Turners Novices' Chase Entries: 41 horses entered for wide open Grade 1 at Cheltenham Festival

There were 41 horses entered for the 2023 Turners Novices' Chase, which is run on day three of the Cheltenham Festival on March 16, and here at HorseRacing.net we take a look at the list of potential runners and pick out those that could feature prominently in the Grade 1 event...

Gordon Elliott's Mighty Potter failed to land a blow in last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle when pulling up, but the Cullentra House inmate has made a sparkling start to his chasing career with two wins out of two and the classy performer is the current 3/1 ante-post favourite for the Turners Novices' Chase on March 16. One of the star names in the 41-strong list of horses, Mighty Potter built on a Down Royal success on chase debut by grabbing victory in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse. He does a Brown Advisory Novices' Chase entry, but he could be tailor-made for this event, so has to be a leading contender, if taking his chance here.

Second in the betting around the 5/1 mark, at the time of writing, is the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It, who is also incidentally second favourite for the Arkle and could be primed for that two-mile test on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. A former Supreme winner, nine-year-old Appreciate It is one of a plethora of Mullins runners entered for the Turners, and it's unknown yet which ones from Closutton will take their chance here.

James Du Berlais made an extremely impressive debut over fences on New Year's Day and is available at 7/1, while former Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner Sir Gerhard, who has yet to be seen over fences and holds a Champion Hurdle along with plenty of other entries, is another prominent figure in the betting and has to be respected if taking his chance. Likely Arkle player Dysart Dynamo and National Hunt Chase ante-post favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil also figure in the list of entries for team Mullins.

Henry De Bromhead's Journey With Me was a faller in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle last season when well fancied, but is another that has made a pleasing start to his novice chasing career. Available at double-figured odds, at the time of writing, the seven-year-old started his chasing career with a win at Naas, but he was beaten next time out in Grade 3 company at Punchestown by Impervious, but that Colm Murphy-trained raider doesn't hold an entry here.

Joseph O'Brien's Banbridge was a fine winner of the Martin Pipe at last season's Cheltenham Festival and showed when winning at Cheltenham earlier in the season that he can deliver the goods over fences at Prestbury Park, and that raider has been entered for this contest, while the likes of Stage Star and Balco Coastal are a couple of UK-trained raiders that could take their chance, but they are as big as 25/1 for this event.

The final field will be unknown until the final declarations take place two days before the actual race, and with the Willie Mullins team holding such an abundance of top notch novice chasers then it will all depend on what his plans are for the Cheltenham Festival, as that will have significant bearing on the betting for this middle-distance Grade 1 novice chase.

2023 Turners Novices' Chase Entries

• Adamantly Chosen
• Appreciate It
• Balco Coastal
• Banbridge
• Bass Rock
• Bold Endeavour
• Bowtogreatness
• Bronn
• Christopher Wood
• Datsalrightgino
• Drumbear
• Dysart Dynamo
• El Fabiolo
• Fil Dor
• Flame Bearer
• Gaillard Du Mesnil
• Gentlemansgame
• Glengouly
• Ha D'Or
• Harper's Brook
• Hollow Games
• I Am Maximus
• James Du Berlais
• Journey With Me
• Kilcruit
• Lac De Constance
• Loughderg Rocco
• McFabulous
• Mighty Potter
• Monmiral
• Mortlach
• Notlongtillmay
• Ramillies
• Sir Gerhard
• Stage Star
• Straw Fan Jack
• The Real Whacker
• Thunder Rock
• Tweed Skirt
• Unexpected Party
• Wonderwall