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Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle: Past Winners, Stats & History

Cheltenham Festival
Course:
Cheltenham
New Course
Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
3m
Last Winner:
The Nice Guy @ 18/1
Prize Money:
£139,825 (2022)

Also known as the Spa Novices’ Hurdle, this three-mile contest is one of the newer additions to the Festival having enjoyed its first appearance in 2005. It took three years for it to gain Grade 1 status and this is something that it has held ever since.

The original sponsor was Brit Insurance with this race carrying their name between 2005 and 2007. Since 2008 Albert Bartlett have backed this high quality stayers’ novices’ hurdle.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Course Map (New Course)

Cheltenham New Course Map

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Past Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2022 The Nice Guy 18/1 Willie Mullins Sean O'Keeffe
2021 Vanillier 14/1 Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh
2020 Monkfish 5/1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2019 Minella Indo 50/1 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore
2018 Kilbricken Storm 33/1 Colin Tizzard Harry Cobden
2017 Penhill 16/1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2016 Unowhatimeanharry 11/1 Harry Fry Noel Fehily
2015 Martello Tower 14/1 Margaret Mullins Adrian Heskin
2014 Very Wood 33/1 Noel Meade Paul Carberry
2013 At Fishers Cross 11/8 Rebecca Curtis A P McCoy
2012 Brindisi Breeze 7/1 Lucinda Russell Campbell Gillies
2011 BobsWorth 15/8 Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty
2010 Berties Dream 33/1 Paul John Gilligan Andrew Lynch
2009 Weapon's Amnesty 8/1 Charles Byrnes Davy Russell
2008 Nenuphar Collonges 9/1 Alan King Robert Thornton
2007 Wichita Lineman 11/8 Jonjo O'Neill Tony McCoy
2006 Black Jack Ketchum Evens Jonjo O'Neill Tony McCoy
2005 Moulin Riche 9/1 Francois Doumen Robert Thornton

About the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle: The Spa Stamina Test

Horses Racing to Finish at Cheltenham
Steven Jones, flickr

National Hunt racing is an extremely varied sport. There are many different stars competing in a host of different divisions many of which have further subdivisions. Celebrating that variety is one of the main reasons why the Cheltenham Festival is so loved by racing fans.

Take the novice hurdling division for example. It contains the leading hopes for the future of National Hunt racing but among that number are horses who will excel over shorter trips, those who will become stayers and everything in between. That is why the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is such an important race.

Officially registered as the Spa Novices’ Hurdle but best known by its sponsored title, this Grade 1 contest is a chance for future stars over both hurdles and fences to compete against each other over three miles, which is longer than the other novice hurdles with the closest being the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at 2m5f.

Chart Showing the Race Distances of Novices' Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival

An Instant Hit

The first running of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle only took place in 2005. As it was one of the races introduced as the Cheltenham Festival was extended to four days there were some people who questioned whether it would prove to be a success. They soon had their answer.

Then called the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle after its first sponsor, the race was run as a Grade 2 for the first three renewals. Following the legendary ride that Tony McCoy gave Wichita Lineman during his win in 2007 the race was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2008 which is the first year that Albert Bartlett began their association.

The prestige garnered by those early years has only increased as time’s gone by but people really began to sit up and take notice in 2013 when Bobs Worth won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Nicky Henderson gelding had won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Chase two years previously and with that precedent being set connections of many more promising types who had been bred to stay started aiming their charges at the Albert Bartlett specifically. The steady increase in prize money as shown in the below graph also helped attract higher calibre entrants.

Chart Showing the Prize Money for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Between 2005 and 2022

Non-Runner No Bet Options Key for Ante Post Plays

Horse racing fans will often try to maximise their knowledge of the sport to try and snap up early value with the bookies by heading to the Cheltenham ante post markets. The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is usually a strong indicator for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the following year’s Cheltenham Festival but a word of caution is required for those thinking about their ante post positions for the coming renewal.

The leading contenders for the Albert Bartlett usually hold entries in at least one more race. Connections often make their minds up close to the Festival and so it is advisable only to bet with bookies who offer non runner no bet terms unless the information about a horse’s destination is solid.

The rather muddied picture is not made any clearer when looking at the most likely trials for this one. Assessing the form of the official trial in December and the two Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle trials in October and November all of which are held at Cheltenham is recommended as is the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury and the River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster but the most eye catching performers from those races can still end up at either the Albert Bartlett or the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Major British Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Trials (2021/22)

Date Race Course Grade Prize Money
8/10/21 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle Chepstow Grade 2 £60,000
22/10/21 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Cheltenham Class 2 £20,000
12/11/21 Ballymore (Hyde) Novices’ Hurdle Cheltenham Grade 2 £50,000
3/12/21 Ballymore Winter Novices’ Hurdle Sandown Grade 2 £50,000
11/12/21 Albert Bartlett (Bristol) Nov’ Hurdle Cheltenham Grade 2 £50,000
29/12/21 Challow Novices’ Hurdle Newbury Grade 1 £60,000
1/1/22 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Cheltenham Listed £25,000
15/1/22 Ballymore Leamington Nov’ Hurdle Warwick Grade 2 £50,000
29/1/22 Albert Bartlett River Don Nov’ Hurdle Doncaster Grade 2 £30,000
29/1/22 Ballymore (Classic) Novices’ Hurdle Cheltenham Grade 2 £50,000
19/2/22 Albert Bartlett Prestige Nov’ Hurdle Haydock Grade 2 £50,000

In Ireland there’s also a number or races that lead to the Albert Bartlett Hurdle. Again, many horses will hold multiple entries for the Festival but the Grade 1s in February at Leopardstown and January at Nass along with the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Limerick in December could prove particularly informative.

Major Irish Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Trials (2021/22)

Date Race Course Grade Prize Money
10/10/21 Bluegrass Novice Hurdle Limerick Listed €22,500
31/10/21 Paddy Power Novice Hurdle Cork Listed €27,500
21/11/21 Monksfield Novice Hurdle Navan Grade 3 €27,500
4/12/21 Navan Novice Hurdle Navan Grade 2 €35,000
5/12/21 Stayers Novice Hurdle Cork Grade 3 €30,000
27/12/21 Lyons Novice Hurdle Limerick Grade 2 €35,000
2/1/22 Lawlor’s Of Nass Novice Hurdle Naas Grade 1 €85,000
5/2/22 Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle Leopardstown Grade 1 €150,000
17/2/22 Surehaul Mercedez Novice Hurdle Clonmel Grade 3 €35,000
24/2/22 Michael Purcell  Novice Hurdle Thurles Grade 3 €30,000

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

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