Turners Novices' Hurdle Tips & Odds

The race takes place at 13:20 on Wednesday 11th March 2026

Watch the race live on ITV1 and Racing TV who 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.

The roll of honour for the Turners or Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle contains some illustrious names, including that of the 2002 winner Galileo (not that one!), though one name that stands out, in particular, is the 2014 winner of the race, Faugheen. Carrying the familiar Rich Ricci colours, it didn’t take Faugheen long to make a lasting impression on the sport, and having made a winning debut in a bumper in May 2013, he racked off three facile successes over hurdles the following season, which led to him being sent off as a strong 6/4 favourite for the 2014 Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle. Faugheen won in commanding fashion, and he would continue doing so, winning the 2015 Champion Hurdle on his way to recording ten straight victories, and earning himself the nickname “Faugheen The Machine”.

Nichols Canyon would end his unbeaten run in November 2015, and although he quickly bounced back with back-to-back Grade 1 wins, he would be ruled out of the 2016 festival through injury. His highly-publicised injury issues would deliver a considerable chink into his armour, and Faugheen was arguably never the same again, finishing only sixth in the 2018 Champion Hurdle. However, he had one final trick up his sleeve, and recorded his final victory in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at the 2018 Punchestown Festival a month later, making all to score by 13 lengths. A noble third in the Cheltenham equivalent followed at the 2019 festival, before Faugheen bowed out in the Aintree Hurdle a month later when reportedly suffering a heart problem. 

There are several notable trial races for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, with the most important of those being the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury, the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day. There are two more Ballymore-sponsored races to note at Cheltenham prior to that (in November and on New Year’s Day), whilst it is also worth keeping an eye on the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle (Chepstow), the Winter Novices’ Hurdle (Sandown), the Heroes Introductory Hurdle (Newbury), and the Leamington Novices’ Hurdle (Warwick). Over in Ireland, races to note are the Monksfield Novice Hurdle and the Navan Novice Hurdle at Navan, and the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. 

The most successful jockey in the history of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle is Ruby Walsh, who has ridden four winners of the race, courtesy of Fiveforthree (2008), Mikael d’Haguenet (2009), Faugheen (2014) and Yorkhill (2016).

The most successful trainer in the history of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle is Willie Mullins, who has trained the winner of the race on seven occasions with Fiveforthree (2008), Mikael d’Haguenet (2009), Faugheen (2014), Yorkhill (2016), Sir Gerhard (2022), Impaire Et Passe (2023) and Ballyburn (2024) claiming victory.