Ballymore novices’ Hurdle

Watch out for bumper winners

Wednesday 1.30pm

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

(Grade 1) 2m 5f £125,000

  • • Eight of the last 11 winners had won a graded novice hurdle. Two others had finished second in at least a Grade 2 novice hurdle. Nine of the last 11 winners were top or second-top on BHA ratings.
  • • 10 of the past 11 winners had won at least 50% of their hurdle runs. The exception was Windsor Park in 2015. His previous run was to finish second in the Grade 1 Deloitte Hurdle.
  • • Eight of the last 12 winners were Irish-trained. Irish-trained horse also filled the runners-up spot in two of the other four runnings.
  • • Massinis Maguire (2007) is the only winner this century not to have finished first or second in its previous run.
  • • All 17 winners of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury who have run in this race failed to win but six of the last seven to try have been placed.
  • • Nine horses have competed in this with an SP under 7/1, having finished in the top six in the previous year’s Champion Bumper. Four won and the other five were placed.
  • • Since 1998 all winners have been aged either five or six years.
  • • The last 10 winners had all won at least one bumper.
  • • Willoughby Court (2017) at 14/1 is the only winner in the last 11 with a starting price over 8/1.
  • • Mikael D’haguenet (2009) was the last to win both the Slaney (Lawlor’s) Hurdle at Naas and this race. Three others since have attempted the double, all achieved a place at Cheltenham.
  • • Hardy Eustace (2002) was the most recent to complete the Royal Bond/Ballymore double. Only two others have tried since, neither finishing in the first two at Cheltenham.

    • RSA CHASE

    Kempton winners jinxed

    Wednesday 2.10pm

    RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase

    (Grade 1) 3m 80yds £175,000

  • • None of the last 14 winners had run more than 13 times in total over fences and hurdles.
  • • Apart from Might Bite (2017), who fell at the last when leading the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novice Chase at Kempton, all the last 13 winners had been placed in a Grade 1 or Grade 2 chase.
  • • Might Bite is the only winner since 2002 to have fallen on any of their last three starts.
  • • All the 21 winners of the Kauto Star Novices Chase to have run in this have been beaten.
  • • Don Poli (2015) is the only winner this century to win having had less than three chases.
  • • No horse wearing any type of headgear has won this in the last 26 years.
  • • Six of the last 13 favourites have won.
  • • Of this century’s winners only Denman (2007) and Don Poli came into the race unbeaten over fences.
  • • 11 of the last 13 winners were seven years of age.
  • • All winners this century achieved a top three finish last time out.
  • • All the last 17 winners had previously run in a graded chase.
  • • Only two winners this century finished outside the first three on any completed chase start.
  • • Gordon Elliott has yet to win this race.
  • • 11 of the last 13 had won at least a listed hurdle race worth £20,000 to the winner
  • • 11 of the last 13 had run at a previous Festival.
  • All winners since 2002 has made their chase debut over a distance shorter than three miles.

  • CORAL CUP

    High weights favoured

    Wednesday 2.50pm

    Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

    (Grade 3) 2m 5f £100,000

  • • Three of the past four runnings have been won by three different Irish trainers.
  • • Five of the last six Irish-trained winners had their previous race in a conditions hurdle.
  • • Although the only clear favourite to win this has been Xenophon in 2003, 11 of the last 14 winners were in the first seven in the betting.
  • • 11 of the last 15 winners were second season hurdlers.
  • • 10 winners this century were racing over 2m 5f for the first time.
  • • This century only four winners were older than seven years. Only three this century had previously run in more than nine hurdle races.
  • • 14 of the last 17 winners had already won a race this season.
  • • Nine of the last 11 winners came from the top eight in the weights. Six of the last seven had a BHA handicap rating of at least 143.
  • • Only five winners this century had run at a previous Festival.
  • • No first season novice has ever won this.
  • • No horse has won two of these.

    • CHAMPION CHASE

    Defi looking good

    Wednesday, 3.30PM

    Queen Mother Champion Chase

    (Grade 1) 1m 7f 99yds. £400,000

  • • Only four winners this century have gone off bigger than 5/1.
  • • Nicky Henderson has trained five of the last eight winners.
  • • Henry de Bromhead has had 12 runners in the past nine years. Two winners, two seconds and two thirds.
  • • This century 49 horses aged 10 yrs or older have run. Only three won including Sprinter Sacre and Moscow Flyer who were reclaiming their crown.
  • • This century only Sizing Europe (2011) hadn’t previously won a race that season.
  • • This century 19 beaten favourites last time have run. One winner, Finians Rainbow (2012).
  • • None of the last 21 winners wore blinkers or cheekpieces.
  • • Of the last 10 Arkle winners to come to this race in the following year, six won and three others finished second, Douvan (2017) being the only unfortunate.
  • • This century seven horses have completed the Tingle Creek/Queen Mother double. Six of the seven started favourite for the Queen Mother. Defi Du Seuil won this season’s Tingle Creek.
  • • 16 of the last 18 winners had already won a Grade 1 race and had a BHA rating of at least 159.
  • • Only three winners this century were making their Festival debut, 12 were previous Festival winners.
  • • Only Sire De Grugy of the last 21 winners had raced more than four times since the Punchestown Festival.

    • CROSS COUNTRY CHASE

    Tiger to roll on?

    Wednesday, 4.10pm

    Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

    3m 6f 37yds £65,000

    Going 15 years, this used to be a handicap but, for the last four years, has been run as a conditions race. In 2017 Any Currency was disqualified months after the event on a technicality and the race awarded to Josies Orders. For statistics purposes I have gone with Any Currency as the winner he effectively was the winner for betting purposes.

  • • Nicky Henderson, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have yet to win this.
  • • Despite the same horses tending to run in these types of races, Tiger Roll (2019) was the first favourite to win since Heads Onthe Ground (2007).
  • • Gordon Elliott has trained the last three winners. Enda Bolger hasn’t trained any of the last 10 winners, Josies Orders excepted. Only Philip Hobbs and Martin Keighley have won this for English trainers. A French-trained horse has yet to win.
  • • Rivage D’Or (2015) was the only horse to win this while making its cross-country debut.
  • • 11 of the last 13 winners were in the eight to 10 years of age bracket.
  • • No seven-year-old has ever finished in the first three.
  • • Eight of the past 10 winners had run no more than five times in any cross-country race.
  • • All 15 winners had previously won over at least three miles.

    • JUVENILE HANDICAP HURDLE

    Recent run advantage

    Wednesday, 4.50pm

    Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

    (Grade 3) 2m 87yds £80,000.

  • • Band Of Outlaws (2019) became the first favourite to win since Sanctuaire (2010). Six of the last eight winners were returned at 25/1 or bigger.
  • • Gordon Elliott has won three editions. Willie Mullins has yet to win.
  • • 10 of the 15 winners raced in this having competed in the minimum three hurdle races.
  • • No horse carrying a penalty has won since Silk Affair (2009).
  • • No winner had previously run at Cheltenham.
  • • Only two of the 15 winners had previously ran in a handicap.
  • • None of the last seven was won by a filly.
  • • Three of the last four winners had a BHA rating of at least 133.
  • • 13 of the 15 winners had raced within the last 37 days.
  • • Four of the 15 winners wore some sort of headgear. None wore hoods. However, in the last seven renewals, 17 runners wore hoods. Nine of the 17 finished in the first five and three others fell at the last when well in contention.
  • • Since 2009 Paul Nicholls has saddled a total of 17 runners. Three won and another seven finished in the first five.
  • • Three of the five Irish-trained winners ran in a Grade 1 or Grade 2 last time. But that did not apply to either Veneer Of Charm (2018) nor Band Of Outlaws.

    • CHAMPION BUMPER

    Irish fillies worth watching

    Wednesday, 5.30pm

    Weatherbys Champion Bumper

    (Grade 1) 2m 87yds £75,000

  • • Flemensfirth is the only horse to sire two winners of the Champion Bumper in its 27-year history.
  • • Liberman (2003) was the last winner of this not to have won last time out.
  • • Willie Mullins has trained nine winners, Gordon Elliott two of the last three. No other trainer has won this more than once.
  • • Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have yet to win this. However, English trainers have won four of the last 10.
  • • Five of Willie Mullins’ nine winners were returned at more than 10/1.
  • • Cue Card (2010) is the only four-year-old winner this century. Cue Card was also the last winner to come to Cheltenham having only ever had one previous race.
  • • Four mares have won this. All four were Irish trained including Fayonagh (2017) and Relegate (2018).
  • • The last four winners all won a graded or listed bumper on their previous start.
  • • Nine winners have been ridden by amateur jockeys, all of whom had ridden the horse previously in a bumper.
  • • Only Ballyandy (2016) and Hairy Molly (2006) had run in the maximum four bumpers before Cheltenham.

    • Web: gaultstats.com