The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle is one of three races at the Cheltenham Festival exclusively for mares. With some extremely strong fields in recent years, the race has often challenged the Champion Hurdle for quality. Find out who our experts like in this year’s field, with all GG’s tips provided.
Andrew Mount’s Mares’ Hurdle Tips
Awaiting Tips…
Matty Sutcliffe’s Mares’ Hurdle Tips
Awaiting Tips…
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Bookmaker Odds – Race 4, Tuesday 10th March 3:20
We will have the odds for the 2026 Mares’ Hurdle here as soon as they are available…
All About The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle in 2026
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle was initially the sixth race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, but such was the hype the brilliant Quevega brought to the race that it was moved to an earlier slot to be screened on terrestrial TV.
This year looks set to be an extremely open renewal but one filled with class, with the best of the mares arriving from Britain and Ireland here.
Qualifications/Trends
Introduced in 2008, the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle was upgraded to a Grade 1 from Grade 2 in 2015, owing to the success of the exceptional Quevega.
What Quevega did however was a trends-busting feat. She is both the youngest and oldest winner, but looking purely at the eight runnings she did not win, it is the seven-year-olds who have been comfortably the most successful age group, taking this on five of those other occasions, including the last two renewals. In fact, 7YO’s have won four of the most recent five runnings.
It’s another race that has been dominated by the Irish, with Irish-trained horses winning 12 of the 15 runnings. The only British trainers to have won the race are Donald McCain (Whiteoak – 2008), Dan Skelton (Roksana – 2019) and Nicky Henderson (Marie’s Rock – 2022).
After being a favourites’ domain for so long, six in a row failed up until 2023, when Honeysuckle finished her career with a bang. Odds-on favourite Lossiemouth comfortably justified her prohibitive odds the following season.
2026 Mares’ Hurdle Prize Money
The 2025 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle winner Lossiemouth won £69,887.00
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle History
One of the newest races in the Cheltenham Festival schedule, the Mares’ Hurdle has steadily grown in popularity since first being run in 2008.
Many have quibbles with the idea that the race dilutes the quality of the Festival, with the best mares running here instead of elsewhere. However, the likes of Annie Power, Epatante and Honeysuckle have disproved that in recent years by winning the Champion Hurdle, with the first-named also running in the Stayers’ Hurdle before this contest.
Quevega’s stretch of six straight victories between 2009-2014 was a genuinely remarkable achievement. No horse has won as many races at the Cheltenham Festival as Willie Mullins’ history maker nor will likely ever do so, especially not in the same contest.
However, arguably the most infamous incident in the race came in 2015. After messieurs Mullins and Walsh had landed the Supreme, Arkle and Champion Hurdle with short-priced favourites, Annie Power was next up to land a £50 million blow upon the bookmakers. She fell at the last. Even that year, Willie Mullins still won the race with second string Glens Melody. His ten victories account for well over half of the total ever run.
The Mares’ Hurdle has continued to provide us with headlines ever since, including in 2023, when Honeysuckle scored at a fourth Cheltenham Festival in a row. It was her second Mares’ Hurdle success, with the pair of victories coming either side of back-to-back wins in the Champion Hurdle.
Winners since 2008
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Whiteoak | J:Jason Maguire T:Donald McCain Jr | 20/1 |
| 2009 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 2/1F |
| 2010 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 6/4F |
| 2011 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 5/6F |
| 2012 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 4/7F |
| 2013 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 8/11F |
| 2014 | Quevega | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 8/11F |
| 2015 | Glens Melody | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 6/1 |
| 2016 | Vroum Vroum Mag | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 4/6F |
| 2017 | Apple’s Jade | J:Bryan Cooper T:Gordon Elliott | 7/2 |
| 2018 | Benie Des Dieux | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 9/2 |
| 2019 | Roksana | J:Harry Skelton T:Dan Skelton | 10/1 |
| 2020 | Honeysuckle | J:Rachael Blackmore T:Henry de Bromhead | 9/4 |
| 2021 | Black Tears | J:Jack Kennedy T:Denise Foster | 11/1 |
| 2022 | Marie’s Rock | J:Nico De Boinville T:Nicky Henderson | 18/1 |
| 2023 | Honeysuckle | J:Rachael Blackmore T:Henry de Bromhead | 9/4J |
| 2024 | Lossiemouth | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 8/13F |
| 2025 | Lossiemouth | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 4/6F |
Cheltenham Festival Racing Schedule