The return of Cheltenham: Sky Bet Novices' Hurdle guide

The waiting is over. Action at Cheltenham resumes on Friday, with the Grade Two Sky Bet Novices' Hurdle being the first-day feature. 

Several of the 12 entries have alternative engagements at the meeting but Gale Mahler, the ante-post favourite, is an exception. 

She already chalked up six wins this season and her form has been franked. 

Here’s a guide to all the possible contenders, with odds from bet365, the only firm who have priced the race up early on. 

Trainer: DJ Jeffreys. Odds: 66-1. 

The five-year-old made it third time lucky in points when winning at Ballindenisk in early May, having pulled up and fallen in his first pair. He’s since been sold cheaply and joined DJ Jeffreys but must be pleasing his new trainer to have even got an entry here, although the novices’ hurdle on the card, for which he’s also entered, would seem a more logical starting point. Jeffreys has won with three of the 21 runners he’s had at Cheltenham, with another four making the frame. You would be £23.50 in profit had you backed them all blind to a £1 stake. 

Trainer: Ollie Murphy. Odds: 14-1. 

Began life with Ger Lyons and looked promising when thumping a big field at The Curragh in the mud on his second start as a two-year-old. He found life tough in handicaps last year after being allotted a rating in the 90s and was sold that autumn for 48,000gns. Having joined Lucinda Russell, he made a winning start over hurdles at Perth in mid-May. That form looks nothing special but he clearly has some potential. He’s been switched to the in-form yard of Olly Murphy (3-19 with his Cheltenham runners last season) since that initial success. 

Trainer: Jamie Snowden. Odds: 20-1. 

He was amont the leading two-year-olds in 2021 and hopes were high that the son of Sea The Stars might be a Derby contender for the late Queen Elizabeth II the following year. However, he did not make it to Epsom and his fortunes went into reverse after an odds-on defeat at Royal Ascot. Reinvented as a hurdler, Reach For The Moon has won novice events at Worcester and Fontwell on his past two starts without suggesting he is going to hit the heights in this sphere. The horse he edged out last time had previously been touched off in a Kempton handicap off a rating of 108. He’s also entered in the closing handicap on Friday and a mark of 114 may well underestimate him – at least away from bad ground - given he reached that rating at his peak on the Flat. There is certainly nothing wrong with his jumping, as the RaceiQ data suggests he gained more than 17 lengths with his leaping at Fontwell, having gained almost 12 lengths in the air at Worcester. 

Trainer: Sam Drinkwater. Odds: 25-1. 

This point runner-up made his debut under Rules at this meeting last year, when fourth in the bumper (more than eight lengths adrift of Valgrand, who was runner-up). Further defeats in bumpers at Catterick and Southwell followed, when well-fancied on both occasions, but he clicked at the first attempt over hurdles when scoring at Warwick this month. He won by the neck and the same that day under a positive ride, having jumped nimbly. This is a much tougher assignment but he’s a nice sort, physically, and there should be more to come. 

Trainer: Dan Skelton. Odds: 9-2. 

He’s 2/2 over hurdles after showing plenty of promise in bumpers, justifying short-priced favouritism in novice events at Uttoxeter and Bangor in May. The form doesn’t add up to much and he was given a bit of a scare before prevailing on the latter occasion, but he showed a willing attitude, and his jumping has been an asset, with the Raceiq data telling us he gained 15 lengths with his leaping at Bangor in what was a steadily-run race. He finished runner-up in the bumper at this meeting 12 months ago before resurfacing at Aintree in April, when a fine fourth in a hot affair. He’s entered in all four hurdle races on Friday’s card, with his handicap mark of 118 looking lenient. It will be fascinating to see which path the Skeltons tread with him. 

Trainer: Paul Nicholls. Odds: 11-2. 

A fair stayer on the Flat for Sir Mark Prescott, when his exploits including winning a Chester handicap off a mark of 80, Brave Knight changed hands for 70,000gns this time last year and has made a bright start to life over hurdles for Paul Nicholls despite apparently “not being able to jump at all” in the first instance. He chalked up wins at Worcester, Stratford and Newton Abbot during the summer, scoring easily on the first two occasions before being made to dig deeper to complete his hat-trick at the expense of Dodger Long, when conceding 5lb. Dodger Long has since won at Warwick and Chepstow and now has a rating of 127, so there is some substance to the form. His jumping has been fine and the dry week that is forecast wil not inconvenience him. 

Trainer: Ian Williams. Odds: 25-1. 

He’s developed into a useful middle-distance/stayer on the Flat for Ian Williams and owner Joseph Smith, winning four of his 24 races. The four-year-old has held his form well this term, finishing third in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock last time off a mark of 87. His half-brother, Beechwood Jude, was a similar sort but his connections abandoned jumping with him after only two starts. It’s difficult to imagine Dancing In Paris would make the switch, unless he has shown some aptitude at home. He’s also entered in the novices’ hurdle on Friday. 

Trainer: Harriet Dickin. Odds: 6-1. 

He’s been a bit of a slow burner, losing all four bumper races he contested and looking anything but a natural jumper in his first couple of races over hurdles. However, he’s been improving in chunks, scoring at Warwick and Chepstow (off a mark of 117 in handicap company) on his past two starts after previously having a good tussle with the promising Brave Knight (who he now meets on 5lb worse terms) at Newton Abbot. The handicapper has pushed him up to 127 after his decisive win at Chepstow last time, although he did have fitness on his side that day and his jumping still lacked some polish. He’s also engaged in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle on Saturday. 

Trainer: Dan Skelton. Odds: 16-1. 

His siblings include fairly useful French hurdler/chaser Defit d'Estruval and he’s an intriguing new recruit for the Skeltons after showing ability in France. He came up a bit short on his hurdling bow at Fountainbleu in February before winning there the following month. The form does not look anything out of the ordinary, and he’s another that is also entered in the novices’ hurdle on the card. 

Trainer: Lucinda Russell. Odds: 7-1. 

He’s bred for Jumps and has made a flawless start, winning a bumper at Aintree around this time last year before landing novice hurdles at Ayr and Carlisle, at the main expense of lesser-fancied stablemates. That latter success was achieved against just two rivals and he jumped worst of the trio, especially when bungling two out. This would be a much tougher exam, plus he has the alternative of running in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle on Saturday. 

Trainer: Adrian Keatley. Odds: 5-4. 

She’s already reeled off six wins this season and those string of 1s against her name are seductive. Successive victories in bumpers have been followed by four triumphs over hurdles, with her ten-length romp at the Galway Festival on her latest start suggesting she’s far more than just a summer horse. She won with great authority and the fourth, Gaucher, beaten 18 lengths, has since landed a Grade Three event. And a month before that, Gale Mahler had given weight and a beating to Flying Fortune at Uttoxeter. That horse has since reeled off a four-timer, landing the Grade Two Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow last time. Gale Mahler has been absent three months after her busy/productive spell, but she’s shown herself to be versatile regards the ground and her official rating of 135 makes her a standout. If she picks up from where she left off, then she is going to take plenty of stopping. 

Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Odds: 6-1. 

This point winner changed hands for £290,000 in March 2023, reflecting her potential and good looks. However, her backers had their fingers burnt when she was turned over at odds-on in her first two hurdling starts, at Newbury and Warwick, and she couldn’t exploit an opening handicap mark of 106 back at Newbury in late March. Break My Soul has since come good in weak races at Chepstow and Fontwell but she’s now back in deeper waters. She’s also entered in the closing handicap on Friday, where she would run off 122. 

It is difficult to know exactly who will turn up, but GALE MAHLER seems on course to run and she is going to set the bar high for whoever else is in line up.