Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle 2022 Racecard

The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, also known as the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle, is the newest race at the Cheltenham Festival.

4:50 Thu 17 Mar DAWN RUN NOVICES' HURDLE Distance: 16f 179y Age: 4yo + Prize: £105,000 Going: Gd/Sft Analyst's Verdict Willie Mullins has won five of the six previous renewals and holds a very strong hand again. DINOBLUE looked a smart mare in the making when hammering 12 rivals under hand riding at Clonmel, and with significant improvement likely, she's hard to ignore. Stablemate Brandy Love will be more at home on this left-handed track and is feared most, with Love Envoi perhaps the pick of the British runners.

ENTRY FORM	SILKS	HORSE JOCKEY & TRAINER	AGE WGT		ODDS
1		1. IMPERVIOUS (IRE) J: B. Hayes T: Colm A. Murphy, Ireland	6 11-7		BET
Strong at the finish when making it 3-3 over hurdles in Grade 3 at Down Royal (16.8f) in October. Unsuited by emphasis on speed in Royal Bond won by Statuaire since, so well worth another chance.
2		2. LOVE ENVOI (IRE) J: Jonathan Burke T: Harry Fry	6 11-7		BET
Wexford bumper winner who overcame a late blunder to make it 4-4 over hurdles in Grade 2 Jane Seymour at Sandown (19.8f) 4 weeks ago. Has a 5 lb penalty to carry but remains one to be positive about.
3		3. PARTY CENTRAL (IRE) J: J. W. Kennedy T: Gordon Elliott, Ireland	6 11-7		BET
Dual-bumper winner who is very much going the right way over hurdles, following up her listed success at Punchestown on handicap debut at Leopardstown (17.7f). Open to further improvement.
4		4. STATUAIRE (FR) J: D. E. Mullins T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	7 11-7		BET
Improved again when completing a hat-trick for this yard in Grade 1 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse in November, staying on to lead on line. Well beaten tried in a hood at Leopardstown but can bounce back.
5		5. CHOICE OF WORDS J: D. J. O'Keeffe T: Martin Brassil, Ireland	7 11-5		BET
Progressive in bumpers and ran to a fairly useful level in making a winning start over hurdles at Galway. Has matched rather than bettered that form since but she's not without each-way hope.
6		6. NINA THE TERRIER (IRE) J: Tom Bellamy T: Alan King	6 11-5		BET
Completed a hat-trick over hurdles in novice company at Newbury in December, but had her limitations exposed when only third of 6 to Love Envoi in Jane Seymour last time.
7		7. TWEED SKIRT J: James Bowen T: Nicky Henderson	5 11-5		BET
Fair bumper winner and made second hurdles outing a successful one at Ascot in November. That form is ordinary, and while this trip more suitable than 20.5f last time, she's up against it.
8		8. AHORSEWITHNONAME J: Nico de Boinville T: Nicky Henderson	7 11-2		BET
Fairly useful on the Flat and has matched that form over hurdles, for all she's raced 5 times without success. Hard to see her getting seriously involved at this level.
9		9. BRAGANZA J: S. F. O'Keeffe T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	7 11-2		BET
Showed more temperament than ability on Flat debut in 2017 but superbly prepared after nearly 4 years off when making hurdling debut at Thurles. Failed to see race out upped in grade twice since.
10		10. BRANDY LOVE (IRE) J: P. Townend T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	6 11-2		BET
Useful in bumpers and made an impressive start to hurdling career when easily landing Naas maiden on return. Jumped markedly left when second at Fairyhouse since but still a key form player.
11		11. DINOBLUE (FR) J: M. P. Walsh T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	5 11-2		BET
Doctor Dino mare who looked an excellent prospect when drawing clear for minimal assistance to score by 15 lengths on debut at Clonmel (16.8f) in January. Type to make significant improvement. Player.
12		12. GRANGEE (FR) J: P. Townend T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	6 11-2		BET
Useful in bumpers, winning 3 times, and made the most of a good opportunity on hurdles debut at Fairyhouse. Solid fourth in Leopardstown Grade 1 and running well when falling 2 out in Solerina latest.
13		13. HEIA (FR) J: Rachael Blackmore T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	5 11-2		BET
French bumper winner who was given a considerate introduction on hurdles debut in December and she looked a nice prospect when a ready scorer back at 2m last month. Limit not yet reached.
14		14. HIDDEN LAND (USA) J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Andrew Kinirons, Ireland	5 11-2		BET
Big-priced winner on hurdles debut in July but that level well short of what is required here and she hasn't matched that since. AW scorer in February but looks out of her depth.
15		15. HORS PISTE (FR) J: B. J. Cooper T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland	5 11-2		BET
Didn't need to improve to make her second start for this yard a winning one at Clonmel (18.9f) 4 weeks ago. That was a weak race but she did it easily and is open to further improvement up in grade.
16		16. MAYHEM MYA J: Bryan Carver T: Chris Honour	5 11-2		BET
Dual-bumper winner who confirmed hurdling debut promise when wide-margin winner at Chepstow (2m) in January. Not disgraced behind Love Envoi at Lingfield and now tongue tied. Much more needed.
17		17. MIGHTY BLUE (FR) J: J. J. Slevin T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien, Ireland	6 11-2		BET
Listed winner on the level in May so clearly possesses the raw ability to be a big factor at this level. Looked booked for second when unseating rider at Naas last month. Usual hood left off.
18		18. MONISHTER ARE MWEE (IRE) J: I. J. Power T: Mrs Jayne Hearne, Ireland	6 11-2		BET
Surpassed bumper form when making second hurdles outing a winning one at Clonmel in October. Better form in defeat since but merit now established as a notch below this.
19		19. NURSE SUSAN (FR) J: Harry Skelton T: Dan Skelton	5 11-2		BET
Created an excellent impression when winning her first 2 starts with plenty in hand and showed even better form in defeat when second to Love Envoi at Lingfield (2m) last time. Can go on improving.
20		20. SAY GOODBYE (IRE) J: Robbie Power T: Gordon Elliott, Ireland	6 11-2		BET
Won mares maiden at Bellewstown in July (2½m) and took form up a notch when second of 15 on handicap debut at Leopardstown last month. May lack the pace to get involved.
21		21. THE PLAYER QUEEN (IRE) J: Craig Nichol T: Rose Dobbin	6 11-2		BET
Point/bumper winner who built on earlier promise when doubling hurdles tally in 5-runner novice at Musselburgh last month, responding well. Can do better again but has plenty to find at this level.
22		22. WALK IN CLOVER (IRE) J: Jack Andrews T: Dan Skelton	5 11-2		BET
Didn't have much to beat when opening hurdles account on debut for the Skelton yard at Leicester (15.5f, heavy) in January. Disappointing effort at Taunton and this a tough race to bounce back in.
Betting Forecast : 3/1 3 DINOBLUE, 4/1 4 BRANDY LOVE, 7/1 7 PARTY CENTRAL, 10/1 10 GRANGEE, 14/1 14 IMPERVIOUS, 16/1 16 LOVE ENVOI, 22/1 22 NURSE SUSAN, 28/1 28 STATUAIRE, 28/1 28 MIGHTY BLUE, 28/1 28 CHOICE OF WORDS, 33/1 33 HORS PISTE, 40/1 40 SAY GOODBYE, 40/1 40 HEIA, 50/1 50 NINA THE TERRIER, 100/1 100 BRAGANZA, 150/1 150 AHORSEWITHNONAME, 150/1 150 MONISHTER ARE MWEE, 200/1 200 MAYHEM MYA, 200/1 200 TWEED SKIRT, 200/1 200 THE PLAYER QUEEN, 250/1 250 HIDDEN LAND, 300/1 300 WALK IN CLOVER

First run in 2016, when it expanded the Cheltenham Festival to 28 races, the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race open to fillies and mares aged four years or older.

It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about two miles and one furlong (2 miles and 179 yards), and horses will jump eight hurdles in total.

The race is for novice mares – those that haven’t won a race over hurdles before that season – and, much like the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, has been dominated by Willie Mullins since its inception.

It’s fitting that the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle has been dominated by Willie Mullins, as he is the son of Paddy Mullins who trained Dawn Run, the only horse to ever complete the Champion Hurdle/Gold Cup double.

Limini started the ball rolling when winning the 2016 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, though half the field were just making up the numbers.

Limini produced a useful effort when beating Dusky Legend by four and a half lengths, but she had to settle for third when beaten by Apple’s Jade in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle the following year.

Like Limini, the 2017 Mares' Novices' Hurdle winner Let’s Dance was owned by Rich and Susannah Ricci.

Let’s Dance was fourth in the previous year's Triumph Hurdle, and her relative experience for a novice proved advantageous as she prevailed by two and three quarter lengths over the fellow Irish-trained mare Barra .

The third Mares' Novices' Hurdle winner also had a name starting with ‘L’: Laurina .

Though it was the weakest race of the Festival, the heavily-backed winner scored in a fashion that suggests she'd have been competitive in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which would have been a more interesting proposition than this demolition job.

The 2019 edition threw up a surprise winner in the shape of 50/1-shot Eglantine du Seuil, with the 66/1 Concertista following her home, with both mares trained by Mullins.

In terms of Timeform ratings, only a useful effort has been needed to win the Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

Willie Mullins is the only trainer to have won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, but two jockeys have shared the prizes.

Ruby Walsh is the most successful Mares' Novices' Hurdle jockey, with a brace of wins thanks to Limini (2016) and Let’s Dance (2017), while Paul Townend made the most of Walsh’s absence (had sustained an injury when falling on Al Boum Photo in the RSA Chase) when guiding Laurina to victory in 2018. Noel Fehily, at his final Cheltenham Festival before retiring, won the 2019 renewal on Eglantine du Seuil.

Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle 2022 FAQs

What is the distance of the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

2 miles and 1 furlong

How many obstacles are jumped in the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

8

What day of the festival is the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

Day 3

What time is the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

16:50

What weights are carried for the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

11 st 2 lb (5yo+). 10 st 9 lb (4yo).

What is the purse for the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

£90,000 (2018)

Who is the leading jockey in the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

Ruby Walsh

Who is the leading trainer in the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

Willie Mullins

Who won the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

You can check out our Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle results page here to see a list of previous winners.

Where can I compare the odds for the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle?

Click the link to visit our Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle Odds Comparison page.