10
  • New Sites
  • Free Bets
  • Bookmakers
  • Sports
    • American Football
    • Athletics
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Boxing
    • Cricket
    • Darts
    • Football
    • Formula 1
    • Golf
    • Greyhound Racing
    • Horse Racing
    • Ice Hockey
    • Rugby
    • Snooker
    • Tennis
    • UFC/MMA
  • Tips
  • Banking
  • Articles

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle: Past Winners, Stats & History

Cheltenham Festival
Course:
Cheltenham
Old Course
Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
2m 4f
Last Winner:
Marie's Rock @ 18/1
Prize Money:
£120,000 (2022)

The fifth race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival sees some of the finest mares compete over two and a half miles for this Grade 1 title, the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.

The winner will receive a trophy named in memory of David Nicholson who was a both a successful jockey and National Hunt trainer. Officially this race is registered as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle though the name has been changed for sponsorship reasons.

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Course Map (Old Course)

Cheltenham Old Course Map

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Past Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2022 Marie's Rock 18/1 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville
2021 Black Tears 11/1 Denise Foster Jack Kennedy
2020 Honeysuckle 9/4 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore
2019 Roksana 10/1 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton
2018 Benie Des Dieux 9/2 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2017 Apple’s Jade 7/2 Gordon Elliott Bryan Cooper
2016 Vroum Vroum Mag 4/6 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2015 Glens Melody 6/1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2014 Quevega 8/11 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2013 Quevega 8/11 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2012 Quevega 4/7 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2011 Quevega 5/6 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2010 Quevega 6/4 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2009 Quevega 2/1 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2008 Whiteoak 20/1 Donald McCain, Jr. Jason Maguire

About the Mares’ Hurdle: First of the Female Only Festival Contests

Close Up of Bay Horse with Dark Mane

The Cheltenham Festival is a British sporting institution. It’s been attracting racing fans to Prestbury Park since 1860 and continues to grow in popularity thanks to the organisers’ desire to never rest on their laurels. This drive for continual improvement saw the addition of a fourth day at the Festival which, in turn, saw the creation of several races in the years that followed.

The Mares’ Hurdle is one of those which became part of the Cheltenham Festival in that time. This 2 mile 4 furlong race, which is open to four year old mares and older, was inaugurated in 2008 when it was named after the popular, late former jockey and trainer, David Nicholson, who had died two years previous. It’s still registered as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle but is now officially known as the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle as of 2020 when that company took on sponsorship.

The name is not the only thing to change about the Mares’ Hurdle since its introduction. Having been initially introduced as a Grade 2 race, it was promoted to Grade 1 level in 2015. The Mares’ Hurdle has also switched from the last day of the Festival to the first and therefore from Cheltenham’s New Course to the Old Course.

Queen Quevega Dominates

The relatively unheralded Whiteoak won the first Mares’ Hurdle but from then on it was all about one horse – Quevaga. The wonder-mare won this race an incredible six years in a row. The Willie Mullins-trained French mare was accompanied each time by Ruby Walsh.

Quevega’s Career Race Victories

Date Race Course Odds Winnings
11/3/2014 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 8/11 Fav £48k
25/4/2013 Champion Stayers Hurdle Punchestown 6/4 €105k
12/3/2013 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 8/11 Fav £48k
26/4/2012 Champion Stayers Hurdle Punchestown 11/10 Fav €100k
13/3/2012 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 4/7 Fav £39k
5/5/2011 Champion Stayers Hurdle Punchestown 8/11 Fav €100k
15/3/2011 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 5/6 Fav £39k
22/4/2010 Champion Stayers Hurdle Punchestown 5/2 Fav €105k
16/3/2010 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 6/4 Fav £51k
10/3/2009 Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham 2/1 Fav £56k
18/2/2009 Hurdle Punchestown 4/5 Fav €12k
2/4/2008 Duggan Novice Hurdle Gowran Park 5/4 Fav €12k
19/2/2008 Maiden Hurdle Punchestown 11/4 €6k
12/11/2007 Prix des Guilledines Durtal 8/5 Fav £10k
28/9/2007 Prix Jim Vichy 7/2 £4k
14/9/2007 Prix Louis Charbonnier Vichy 12/5 Fav £3k

Younger mares have a better record than older ones which makes Quevaga’s wins from five to 10 years of age all the more impressive.

Mullins the Man to Beat

Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh teamed up for further Mares’ Hurdles wins with Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux, whilst Annie Power’s failure in 2015 was one of the biggest shocks of that year’s Festival (Mullins still trained the winner that year as Glens Melody made the most of the favourite’s late fall).

Chart Showing the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle Winning Trainers Between 2008 and 2022

Mullins’ domination of the Mares’ Hurdle could well go on for some time but other trainers with big reputations including Gordon Elliott, Nicky Henderson and Harry Fry regularly target their best mares for this big prize. With Mullins boasting nine wins from the first 11 renewals of this great race the rest have some serious catching up to do though.

Runners’ Options Often Left Open

Grass Direction Arrows

As the Mares’ Hurdle comes on the first day of the Cheltenham week, it’s one of those races which attracts entries from horses with multiple Festival options. This means the ante post betting can be a little quiet, with bettors unsure if their fancies will take up their opening day engagement.

As punters may choose to keep their powder dry, the bookies do offer some tempting options in the early betting so it can be worth taking a speculative punt or two even before the final line up is confirmed. Another thing to consider is that the lack of a novices’ chase for mares means some international horses who have been competing over fences will often be reverted to hurdles for a crack at the winner’s prize which was almost £70,000 in 2022.

Other Races of Note at Cheltenham

  • Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
  • Arkle Chase
  • Arkle Trial Novices' Chase
  • Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
  • Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
  • Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
  • Champion Bumper
  • Champion Hurdle
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup
  • Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
  • Cotswold Chase
  • December Gold Cup
  • Festival Hunters' Chase
  • Greatwood Hurdle
  • International Hurdle
  • November Handicap Chase
  • Paddy Power Gold Cup
  • Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase
  • Ryanair Chase
  • Shloer Chase
  • Stayers’ Hurdle
  • Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
  • Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle
  • Triumph Hurdle
  • Triumph Hurdle Trial
  • Turners Novices’ Chase

Primary Sidebar

Sports Betting Guides

  • American Football
    • Super Bowl
  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
    • BDO World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Matchplay
  • Football
    • Football Articles
    • Premier League
    • Premier League Big Six
    • Championship
    • Football Cups
    • FA Cup
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • European Championships
    • Football Awards
    • English Football Teams & Leagues
    • Scottish Football Teams & Leagues
    • Irish Football Teams & Leagues
    • Welsh Football Teams & Leagues
  • Formula 1
    • Circuits
    • F1 Constructors Championship
    • F1 Drivers Championship
  • Golf
    • Golf Tournaments
    • The Open Championship
    • US Open Golf
    • The Masters
    • Ryder Cup
    • US PGA Championship
  • Greyhound Racing
    • Greyhound Racing Tracks
  • Horse Racing
    • Horse Racing Articles
    • Horse Races
    • Major Meetings
    • Horse Racing Fixtures
    • Racecourses
      • England
      • Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • Horse Racing Series
    • Prize Money
    • Race Classes
      • Grade 1
      • Grade 2
      • Grade 3
      • Group 1
      • Group 2
      • Group 3
      • Handicaps
      • The Classics
  • Ice Hockey
  • MotoGP
  • Motorsport
    • MotoGP Circuits
  • Rugby
    • Super League
    • Six Nations
    • Rugby World Cup
  • Snooker
    • Masters Snooker
    • World Snooker Championship
    • UK Championship Snooker
  • Tennis
    • Wimbledon
    • US Open
    • French Open
    • Australian Open
  • UFC/MMA

Horse Racing Articles

  • What Is the Difference Between UK & Irish Racing?
  • How Many Grand Nationals Are There in the UK & Ireland?
  • What Are the Shortest Horse Races in the UK, Ireland & the World?
  • What Are the Longest Horse Races in the UK, Ireland & the World?
  • Two Year Old Racing: Famous Races, Race Types & Controversy
  • Horse Racing in Ireland: A Guide to Irish Horse Race Classifications
  • Has Any Horse Won All Five Classics?
  • Frankie Dettori's Magnificent Seven
  • Have Any Horses Won The Grand National More Than Once?
  • What's the Different Between Chases & Hurdles in Horse Racing?
  • Worlds Biggest Horse Races
  • Tic-Tac: The Bookies Secret Hand Signals Explained
  • Horse Racing Rule 4 Deductions Explained
  • Best Odds Guaranteed Explained
  • Picking Winners: How To Study Horse Racing Form
  • What is Totepool Betting?
  • The History of Horse Racing

Events By Country

  • Countries
  • UAE (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
  • South Africa
  • India
  • New Zealand
  • France
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • USA
  • Ireland
  • UK
  • Saudi Arabia

Banking

  • Apple Pay
  • Bitcoin
  • Entropay
  • Neteller
  • PayPal
  • Paysafecard
  • Skrill

Popular Articles

  • Picking Winners: How To Study Horse Racing Form
  • Betting & Tax In The UK – Do I Have To Pay Tax On My Gambling Winnings?
  • Both Teams to Score & Goals Galore Explained
  • Multiples Betting Explained
  • Dead Heat Rules – What Happens In The Event Of A Tie?

Latest Articles

  • Horse Racing Fixtures
  • Scottish Racecourses
  • Welsh Racecourses
  • English Racecourses
  • Premier League Golden Boot
  • European Golden Shoe
  • Motorsport
  • Youghal Greyhound Stadium
  • Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium (Waterford)
  • Kingdom Greyhound Stadium (Tralee)

Recently Updated

  • Australian Open: Past Winners, Stats & History
  • Pegasus World Cup
  • Farmers Insurance Open
  • Cotswold Chase
  • Clarence House Chase
  • Best Online Bookies & List of UK High Street Bookmakers
  • The American Express
  • Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
  • DP World Tour Championship
  • Nedbank Golf Challenge
  • Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
  • Open de France
  • Italian Open
  • BMW PGA Championship
  • Omega European Masters
  • Irish Open
  • BMW International Open
  • Porsche European Open
  • Dutch Open
  • British Masters
Copyright © 2023 BettingSites.co | 18+ BeGambleAware

Disclaimer: Please note that the legality of betting online varies between countries and it is your responsibility to verify that your actions are legal in the country you reside. All offers subject to terms and conditions. Please gamble responsibly - if you feel you may have a problem and need advice please visit Gamble Aware (UK) or Gamblers Anonymous.