BALLYMORE NOVICES HURDLE INFO
Date: Wednesday (1:30 pm), March 15, 2023 – Day 2
Type: Grade 1 National Hunt Hurdle Race
Distance: 2 Miles 5 Furlongs
Age Of The Horse: 4 Years Old and Older
A Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race, it is contested over a distance of two miles and five furlongs with no less than 10 hurdles standing between the starting pack and a champion. The first winner of this prize was Midsprite for Macer Gifford and Harry Thomson Jones back in 1971 and we’ve witnessed some memorable champions over the years. The honours role includes Danoli, French Holly, Galileo, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen.
Who will come out on top this year? In this article we detail everything you need to know before placing a bet on the Ballymore Novices Hurdle 2022. We focus on past winners, antepost favourites, stats and even offer a handy betting guide designed to help you beat the bookies.
Coming soon…
Traders at all major betting firms have gone up with their early thoughts on the Ballymore Novices Hurdle. This gives backers the chance to support their runner of choice early in the hope their pick will run in the race and become 2023 champion, landing them a handsome profit. Generally, the earlier you bet on an antepost market at the Cheltenham Festival the bigger the available price will be. This is because you are showing your hand early and jumping the queue, taking a risk before the final field has been decided. A great way to get more for your stake but other players prefer to wait until closer to the off to ensure their selection is confirmed in the final race field and this is a shrewd approach.
Keep your eye out for the popular non-runner no bet promotion which promises to refund your stake if your preferred horse doesn’t run in the race you backed it to win. Without the NRMB promo, if connections enter it into a different race or choose to bypass the festival entirely, you would lose your cash without ever getting a run for your money. Also, numerous Cheltenham free bet offers definitely deserve your attention.
It is still very early in the build up to the 2023 Ballymore Novices Hurdle and the Cheltenham Festival but let’s take a loolk at the current betting and pick out any value that exists amongst the antepost favourites. The deal here is to look for any major differences of opinion that exists on the same horse between traders at different bookmakers.
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, registered as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, has a hugely competitive look to it this year. A list of entries and favorites is coming soon.
Antepost betting exists on the Ballymore Novices Hurdle and it offers great prices on each runner in the field. The reason for that is every horse quoted won’t make the final line-up and if you back a horse to win the race and it doesn’t enter, you lose your money. When betting on antepost you must weigh up the risk vs the reward. If you are confident your pick will run in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle, then it’s advisable to get on sooner rather than later. You will also find a few Ballymore Novices Hurdle tips with more available after the final declarations stage. Follow an expert tipster giving Ballymore Novices Hurdler 2022 tips or do your own research.
Live betting and live streaming is offered by major bookmakers on all UK and Irish horse racing and that coverage will extend to the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. Back a horse and you will be able to watch it run through an HD quality live streaming service that also offers expert commentary and in-play betting odds. All this comes free of charge to registered members, but most bookies have a condition in place that says you must place a bet before being given access to the live coverage.
Below you’ll find a table of the top bookmakers and their offers. This will be updated with the best and most generous offers. Check back to see which firms are offering the standout Cheltenham Festival sign up promotion.
Last 10 Ballymore Novices Hurdle winners:
Winner: Envoi Allen
The horse racing world is very much the oyster of Envoi Allen, who justified his status as the Irish banker of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival with success at an odds-on price of 4/7 in the 2m 5f Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Trained by Gordon Elliott for owners Cheveley Park Stud, the six-year-old looked trapped in a pocket at one stage during the race, but jockey Davy Russell soon angled him out with work to do and the pair found themselves some six lengths off the pace rounding the home bend. Envoi Allen closed quickly, however, to lead approaching the last and ran on to score by 4 1/4 lengths from each-way gamble Easywork for owners Gigginstown House Stud and trainer Henry De Bromhead who was backed into a starting price of 12/1.
The Big Getaway made most of the running but was beaten a further 3 3/4 lengths in third for Willie Mullins. Envoi Allen had his rivals well strung out at the line and the big question is where will he go from here? After success in the Champion Bumper here in 2019, he is already a dual Cheltenham Festival winner and one Irish horse that it will obviously pay to follow for future assignments.
Regular pilot Russell would not comment on future plans, but bookmakers have already priced up possibilities for next year. If he remains over hurdles, then Envoi Allen is a first-show 10/1 for the 2022 Champion Hurdle. Alternatively, he could be sent chasing by connections. Dropping back in trip for the Arkle is an option in that eventuality, so Envoi Allen is 14/1 for that. He is also the 6/1 favourite for the Marsh Novices’ Chase over the middle distance of 2m 4f.
The Ballymore Novices Hurdle results show City Island won the 2019 version of this race with Mark Walsh in the saddle. That was the bay gelding’s standout result to date, but it was fully deserved. Sent off as an SP 8/1 shot that day, City Island beat runner up Champ by two lengths after putting in a near perfect performance. The victor was held back in the pack during the early exchanges but struggled for racing room at the business end of the race.
He eventually found a way through and delivered a charge for the line that saw him lead turning for home. He possessed the turn of foot and fitness needed to pull away from his main rivals that day and stay on for the prize. Champ was well beaten in second for Barry Geraghty and we had Bright Forecast another 2 ¼ lengths behind in third at a stunning 25/1 to put a smile on the faces of those who backed him each-way. He ran a fair race but made no real impression on the two ahead.
Followers of the National Hunt horse racing season will notice a number of Cheltenham Festival trial races late in 2020 and early into 2022. The results of these will be important when it comes to backing your winner of the Ballymore Hurdle. The list below will be updated with key trials results, times and other useful information.