Mares' Hurdle Odds

You can find the latest odds for the Mares Hurdle below...

A Grade 1 contest, there will be plenty of bets placed on the Mares’ Hurdle during Champion Tuesday, and it is a particularly popular race for multiples, with the favourite regularly being sent off as a short price. As such, the market is a lively one throughout the season, so keep your eyes peeled on horseracing.net for expert views and analysis on the 2021 Mares’ Hurdle as the picture becomes clearer.

Mares’ Hurdle Tips

You can check out the 2021 Mares' Hurdle tips here when they are available...

What is the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 contest over hurdles for mares only, which is traditionally held on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, Champion Tuesday. Established in 2008, the race is one of the newest at the festival, and is run over just shy of two and a half miles (two miles, three furlongs and 200 yards).   

The history of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle

Established in 2008, the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle is one of the youngest at the festival, with the inaugural running won by Whiteoak for the Donald McCain team. A period of domination began the year after, when Quevega picked up the first of a staggering six straight wins for Willie Mullins. Since her retirement, no mare has managed to retain their crown - something the 2019 winner Roksana will be aiming to change for Dan Skelton in 2020.     

What happened in the 2020 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

Dubbed a match between Benie Des Dieux and Honeysuckle, the 2020 Mares' Hurdle didn't disappoint as the two fancied contenders stormed clear in the closing stages to serve up a thrilling finish, but it was the Henry De Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle that outclassed Benie Des Dieux to claim victory at 9/4. Nipping up the inside turning for home, Rachael Blackmore scooted clear on board Honeysuckle, but Paul Townend was trying to reel the leader in on board odds-on jolly Benie Des Dieux. However, Honeysuckle found enough up the hill to claim victory. Benie Des Dieux finished second with Elfile back in third.

Who is the most iconic winner of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

Although Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux share the honours for the most dramatic performances in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, the great Quevega is out on her own, with six straight wins in the race between 2009-2014. Quevega benefitted from some masterful training from Willie Mullins during her career, and successfully won on reappearance in the race for each of her five subsequent successes, regularly making just two starts each season - attempting to follow up at Punchestown a month later. Quevega successfully completed the Cheltenham/Punchestown double in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, before suffering defeat on the final start of her career at Punchestown in 2014.

Are there any trials for the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

The sponsors of the Mares’ Hurdle, OLBG, back a range of Mares’ events which serve as pointers for the festival event throughout the season, with the most significant of those being the olbg.com Mares’ Hurdle at Warwick. Over in Ireland, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Quevega Mares’ Hurdle at Punchestown, a race in which several recent protagonists have warmed up in before running at Cheltenham.

Who is the most successful jockey in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

The most successful jockey in the history of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle is Ruby Walsh, with eight wins. Six of Walsh’s wins in the Mares’ Hurdle came on board Quevega, who won the race in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, while Walsh has also won the race on Vroum Vroum Mag in 2016 and Benie Des Dieux in 2018.

Who is the most successful trainer in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?

The most successful trainer in the history of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle is Willie Mullins, who has trained a scarcely believable nine winners from 12 runnings. Mullins’ nine winners have come courtesy of Quevega (for six straight renewals from 2009-2014), while he has also won the race with Glens Melody (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) and Benie Des Dieux (2018).

A Grade 1 contest, there will be plenty of bets placed on the Mares’ Hurdle during Champion Tuesday, and it is a particularly popular race for multiples, with the favourite regularly being sent off as a short price. As such, the market is a lively one throughout the season, so keep your eyes peeled on horseracing.net for expert views and analysis on the 2020 Mares’ Hurdle as the picture becomes clearer.