- Cheltenham Festival Day 1
- Cheltenham Festival Day 2
- Cheltenham Festival Day 3
- Cheltenham Festival Day 4
- All Day 1 Races - Tue 10 Mar
- 13:20 Supreme Novices' Hurdle
- 14:00 Arkle Trophy
- 14:40 Fred Winter
- 15:20 Ultima Handicap Chase
- 16:00 Champion Hurdle
- 16:40 Festival Plate
- 17:20 National Hunt Chase
- All Day 2 Races - Wed 11 Mar
- 13:20 Turners Novices' Hurdle
- 14:00 Brown Advisory
- 14:40 Coral Cup
- 15:20 Cross Country Chase
- 16:00 Champion Chase
- 16:40 Grand Annual Chase
- 17:20 Champion Bumper
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Tips & Odds
The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is the first race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. Read More
The race in 2025 was renamed in honour of Michael O'Sullivan, who won the race aboard Marine Nationale in 2023 and sadly passed away recently following a fall at the age of just 24.
Here you can compare the latest Supreme Novices' Hurdle odds, view the possible runners and get our help and guidance on the best ways to bet.
We also look back at previous winners and key trends ahead of the Grade 1 curtain-raiser as well as giving you some Cheltenham tips for the opening race of the meeting.
Cheltenham 13:20
Skybet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
- 4yo+, 45 Runners
- Jumps,Turf , 2m 87y
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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.
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About the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the traditional curtain raiser on Cheltenham Day 1 known as Champion Tuesday. The race, a Grade 1 contest over two miles and 87 yards, has been won by some legendary names over the years, including Flyingbolt, L’Escargot, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
It was originally known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle and would be split into either two or three divisions for the first 25 years or so of its lifespan. The legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien dominated the race during this period, winning on ten occasions during the 1950s. The race began being known as the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1978 when Waterford Crystal began to sponsor it. The race has had several different sponsors since and is currently supported by Sky Bet. A host of Supreme winners have gone on to taste further success at the Cheltenham Festival, including the 2016 winner Altior, who won the 2017 Arkle Trophy and the 2018 and 2019 renewals of the Champion Chase after heading over fences.
Willie Mullins' KOPEK DES BORDES won the 2025 renewal at Cheltenham in a poignant victory for a team who had been close to Michael O'Sullivan, the young jockey who sadly died a few weeks before the Festival following a fall.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Tips
Early Cheltenham tips focus on how the race is shaping up rather than firm selections, with clearer betting opportunities emerging closer to the Festival.
The Supreme looks to be all about one horse at this stage, with Nicky Henderson’s OLD PARK STAR the short-priced favourite to kick things off for Team Britain. The race could be run in different ways, but this impressive six-year-old has shown all season that he’s happy making his own running or being ridden with a bit more patience.
He sets the standard right now, while the best of the Irish challenge looks to come from Gordon Elliott’s speedy but sometimes quirky EL CAIROS, along with Joseph O’Brien’s TALK THE TALK, who brings a slightly different profile into the mix.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Key Trends
- Willie Mullins has trained three of the last 10 winners
- Only three favourites or joint-favourites have won the last 10 renewals of the Supreme
- Horses aged six (6 wins) and five (3 wins) have dominated the Supreme in the last 10 years
- Eight of the last 10 winners had won their previous race before the Supreme.
Previous Winners Of The Supreme Novices' Hurdle
| Year | Winner | Winning Jockey | Winning Trainer | Starting Price | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kopek Des Bordes | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 4/6 Fav | 5 |
| 2024 | Slade Steel | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead | 7/2 | 6 |
| 2023 | Marine Nationale | Michael O'Sullivan | Barry Connell | 9/2 | 6 |
| 2022 | Constitution Hill | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 9/4 JF | 5 |
| 2021 | Appreciate It | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins | 8/11 Fav | 7 |
| 2020 | Shishkin | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 6/1 | 6 |
| 2019 | Klassical Dream | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | 6/1 | 5 |
| 2018 | Summerville Boy | Noel Fehily | Tom George | 9/1 | 6 |
| 2017 | Labaik | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott | 25/1 | 6 |
| 2016 | Altior | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson | 4/1 | 6 |
Frequently Asked Questions About The Supreme Novices' Hurdle
When is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle?
The race takes place at 13:20 on Tuesday 10th March 2026.
Where can I watch the Supreme Novices' Hurdle?
Watch the race live on ITV1 and Racing TV which also offer options to stream the race via their streaming services.
Alternatively, most bookmakers 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 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle?
There are plenty of Supreme winners who have gone on to bigger and better things, but perhaps none more so than Altior, who has won at the Cheltenham Festival on three occasions since claiming victory in the 2016 renewal of the race. Having made three starts in bumpers, Altior has well and truly come into his own over obstacles, and has yet to suffer a defeat over them, winning 19 races and counting. He has picked up four festival wins in that time, with the first coming in the 2016 Supreme, before winning the 2017 Arkle Trophy and the 2018 and 2019 renewals of the Champion Chase. Plenty of racing fans and pundits have expressed a strong desire for Altior to step up to three miles and have a crack at the 2019 King George VI Chase at Kempton, though whether connections decide to do so in the 2019/20 season remains to be seen. You can view Cheltenham results going back to 2010 and relive some of those old races.
Are there any trials for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle?
There are several races to note in terms of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle throughout the season, with the most significant being the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown and the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury. Other races to note include the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle and the National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle (both at Cheltenham), the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle (Ascot), the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (Kempton), the Supreme Trial (Haydock), the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Cheltenham) and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Trial (Kempton). Over in Ireland, it could be worth keeping an eye on the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle and the Deloitte Novice Hurdle, which are both at Leopardstown.
Who is the most successful jockey in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle?
The most successful jockey in the history of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is Ruby Walsh, who has six wins. Walsh’s six Supreme wins have come on board Noland (2006), Al Ferof (2011), Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015) and Klassical Dream (2019).
Who is the most successful trainer in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle?
The most successful trainer in the history of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is Willie Mullins, who has eight wins to his name. Willie Mullins’ Supreme Novices’ Hurdle wins have come courtesy of Tourist Attraction (1995), Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne Fever (2013) Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Klassical Dream (2019), Appreciate It (2021) and Kopek Des Bordes (2025).