Mares' Hurdle Tips & Odds 2027
The Mares' Hurdle is the Grade 1 championship hurdle for mares on day three of the Cheltenham Festival. Compare 2027 odds, tips, trends and past winners.
The Mares' Hurdle is run on day three of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday 18th March 2027 and you can check out the latest Mares' Hurdle odds here. Read More
Not only do we have the latest betting, but you can see the racecards for the contest as well as our Cheltenham tips on the day of a race, and we also provide you with some guidance on how to place a bet on the event with some of the leading horse racing betting sites and look at the trends and past winners of the race....
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Cheltenham 14:40
Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (R'd As The David Nicholson) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (POSSIBLE ENTRIES)
- 4yo+, 18 Runners
- Jumps , 2m 4f 56y
Racecard
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• 1 (5) = Horse number with the draw number in brackets.
• Number alongside the horse name is the days since the horse last ran.
• Numbers/letters under the jockey silk is the horse form with the most recent figure on the right. Numbers = finishing position (0 = finished outside the top 10), P = pulled up, F = fell, U = Unseated, B = brought down, R = refused, C = carried out, D = disqualified, HR = hit rails, L = left at start, O = ran out, S = slipped up, V = void race. A dash between figures indicates a year between the runs and a slash indicates a new season.
• % alongside jockey/trainer names = strike rate in last 30 days.
• Key to pointers: C = Course winner, D = Distance winner, CD = Course & Distance winner, BF = Beaten Favourite last time out, WS = Has had wind surgery since last run, LT = Longest Travellers, b = Wearing blinkers, b1 = Wearing blinkers for the first time, h = Wearing a hood, h1 = Wearing a hood for the first time, t = Wearing a tongue strap, t1 = Wearing a tongue strap for the first time, v = Wearing a visor, v1 = Wearing a visor for the first time, p = Wearing cheek pieces. OR = Official Rating. RPR = Racing Post Rating. Topspeed is a figure calculated using race times and the going to show how fast the horse can run.
Mares’ Hurdle Tips
It is too early to offer firm tips for the 2027 Mares' Hurdle, which was won last season by the Gordon Elliott-trained Wodhooh. We will update this page with our tips as soon as the picture becomes clearer and the first ante-post markets appear.
About the Mares' Hurdle
The Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle race for mares aged four and up, registered as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle and currently sponsored by Close Brothers. Established in 2008, it is one of the newest races at the Festival. It was run on Champion Day for many years but moved to Day Three, Thursday, in 2026, and it is now run on the New Course over two miles, four furlongs and 56 yards (previously two miles, three furlongs and 200 yards).
The inaugural running was 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, and since then the race has become a lot more competitive. Honeysuckle (2020 and 2023) and Lossiemouth (2024 and 2025) have both won it twice.
In 2026 WODHOOH won for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy at 5/6, beating Willie Mullins’ Jade De Grugy by a length in a seven-runner field. Lossiemouth did not defend her crown, as she went for and won the Champion Hurdle instead.
Mares' Hurdle Key Trends
- Four of the last 10 winners have been aged seven years old
- Four of the last 10 winners have been sent off favourite or co favourite.
- Eight of the last 10 winners have been trained in Ireland
- Willie Mullins has trained three of the last 10 winners, but not the 2026 winner
Previous Winners Of The Mares' Hurdle
| Year | Winner | Winning Jockey | Winning Trainer | Starting Price | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wodhooh | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott | 5/6 Fav | 6 |
| 2025 | Lossiemouth | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 4/6 Fav | 6 |
| 2024 | Lossiemouth | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 8/13 Fav | 5 |
| 2023 | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead | 9/4 JF | 9 |
| 2022 | Marie's Rock | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 18/1 | 7 |
| 2021 | Black Tears | Jack Kennedy | Denise Foster | 11/1 | 7 |
| 2020 | Honeysuckle | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead | 9/4 | 6 |
| 2019 | Roksana | Harry Skelton | Dan Skelton | 10/1 | 7 |
| 2018 | Benie Des Dieux | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | 9/2 | 7 |
| 2017 | Apple's Jade | Bryan Cooper | Gordon Elliott | 7/2 | 5 |
Frequently Asked Questions About The Mares' Hurdle
When is the Mares' Hurdle?
The Mares' Hurdle takes place on Thursday 18th March 2027, the third day of the Cheltenham Festival. It was run at 14:40 in 2026, and the official 2027 time is still to be confirmed.
Where can I watch the Mares' Hurdle?
Watch the race live on ITV and Racing TV, which also offer options to stream the race via their streaming services.
Alternatively, most betting sites will offer a free live horse racing stream allowing you to watch the race after you've placed a bet.
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?
There is a range of mares' events which serve as pointers for the Festival race throughout the season, with the most significant of those being the 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 before running at Cheltenham.
Who is the most successful jockey in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?
Ruby Walsh is the most successful jockey in the history of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle with eight wins, riding Quevega in each of her six victories between 2009 and 2014, plus Vroum Vroum Mag in 2016 and Benie Des Dieux in 2018. Paul Townend is next with three wins, on Glens Melody in 2015 and Lossiemouth in 2024 and 2025.
Who is the most successful trainer in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle?
Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle with 11 wins, thanks to Quevega (six), Glens Melody, Vroum Vroum Mag, Benie Des Dieux and Lossiemouth (two). Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead have both trained two of the last ten winners.