Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle Tips & Odds

The race takes place at 17:20 on Friday 14th March 2025.

Watch the race live on ITV1 and Racing TV who also offer options to stream the race via their streaming services. 

Alternatively, most betting sites offer a free live horse racing stream allowing you to watch the race after you've placed a bet.

Although the race is only a decade old, a few winners of the Martin Pipe have gone on to bigger and better things, including the 2014 winner, Don Poli. He showed plenty of stamina when clearing away to win by four and a half lengths, and it was no surprise to see him sent chasing the following season, producing a fine novice campaign which culminated in winning the 2015 RSA Chase.

Don Poli was quickly considered a key contender for the 2016 Gold Cup, and he got his campaign off to a fine start, defeating Grand National winner Many Clouds in a listed contest at Aintree and winning the Christmas Chase at Leopardstown. Don Poli could only finish third in the Gold Cup, and after placing at both Aintree and Punchestown on his next two starts, he arguably hasn’t been the same since, switching to Gordon Elliott from Willie Mullins and then being sold by Gigginstown. He was purchased by the ambitious Darren Yates just before the 2019 Grand National with the view of giving his new owner a run in the big race, and although he was ultimately pulled-up, it will be interesting to see him return for the 2019-20 season, considering he will still only be an eleven-year-old by the time the 2020 spring festivals come around.

There are no trials as such for the Martin Pipe, and the differing profiles of recent winners mean that there’s no clear path to the race. Several recent winners have been novice hurdlers from Ireland, so keeping an eye on graded novice contests across the Irish Sea is a good starting point, while keeping an eye on trainer comments can also be key in working out where horses will be heading in the spring.

With the race being restricted to conditional jockeys, nobody has ridden the winner of the Martin Pipe more than once.

The most successful trainer in the history of the Martin Pipe is Willie Mullins, who has trained the winner of the race on four occasions. Mullins winners in the Martin Pipe have come courtesy of Sir Des Champs (2011), Don Poli (2014), Killultagh Vic (2015), and Galopin Des Champs (2021).