Molyneux Hurdle Tips & Odds

Molyneux Hurdle Tips

We will display our tips for the race here a little closer to the time...

What is the Molyneux Hurdle? 

Run over two miles, the Molyneux Hurdle at Aintree has replaced the Elite Hurdle, which was a Grade 2 contest held at Wincanton in November, and traditionally acted as an early season indicator for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Paul Nicholls had an excellent record at his local track, and won this race on eleven occasions. It remains to be seen if he will exude such dominance with the race now switched north.

What happened in the 2025 Molyneux Hurdle

In its last running as the Elite Hurdle, 2023 and 2024 champion RUBAUD defended his crown at Wincanton to scoop a fourth consecutive Elite Hurdle for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden.

The history of the Molyneux Hurdle

Established in 1992, the Molyneux Hurdle began as the Elite Hurdle and was initially held at Cheltenham over slightly further than two miles, before being switched to Wincanton in 1994. Although it was seen as an indicator for the Champion Hurdle, no horse has ever won the Elite Hurdle and then followed up at the Cheltenham Festival. Will that change with the race switching to Aintree?

Who is the most iconic winner of the Molyneux Hurdle? 

2026 will see someone win the inaugural Molyneux Hurdle, but there are several notable names that have won the Elite Hurdle over the years, though the most recognisable is perhaps the Paul Nicholls-trained Azertyuiop, who won the race back in 2001. Azertyuiop would prove to be a more talented chaser than a hurdler, winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2003, before following up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase a year later.

Are there any trials for the Molyneux Hurdle? 

The Molyneux Hurdle is a traditional scene for a reappearance run, meaning that there are no trials as such for the race. As the Elite Hurdle it did, however, act as a platform to bigger and better things later in the season, and horses who take their chance in the Molyneux Hurdle tend to target races such as the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, the International Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the Aintree Hurdle.