Newbury Handicap Hurdle Tips & Odds

Newbury Handicap Hurdle Tips

LANESBOROUGH is a horse expected to one day contest graded races and as such the seven year old is taken to upset hot favourite Let It Rain in this Newbury feature, Britain's most valuable handicap hurdle...

What is the Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

The Newbury Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 handicap hurdle, which takes place at Newbury racecourse in early February, and can prove to be a key indicator for the likes of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a month later.

Run over two miles and 69 yards, the Newbury Handicap Hurdle is open to horses aged four years or older and can attract a host of emerging novice hurdlers looking to use the race as a springboard to Graded company, while it's also a race that attracts a host of proven talented hurdlers, who are aiming to land the valuable prize of winning the event.

What happened in the 2025 Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

For the second season in succession it was Nicky Henderson, Nico De Boinville and JP McManus celebrating the William Hill Hurdel as mare JOYEUSE made what had looked a competitive renewal on paper look anything but in reality.

The history of the Newbury Handicap Hurdle

Established in 1963, the Newbury Handicap Hurdle was first run at Aintree racecourse and was known as the Schweppes Gold Trophy, and since then has been a premier handicap hurdle on the calendar for trainers, and was often used as a stepping stone to the Cheltenham Festival.

Taken over by the Tote in 1987, it was then known as the Tote Gold Trophy and Totesport Trophy before it was taken over by Betfair, and it become known under its current guise of the Newbury Handicap Hurdle from 2012.

The Champion Hurdle is often a race targeted by those Newbury Handicap Hurdle winners and Persian War (1968) and Take A Stand (1997) won the race before going on to win the Champion Hurdle, while the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is another race that novice winners of the race can go on to contest at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Who is the most iconic winner of the Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

As mentioned before, Persian War and Make A Stand won the Newbury Handicap Hurdle before going on to Champion Hurdle victory, so they have to be regarded as iconic winners of the race, while more recently the classy duo of Zarkandar (2012) and My Tent Or Yours (2013) were impressive winners of the race who both went on to win Graded contests.

Are there any trials for the Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

With novice hurdlers clashing with proven, experienced performers then it's hard to pinpoint trial races for the Newbury Handicap Hurdle, as horses can use a whole host of races to warm up for this test. So, in terms of trials then it's a race that may be worth looking for from a form point of you when the declarations are made, but the ante-post betting will be available weeks before the race.

Who is the most successful jockey in the Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

The legendary Josh Gifford is the most successful jockey in the race, and astonishingly he rode four of the first five winners of the race. Landing the prize in 1963 with Rosyth, that same pairing retained their crown in 1964. Wins in 1966 and 1967 enhanced Gifford's superb record in the race.

Who is the most successful trainer in the Newbury Handicap Hurdle?

Nicky Henderson has a stunning record in the race and having landed his first winner as a trainer in 1998 with Sharpical the Seven Barrows handler has trained the winner six times. Geos (2000), Landing Light (2001), Geos (2004), My Tent Or Yours (2013) and Iberico Lord (2024) are Henderson's other winners in the races, and he is sure to have leading challengers for the race in 2025.