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2026 Sharp Novices Hurdle Preview
This Novices' Hurdle, registered as the Sharp Novices Hurdle, is open to novices who are aged four or older and is run over a distance of two miles and a half furlong.
Under a restructuring in 2023, the race was removed from the November Meeting to now takes place in October at the Showcase Meeting.
Sharp Novices Hurdle Information:
- Sharp Novices Hurdle Past Winners
- Sharp Novices Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Sharp Novices Hurdle Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham, then head over to the Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Cheltenham Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Sharp Novices Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021 when the race had an over-round of 105%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 122%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Sharp Novices Hurdle, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out Ā£100 for every Ā£113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Sharp Novices Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Sharp Novices Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Sharp Novices Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Elixir De Nutz (3:51.20) in 2018
- Valgrand (3:52.03) in 2024
- Fortune De Mer (3:56.02) in 2025
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Sharp Novices Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -11.67. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Sharp Novices Hurdle.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Elixir De Nutz, trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Harry Cobden, who set the fastest winning time in the Sharp Novices Hurdle. That runner won the race in a time of 3:51.20 in 2018. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey R Walsh with Dodging Bullets who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:27.00 in the 2012 renewal.
Sharp Novices Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Sharp Novices Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Sharp Novices Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:56.02 | Fortune De Mer (IRE) 5yo 11-2 14/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2024 3:52.03 | Valgrand (FR) 5yo 11-2 3/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2023 3:58.30 | Lookaway (IRE) 6yo 11-2 9/2 | Jack Quinlan Neil King (GB) |
| 2022 4:00.04 | Fennor Cross (IRE) 5yo 11-2 3/1 | Simon Torrens John C McConnell (IRE) |
| 2021 3:59.96 | I Like To Move It (GB) 4yo 11-3 4/6F | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2020 4:13.96 | For Pleasure (IRE) 5yo 11-0 14/1 | Harry Bannister Alex Hales (GB) |
| 2019 4:10.60 | Hang In There (IRE) 5yo 11-0 6/1 | Adam Wedge Emma Lavelle (GB) |
| 2018 3:51.20 | Elixir De Nutz (FR) 4yo 11-0 5/1 | Harry Cobden Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2017 4:07.40 | Slate House (IRE) 5yo 11-0 5/2 | Harry Cobden Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2016 4:06.60 | Moon Racer (IRE) 7yo 11-4 9/4 | Tom Scudamore David Pipe (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Sharp Novices Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 17 winners with an additional 23 placings from 105 runners
- IRE: 3 winners with an additional 4 placings from 31 runners
- UAE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- CZE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 Sharp Novices Hurdle Replay
Sharp Novices Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Sharp Novices Hurdle over the last 20 renewals, with Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson, Dan Skelton, and David Pipe having all won the race two times. Paul Nicholls' winners have been with Imsingingtheblues (2007) and Dodging Bullets (2012). Nicky Henderson winners have been with Vyta Du Roc (2014) and Altior (2015). Dan Skelton winners have been with Valgrand (2024) and Fortune De Mer (2025). David Pipe winners have been with The Liquidator (2013) and Moon Racer (2016).
Here are some of the top Sharp Novices Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 14-2-5 | +3.25 | +0.36 |
| Nicky Henderson | 8-2-4 | -1.00 | -1.17 |
| Dan Skelton | 6-2-3 | +13.00 | +7.90 |
| David Pipe | 5-2-2 | +0.75 | -1.59 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 7-1-1 | -5.33 | -6.00 |
| Alex Hales | 2-1-1 | +13.00 | +8.75 |
| John C McConnell | 2-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.80 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 2-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.50 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 2-1-1 | +0.38 | -0.17 |
| Charlie Mann | 1-1-1 | +16.00 | +9.60 |
Sharp Novices Hurdle Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Sharp Novices Hurdle over the last 20 renewals, with both Harry Skelton and Harry Cobden, who have both won the race two times. Harry Skelton winners have been with Valgrand (2024) and Fortune De Mer (2025). Harry Cobden winners have been with Slate House (2017) and Elixir De Nutz (2018).
Here are some of the top Sharp Novices Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Skelton | 6-2-3 | +13.00 | +7.90 |
| Harry Cobden | 6-2-2 | +3.50 | +0.69 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-1-2 | -5.33 | -5.36 |
| Harry Bannister | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Adam Wedge | 1-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.75 |
| Jack Quinlan | 1-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.70 |
| Simon Torrens | 1-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.80 |
| Nico de Boinville | 1-1-1 | +2.00 | +1.25 |
| Sean Bowen | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.30 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 3-0-3 | -3.00 | +1.77 |
2026 Sharp Novices Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 6, 9, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 3, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1, 3, 5, 2, 7
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 4/1 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Highest Won is not G3/Cl5-6
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Had 1 - 4 placings (Season)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved a TS of 68+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Not in a G1-2/Cl5-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 1 - 7 races (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 81+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Had 1 - 6 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 1 - 5 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not in a Handicap (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 1 - 9 races (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - In a field of 4 - 14 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 113+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Carried 151 - 164lbs (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Sharp Novices Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
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101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Sharp Novices Hurdle Trend Analysis
ā The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +37.67, is when runners ran on Good ground when last winning.
ā The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race worth Ā£5,000 on debut, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-22.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Sharp Novices Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 128 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 10 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Moon Over Miami in 2006, winning for Charlie Mann at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Noel Fehily. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Sharp Novices Hurdle.
Route to the Sharp Novices Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Sharp Novices Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Fortune De Mer Uttoxeter - 3rd of 9 (6/5) | Boots Opticians Uttoxeter Maiden Hurdle |
| 2024 - Valgrand Bangor - 1st of 7 (1/4) | Minimum Ā£50,000 tote Placepot Everyday Novices Hurdle |
| 2023 - Lookaway Uttoxeter - 1st of 6 (1/5) | Trinity Create Novices Hurdle |
| 2022 - Fennor Cross Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (4/1) | Foundation Developments Ltd Maiden Hurdle |
| 2021 - I Like To Move It Cheltenham - 1st of 4 (10/3) | Masterson Holdings Hurdle |
| 2020 - For Pleasure Kempton - 4th of 5 (7/5) | Racing TV Novices Hurdle |
| 2019 - Hang In There Exeter - 1st of 14 (2/1) | Watch Irish Racing On Racing TV Maiden Hurdle |
| 2018 - Elixir De Nutz Cheltenham - 2nd of 13 (14/1) | Foundation Developments Ltd Maiden Hurdle |
| 2017 - Slate House Cheltenham - 1st of 8 (5/4) | Foundation Developments Ltd Maiden Hurdle |
| 2016 - Moon Racer Perth - 1st of 5 (5/6) | Racing Post Readers Award Novices Hurdle |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Sharp Novices Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
