The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (now Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle) is the opening race on day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival. It is over two miles and five furlongs and is an alternative option for novices entered for either the two-mile Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or three-mile Albert Bartlett. This route has been taken by subsequent Champion Hurdle winners Istabraq (1997), Hardy Eustace (2003) and Faugheen (2014).
This has been a race filled with recent success for Willie Mullins, who also saddled last year’s impressive winner, Ballyburn. The race has an illustrious roll of honour, with the likes of Istabraq, Faugheen and Envoi Allen all winning this race in their novice hurdling season.
Irish-trained runners have become increasingly dominant in recent years. The victory of Bob Olinger in 2021 was their seventh in the last eight seasons. The only British-trained winner during that period was Willoughby Court in 2017. The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Odds 2024 below show that Ballyburn won at prohibitively short odds.
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 -
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
Latest Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Betting Odds
The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle was named the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle for the 2024 race and it could be once again in 2025. So far out from the 2025 meeting, the protagonists in the 2024 Champion Bumper hold sway in the early markets for this race.
Betting on the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle
The race is known as the Baring Bingham to honour the organiser of the first ever Cheltenham Festival in 1902. This race is more than half a mile longer than the Supreme Hurdle and the best novices are often entered for both races. A final decision on their chosen engagement often hinges on the going as this can become a stamina test in soft or heavy ground.
The most famous winner of the Ballymore Hurdle was Aidan O’Brien’s Istabraq in 1997. He became the fifth horse in history to win three Champion Hurdles (1998-2000). Faugheen (2014) was the most recent horse to win this race and go on to win the Champion Hurdle the following year. He is one of a record six winners for Willie Mullins who has led the dominance of Irish-trained horses in recent years.
Favourites in the Ballymore Hurdle betting have won four of the last six renewals with Samcro (2018), Envoi Allen (2020), Bob Olinger (2021) and Sir Gerhard (2022). Shock results are rare in recent times with Willoughby Court (14-1 in 2017) being only the double-figure priced winner in the past twelve years. Six-year-olds have been the most successful age group for a bet on the Ballymore Novices Hurdle, accounting for 11 of the last 13 winners.
Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle News
With such a solid recent record in this race, it is hard to get away from the Irish-trained runners in this contest. It is also likely that Willie Mullins will have a very strong hand having won this for the last three years with Sir Gerhard, Impaire Et Passe and Ballyburn.