The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, registered as the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle, is the penultimate race run of the first day of Cheltenham’s November Meeting.
A relatively new contest, this race was first run in 1996 when Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald teamed up to win with Hunting Lore.
Some top horses have been victorious here before going on to have successful National Hunt careers including 2012 winner Coneygree who went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2015.
Hyde Novices' Hurdle Course Map (Old Course)
Hyde Novices' Hurdle Past Winners
| Year | Winner | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Potters Charm | 7/4 | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2023 | Minella Missile | 22/1 | Evan Williams | Adam Wedge |
| 2022 | Hermes Allen | 9/4 | Paul Nicholls | Harry Cobden |
| 2021 | Blazing Khal | 9/2 | Charles Byrnes | Donal McInerney |
| 2020 | Does He Know | 11/8 | Kim Bailey | David Bass |
| 2019 | Thyme Hill | 11/8 | Philip Hobbs | Richard Johnson |
| 2018 | Coolanly | 7/2 | Fergal O'Brien | Paddy Brennan |
| 2017 | On The Blind Side | 9/2 | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville |
| 2016 | Peregrine Run | 13/2 | Peter Fahey | Roger Loughran |
| 2015 | Shantou Village | 9/2 | Neil Mulholland | Noel Fehily |
| 2014 | Parlour Games | 10/1 | John Ferguson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2013 | Creepy | 9/2 | Martin Keighley | Ian Popham |
| 2012 | Coneygree | 8/1 | Mark Bradstock | Mattie Batchelor |
| 2011 | Fingal Bay | 4/5 | Philip Hobbs | Richard Johnson |
| 2010 | Peddlers Cross | 7/1 | Donald McCain, Jr. | Jason Maguire |
| 2009 | Mikael d'Haguenet | 5/2 | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2008 | Fiveforthree | 7/1 | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2007 | Massini's Maguire | 20/1 | Philip Hobbs | Richard Johnson |
| 2006 | Nicanor | 17/2 | Noel Meade | Paul Carberry |
| 2005 | No Refuge | 17/2 | Howard Johnson | Graham Lee |
About the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle: A Glimpse Of Future Star Hurdlers?
The Hyde Novices’ Hurdle was introduced to the National Hunt schedule in 1996 and is still officially registered under this name though over the years the race has had a couple of different titles.
The Ballymore Group, an international property development company who are based in Ireland, have been big supporters of horse racing. They have lent their name to a number of different National Hunt races, sponsoring this race between 2017 and 2022. They also sponsored the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for a number of years. Backing of the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle passed to Trustatrader in 2023 and Albert Bartlett in 2024. Before Ballymore, Brit Insurance and Neptune Investment Management have been sponsors.
The Grade 2 contest plays an important role both during the November Meeting itself and in the wider context of the novice hurdling division. It is also a race which is on the up in terms of reputation so it is important both to racing fans and savvy punters looking for clues for future races.
Take Note of the Top Trainers
During Neptune Investment’s time sponsoring the race it was promoted to a Grade 2 race. Before that point it was already a race that powerful trainers took seriously with both Venetia Williams and Philip Hobbs winning twice, with Hobbs adding a further two victories since then.
The prestige of the race has subsequently taken a significant boost with Coneygree perhaps the most well-known winner. Mark Bradstock’s charge won this race as a five year old before progressing to becoming the first novice chaser to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for over 40 years.
Future Wins Difficult to Predict
There is no real way of knowing whether any horse who wins the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle will go on to have a successful career over fences or if their best results will be over hurdles. It’s no real surprise given that the competitors are at such an early stage of their careers with most winners aged five.
That said, winning this race demands a high level of stamina for such young horses. Winning over two miles and five furlongs is tough enough whatever pace they go off at before you factor in ground that is often soft on the Old Course and the infamous hill leading up to the winning post at Cheltenham.
Outsider Success Unlikely
The 2019 winner, Thyme Hill, was the first winning favourite of the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle since Fingal Bay in 2011. That suggests that this competitive race is an unpredictable one for punters but it is also not a race that provides too many shocks. Double figure winners are a rarity and most winners come from the top three in the betting markets. The winner with the standout longest odds came in 2023 when Minella Missile won at 22/1 for trainer Evan Williams.
Interestingly, both Thyme Hill and Fingal Bay won this race when carrying a penalty for a previous Graded wins. Several favourites have failed to cope with similar penalties but it is worth noting that of the 14 winners between 2010 and 2023, seven carried a penalty which shows the importance of previous winning form over hurdles.