The Supreme Novices Hurdle - The Cheltenham Opener
The Supreme Novices Hurdle is the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival each year. The Grade 1 race is run over two miles and half a furlong and is open to horses of four-years-old or older.
The race is famous around the world because of what has become known as the ‘Cheltenham Roar’. This is when the packed crowds on the opening day cheer the horses off to the starting line regardless of the fact that the festival traditionally starts in the middle of the working week.
About the The Supreme Novices Hurdle
There are a total of eight jumps to be tackled during the race over turf heading anti-clockwise around the Cheltenham course. The amount of prize money available has changed significantly over the previous 64 years that the race has been run. The purse for the 2010 race stood at £100,000.
There are restrictions in place for this race just like any other Grade 1 contest. A minimum weight of 11 stones is required and a maximum weight of 11 stones and seven pounds is allowed. This seven pound allowance applies to fillies and mares. This is to ensure fairness and an even finish between all horses.
Current Supreme Novices Hurdle Title Holder
The current holder of the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle is Menorah, which is a heavily fancied horse for the 2011 Champion Hurdle. Richard Johnson and Phillip Hobbs hold the jockey and trainer titles for the race.
History of the race
The race was formerly known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle with the first race taking place in 1946. The five-year-old horse Prince Rupert became the first ever winner of the annual Cheltenham race with Ron Smyth the winning jockey.
The race has been the background for some of the oldest and most prestigious records in the sport of Horse racing. The most notable of which involves jockey Tommy Burns and Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien; the pair were the winning combination for seven out of eight races between 1955 and 1959.
The race changed in format in 1972 when it was held once per year and less frequently. The annual format has stayed in place ever since the switch with jockeys Niall Madden, Tommy Carmody, Jamie Osborne, Charlie Swan and Paul Carberry all enjoying two wins each.
Trainers Mick O’Toole, Edward O’Grady, Nicky Henderson, Martin Pipe, Pat Flynn, Willie Mullins and Noel Meade have all trained two winners since 1972. Some within the sport have suggested that these records are more remarkable than the achievements of Tommy Burns because the race has been run less often.
There have only ever been two instances of this race being cancelled. The first came in 1947 when the race was impossible because of snow and frost conditions. This would have increased the risk of injury to the horses and jockeys.
The second came in 2001 when the race was called off due to the foot and mouth crisis in the United Kingdom. Owners did not want to see their prize horses and valuable assets running in an environment where horse-to-horse contact was unavoidable.