Mares’ Hurdle Betting Odds 2025
The Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race restricted to mares aged four and upwards over two and a half miles at the Cheltenham Festival. The race was established in 2008 with victory going to Donald McCain’s Whiteoak. The following season it was won by Quevega, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh. It was the first of a remarkable six consecutive wins for the mare, eclipsing the previous record of five set by Golden Miller in the 1930s.
Quevega also established the pattern of domination for Mullins, extended to eight by Glens Melody (2015) and Vroum Vroum Mag (2016). Apple’s Jade temporarily halted the run of success for Mullins until Benie Des Dieux gave him his ninth Mares’ Hurdle win in 2018. Dan Skelton’s Roksana became only the second British-trained winner in 2019 before subsequent Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle won in 2020 and historically again in 2023. The Mares’ Hurdle betting odds 2025 suggest a more open contest this year.
The 2024 field was less open, with winner Lossiemouth highlighted below.
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle) (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
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Result6th20/1
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Result3rd33/1
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Result4th20/1
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Result5th12/1
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Result2nd14/1
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Result7th20/1
Latest Mares’ Hurdle Betting Odds
The Mares’ Hurdle 2025 is still many months away, and so odds only reflect distance chances of victory. Defending champion Lossiemouth is more likely to head to the Champion Hurdle on early vibes from the Mullins camp but could yet defend her title. Plenty of other contenders may emerge as yet.
Betting on the Mares’ Hurdle
The Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle will do well to attract as much interest in 2024 as it did last year when Honeysuckle crowned her remarkable career with a fourth consecutive Cheltenham Festival victory.
Originally known as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, Trainer Willie Mullins enjoyed a monopoly of this race with eight consecutive victories from 2009 to 2016. He has now gone four years without success since Benie Des Dieux gave him a record ninth win in 2018.
Inaugural winner Whiteoak (2008) remains the longest priced winner in the short history of the race at 20-1 after Marie’s Rock returned a surprise winner at 18-1 in 2022. The latter was only the third British-trained winner in fifteen years. Quevega started favourite for all six of her victories but Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) has been only winning favourite since.
There were notable setbacks for punters with the last hurdle falls of heavily-backed Annie Power (2015) and Benie Des Dieux (2019). Annie Power’s fall was estimated to have saved the bookmakers a £50 million payout after the stable had already won with three well-backed favourites. Since Quevega’s final victory at the age of ten in 2014, six seven-year-olds have won, making them the most successful age group.
Mares’ Hurdle News
We will not know anything about the 2025 Mares’ Hurdle until the jumps season begins again in the autumn.