The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (now the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle) is the opening race of day two of the Cheltenham Festival. While its start does not garner quite the same roar as that of the Supreme on day one, it is still the herald of another top day at the Festival. GG’s experts have all the up-to-date and in-depth analysis you need to pick the winner of yet another Grade 1 event.
Dave Young’s Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Tips
Awaiting tips…
Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Bookmaker Odds – Race 1, Wednesday 12th March 1:30
The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle is the registered name of the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. We are not familiar with the 2025 runners yet, with the below card showing the 2024 field.
Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race)
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BallyburnJ: Paul TownendT: W P MullinsResult1st2/5
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Result6th14/1
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Result3rd5/1
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Result2nd25/1
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MercureyJ: Brian HayesT: W P MullinsResult4th16/1
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Result5th9/1
All About The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Trophy in 2025
This year’s Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle) will have a wide open feel about it until closer to the off, with several horses still only confirmed to run here, or in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over the shorter distance, towards the final stages of the season.
Once we know more about the field for the 2025 Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, we will update the racecard and our tips.
Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Overlooked Outsiders
Some outsiders are likely to outrun their odds at the Cheltenham Festival 2024. We will cover those we believe have the best chance of making you money when the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle field si narrowed down.
Qualifications/Trends
Four-year-olds and upwards are eligible for this contest with the juveniles receiving an 8lb allowance over this trip.
Quite simply, pick a six-year-old. That age group has won every running since 2014 and is the prime age for an intermediate novice hurdler before they traditional go chasing the following season. However, this trend may be beginning to end, with Sir Gerhard and Impaire Et Passe breaking it in the last two seasons.
It is also advisable to look to Ireland for the winner. They have taken seven of the last eight runnings among five different trainers, Willoughby Court being the sole victor for Great Britain in 2017.
Ruby Walsh may well lead the way with four wins in this race, but it’s perhaps more prudent to see who Davy Russell is riding. His three successes have come for three different trainers.
Don’t necessarily expect there to be a traditional route for the winner. Despite there being an obvious correlation from one year to the next, only Yorkhill has won this and the following year’s Turners Novices’ Chase, while only one winner has won the Ryanair: Envoi Allen in 2023.
Prize Money in 2025
Identical to the Supreme in 2025, the total fund was £93,750.
Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle History
Introduced in 1971, the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle was the original longer-distance novice hurdle, before the Albert Bartlett came along decades later.
Although Davy Lad, the 1977 Gold Cup winner, would win this race in 1975, perhaps the first marquee winner was the extraordinary Willie Wumpkins in 1973. He only won seven races in his life, but four of those came at the Cheltenham Festival. This was his first, before he added three Coral Cups to his tally.
The race also provided a seminal moment in the history of jumps racing, for it gave J P McManus his first ever win at the Cheltenham Festival courtesy of Mister Donovan in 1982. But for his win in the race, it was rumoured McManus may never have afforded to build the dynasty he has.
Davy Lad is the only Gold Cup winner to have won both races, but we have seen three horses go from this to Champion Hurdle glory in Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen, all three of whom used their staying power up the hill to excellent effect the year(s) after.
Winners since 2000
Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
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2000 | Monsignor | J:Norman Williamson T:Mark Pitman | 5/4F |
2001 | VOID | J:N/A T:N/A | VOID |
2002 | Galileo | J:Jason Maguire T:Tom George | 12/1 |
2003 | Hardy Eustace | J:Kieran Kelly T:Dessie Hughes | 6/1 |
2004 | Fundamentalist | J:Carl Llewellyn T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 12/1 |
2005 | No Refuge | J:Graham Lee T:Howard Johnson | 17/2 |
2006 | Nicanor | J:Paul Carberry T:Noel Meade | 17/2 |
2007 | Massini’s Maguire | J:Richard Johnson T:Philip Hobbs | 20/1 |
2008 | Fiveforthree | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 7/1 |
2009 | Mikael d’Haguenet | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 5/2F |
2010 | Peddlers Cross | J:Jason Maguire T:Donald McCain Jr | 7/1 |
2011 | First Lieutenant | J:Davy Russell T:Mouse Morris | 7/1 |
2012 | Simonsig | J:Barry Geraghty T:Nicky Henderson | 2/1F |
2013 | The New One | J:Sam Twiston-Davies T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 7/2 |
2014 | Faugheen | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 6/4F |
2015 | Windsor Park | J:Davy Russell T:Dermot Weld | 9/2 |
2016 | Yorkhill | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 3/1 |
2017 | Willoughby Court | J:David Bass T:Ben Pauling | 14/1 |
2018 | Samcro | J:Jack Kennedy T:Gordon Elliott | 8/11F |
2019 | City Island | J:Mark Walsh T:Martin Brassil | 8/1 |
2020 | Envoi Allen | J:Davy Russell T:Gordon Elliott | 4/7F |
2021 | Bob Olinger | J:Rachael Blackmore T:Henry De Bromhead | 6/4F |
2022 | Sir Gerhard | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 8/11F |
2023 | Impaire Et Passe | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 5/2 |
2024 | Ballyburn | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 1/2F |
Cheltenham Festival Racing Schedule
Time | Race | |
1:30 | Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle | Read Tip |
2:10 | Festival Novices Chase | Read Tip |
2:50 | Coral Cup | Read Tip |
3:30 | Queen Mother Champion Chase | Read Tip |
4:10 | Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase | Read Tip |
4:50 | Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Read Tip |