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Cheltenham Festival

Turners Novices’ Hurdle Entries 2025 – Bumper Number of Entries for Wednesday Opener as 73 Hopefuls Emerge

A bumper entry of 73 potential runners remain after the latest forfeit stage for the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle on Wednesday, 12th March 2025. The day two contest, which serves as the opener on the Wednesday, is being run under another new guise this year, but is registered as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle as well as having been sponsored by both Ballymore and Gallagher in recent seasons.

Among the vast entry list is chief British hope The New Lion for Dan Skelton. Despite there not having been a British-trained winner since Willoughby Court in 2017, the six-year-old has received substantial early support for the race having won readily on his first three career starts over hurdles, including when bolting up in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

That fellow Grade 1 contest has a poor record in providing Cheltenham Festival winners, though it is another British runner who is the nearest pursuer in the market. Potters Charm has won on his first four hurdles starts, also claiming a Grade 1 last time out when successful at Aintree, while he has also won twice at Cheltenham already too.

Willie Mullins has claimed the last three renewals of the race and boasts 24 of the 73 potentials. The likes of Kopek Des Bordes and Final Demand have all been seen producing smart performances to this point, with the latter becoming favourite for this race after a hugely impressive performance at the Dublin Racing Festival, while the former is likely to run in the Supreme.

Before Mullins’ supremacy, both Henry De Bromhead and Gordon Elliott have claimed winners of this in the past five renewals. The former could rely on Albert Bartlett fancy The Big Westerner, if his mare drops back in trip, while Koktail Divin would be another significant name in the race. For Elliott, Supreme hopeful Romeo Coolio has been given a second option alongside The Yellow Clay, an impressive Grade 1 winner at Naas last time out. 

The big name British trainers are relatively quiet among the entries otherwise – Paul Nicholls’ expensive purchase Regent’s Stroll is amongst the 73, as is Quebecois, while Nicky Henderson has a pair of mares in Holloway Queen and That’s Nice.

French interest could also come in the shape of Jet Blue, who won a Grade 2 at Prestbury Park earlier in the season and would be among the stronger contenders should he take up his entry.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle 2025 Entries

NumberHorseTrainer
1AlexeiJoe Tizzard
2Argento BoyWillie Mullins
3Ballygunner CastleWillie Mullins
4BelloccioWillie Mullins
5Bill JoyceJonjo & A J O’Neill
6Bleu De VassyGordon Elliott
7C’Est Ta ChanceWillie Mullins
8Crest Of FortuneAnthony Honeyball
9De Temps En TempsGavin Cromwell
10Eastern LegendJim Bolger
11Final DemandWillie Mullins
12Fingle BridgeOlly Murphy
13First ConfessionJoe Tizzard
14Fishery LaneWillie Mullins
15Forty CoatsHenry De Bromhead
16Funiculi FuniculaWillie Mullins
17Good And CleverWarren Greatrex
18Good N’ KindHenry De Bromhead
19I’m A LumberjackAlan King
20Icare d’AubrelleThomas Cooper
21Inn At The ParkWillie Mullins
22Jacob’s LadderGordon Elliott
23Jacovec CavernEmmet Mullins
24James’s GateMartin Brassil
25Jet BlueDavid Cottin
26Jig’s ForgeBen Pauling
27JoystickWillie Mullins
28Julius Des PictonsJamie Snowden
29Junker d’AllierOlly Murphy
30Kaid d’AuthieWillie Mullins
31Kalix DelabarriereWillie Mullins
32Kappa Jy PykeWillie Mullins
33KarbauWillie Mullins
34KawaboomgaWillie Mullins
35Kdeux Saint FrayAnthony Honeyball
36Kel HistoireWillie Mullins
37Kingston PrideNicky Henderson
38Kiss WillWillie Mullins
39Koktail DivinHenry De Bromhead
40Kopek Des BordesWillie Mullins
41Minella SixoGordon Elliott
42NativehillNicky Henderson
43Newton TornadoRebecca Curtis
44No Questions AskedBen Pauling
45Old CowboyGary & Josh Moore
46Pierrot JaguenOlly Murphy
47Port JoulainWillie Mullins
48Potters CharmNigel Twiston-Davies
49QuebecoisPaul Nicholls
50Regent’s StrollPaul Nicholls
51Relieved Of DutiesGordon Elliott
52Romeo CoolioGordon Elliott
53Sea Of SandsWillie Mullins
54SixmilebridgeFergal O’Brien
55Soir De GardeWillie Mullins
56SommeskyHenry De Bromhead
57Sounds VictoriusWillie Mullins
58South Omo ZoneOlly Murphy
59Sporting GloryGordon Elliott
60SupersundaeWillie Mullins
61The EnablerGordon Elliott
62The New LionDan Skelton
63The Yellow ClayGordon Elliott
64Tutti QuantiPaul Nicholls
65Wade OutOlly Murphy
66Western KnightJoe Tizzard
67Whinney HillGordon Elliott
68WingmenGordon Elliott
69You Oughta KnowWillie Mullins
70ZillowWillie Mullins
71Holloway QueenNicky Henderson
72That’s NiceNicky Henderson
73The Big WesternerHenry De Bromhead