Mares Hurdle Odds
The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle (Otherwise known as the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle due to sponsorship reasons) is one of the biggest races to run on the Old Course of the Cheltenham Festival. Created in 2009, the race was created to commemorate the career of David Nicholson, a fantastic jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. The original race was run on the New course and was a grade 2 race but it has since been upgraded due to the fantastic quality of horses that enter the race and it's prowess at the Cheltenham Festival.
- Most successful Horse: Quevega (6 Wins)
- Most successful Jockey: Ruby Walsh (8 Wins)
- Most successful Trainer: Willie Mullins (9 Wins)
When you look at the details above, you would struggle to believe that the original race was in 2008. However, the dominance of Quevega has given Mullins fantastic success at the event.
Betting Odds for the Mares Hurdle
When looking for Mares Hurdle betting odds, you'll find a large number of horses that you may be familiar with due to their success in previous races. For example, runners in the Irish Champion Hurdle may also run in the Mares Hurdle and their performance in that race will impact the latest Mares Hurdle odds. When looking at the latest odds, you'll have to look beyond the most recent race to see which horse will have the best odds as even the greatest horses in the world of racing have an off day.
Placing bets for horses to finish first or in the top three positions will determine on the horse, picking a horse with the best price to bet on isn't easy but with this race there are a number of trends that can be found for this race including 11/13 winners coming from the top three positions. In 2022, Marie's Rock was the first winner with odds of higher than 10/1. However, if you're looking for more trends, you can find our full list below.
In 2024, the betting odds focus on Lossiemouth who sits at under evens. However, with the likes of Echoes in Rain, Marie's Rock and Love Envoi all potentially entering this race, the ante post odds are a fantastic way of picking the winner over two miles. BetUK also has a no runner no bet market on this race, meaning that if you horse rides to victory, you win as normal but if the horse doesn't run at all, you'll receive your money back. This allows you to bet on horses that are unlikely to race in this event but if they did, they would rise as one of the favourites, such as Ashroe Diamond.
Mares Hurdle Winner Trends
Picking a winner in betting tips largely comes from getting the best trends from horses who have previously won the race. For example, in a race where the top three haven't won regularly, that is where you start looking at horses with bigger odds. Here are some trends that we have selected to bare in mind when looking at David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle betting odds. Here are some of the top winner trends from the Mares Hurdle.
- 11/13 winners have began the race in the top three of the betting odds.
- 13/13 winners had at least 2 previous runs over 19-21 furlongs.
- 10/13 winners had a rating of 148 or higher.
- 10/13 favourites have finished in the top three with 2 falling and 1 finishing 4th.
So when looking at the latest Mares Hurdle odds, the top three is often the best place to look for this race. We have begun to see higher priced horses win this race but the favourites are still very strong in this race.
Mares Hurdle Previous Winner Odds
| Year | Horse | Jockey & Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore & Henry de Bromhead |
| 2022 | Marie's Rock | Nico de Boinville & Nicky Henderson |
| 2021 | Black Tears | Jack Kennedy & Denise Foster |
| 2020 | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore & Henry de Bromhead |
| 2019 | Roksana | Harry Skelton & Dan Skelton |
| 2018 | Benie Des Dieux | Ruby Walsh & Willie Mullins |
| 2017 | Apple's Jade | Bryan Cooper & Gordon Elliott |
| 2016 | Vroum Vroum Mag | Ruby Walsh & Willie Mullins |
Mares Hurdle FAQs
What grade is the Mares Hurdle?
The Mares Hurdle is now a grade one race. When it was originally created as a grade two race but in 2015 it was increased to a grade one event.
What is the prize money of the Mares Hurdle?
In 2024, the prize money for the Mares' Hurdle has increased to a whopping £120,000.
Which age range has won the most Mares Hurdle?
The Mares' Hurdle has had more seven year olds win than any other age with seven winners at that age. The nine occasions where a seven year old hasn't won, five of those were Quevega. With Whiteoak, (2008), Apple's Jade (2017) and Honeysuckle (2020 & 2023) proving the exceptions.
Who is the favourite for the Mares Hurdle?
If punters are looking to place bets on the 2024 Mares Hurdle, then they'll find the ante post favourite is currently Lossiemouth. However, with approximately 33 potential participants, these odds could change very quickly.
