Last Updated on 22/01/2026 by Andy Clark
Ciaran Murphy is a seasoned horse racing analyst with a keen eye on the Cheltenham Festival ante-post markets. A passionate follower of National Hunt racing, he has spent years studying trends, form, and betting strategies to uncover value in novice hurdles, chases, and Championship races. Known for combining insightful analysis with practical betting advice, Ciaran provides readers with expert previews, tips, and market commentary to give them an edge ahead of every Cheltenham Festival.
The opener on Day 2 at the Cheltenham Festival is the Turners Novices Hurdle over 2m5f. Some of the racing greats have won this, from the gutsy Hardy Eustace in 2003 to the machine that is Faugheen in 2014.
The Turners Novices’ Hurdle is one of the most informative races on Cheltenham Festival Day 2, regularly highlighting novice hurdlers with the potential to develop into top-class performers in seasons to come. Run on Wednesday 11th March 2026, this Grade 1 contest is set over an intermediate trip and places equal emphasis on speed, stamina and efficient hurdling.
Formerly known as the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, the race has a long history of producing high-quality winners, with horses such as Samcro, Envoi Allen and Willoughby Court using this contest as a springboard to success at the highest level. It is often a race dominated by progressive types from leading yards, with trainers like Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott frequently targeting the Turners with their best middle-distance novices.
The nature of the trip means the race is usually run at a strong pace, and Cheltenham’s demanding uphill finish can quickly expose any weaknesses. Horses that settle well, travel strongly through the race and have proven form on undulating tracks tend to be at a significant advantage, particularly if the ground places extra emphasis on stamina.
On this page, you’ll find our expert Turners Novices’ Hurdle tips for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, alongside key trends, form insights and betting angles worth considering as the field begins to take shape. Whether you’re analysing the leading contenders or searching for value in the market, this guide is designed to help you approach one of Wednesday’s standout races with confidence.
2026 Turners Novices Hurdle Preview and Predictions
Wednesday’s first race unusually sees a short-priced English-trained favourite sitting proudly and in splendid isolation at the head of the market. In fact, only No Drama This End can boast a single-figure price in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle odds. Regardless of how good you think he is, and at the last count he was the 6th horse to have carried the ‘best since Denman’ tag, he simply has to be taken on at the prices.
I do actually think he is a classy horse (not a bold claim for a 7/2 Cheltenham favourite) and indeed he carried some of my money to 9th place in the Champion Bumper last year after putting a highly touted Skelton horse firmly in his place on his racecourse debut. Yet, that rival has yet to be seen this year, leaving the substance of the form open to question. Additionally, the old cliche of hurdling and bonuses is one that I think you can reasonably apply in this case.
At the head of the market, I am very surprised that 12/1 is still available for MIGHTY PARK. Wearing the green and gold, being trained at Closutton and winning his maiden hurdle eased down by 38 lengths doesn’t add up to a double figure price in my eyes. Additionally, Willie seemed very taken with the performance, labelling it ‘special’. And it’s not hard to see why.
An RPR of 145 on his first completed hurdle start puts him only behind Envoi Allen and Samcro for previous Turners winners and ahead of all but Constitution Hill for winners of the supreme (ahead of the likes of Douvan and Shiskin). That is fairly esteemed company, and I think the price is inflated by a lack of clarity on what his target will be (although Willie was good enough to let us know that he had booked his Cheltenham ticket). I don’t see these connections being in a rush to take on Old Park Star, and his pedigree would suggest an extra half mile won’t inconvenience him, and as such, I am happy to put him up as my opening race day 2 tip.
Turners Novices’ Hurdle Each-Way Tips
At this stage, I wouldn’t put anyone off 2 big price plays, which I give in order of preference. The first is also English trained and shared the same stable as the favourite last year. ACT OF INNOCENCE (14/1) moved from Nicholls to Nicky Henderson at the start of the year and on his hurdling debut, was very impressive in dispatching a race fit Sinnatra, who easily won next time out. The reason we are getting such big odds (which were even bigger post-race) is as a result of losing out to his old trainer and Minella Yoga, but he gave 20 pounds to that horse, who wouldn’t be out of place in a Triumph Hurdle, and still only lost out by a length. With Old Park Star seemingly the first string Supreme Novices’ Hurdle choice for the owner/trainer combination, I think we can be confident of a run, and I can’t see a world where he isn’t at least half this price on the day.
Additionally, I was very taken by the performance of YOU PROOF (33/1) at Limerick over Christmas. I have seen some suggest the longer Albert Bartlett, but to my eye, he has travelled very powerfully in both his bumper and hurdle starts, something which would surely be more suited to mid-range trips. In that Limerick race, he was well on top of King’s Bucks and value for much more than the 1 and a half length victory. That horse provides a nice comparison with No Drama This End, who was an admittedly eased-down 3l ahead of the same horse on his own hurdling debut. Danny Mullins in his Tote blog, was extremely complimentary of the Double Green horse, and at almost 10 times the price of the favourite, I am happy to take a chance.
Turners Novices’ Hurdle Betting Tips
- Win Bet – Mighty Park (12/1 with bet365)
- Each-Way – Act of Innocence (14/1 with Ladbrokes)
- Each-Way – You Proof (33/1 with bet365)
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🔑 Turners Novices’ Hurdle – Key Facts
- 🏇 Race type: Grade 1 Novices’ Hurdle
- 📅 Date: Wednesday 11th March 2026
- 📍 Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse
- 📏 Distance: About 2 miles 5 furlongs
- 🏆 Cheltenham Festival Day: Day 2 (Wednesday)
- 🐎 Age restriction: 4yo and upwards
- ⚖️ Weight: 11st 7lb (allowances apply)
- 🏟️ Course: Old Course
- ⏱️ Typical winning time: Around 5 minutes
- 📊 Race history: Formerly the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle
- 🌟 Key attributes: Stamina, slick hurdling, ability to travel strongly off a strong pace
📈 Turners Novices’ Hurdle – Key Trends
🐎 Irish-trained dominance: Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have historically been the leading trainers, often supplying strong contenders at short odds.
👑 Favourite form: While favourites often run well, the race regularly produces surprise results, especially if an unexposed improver tackles the Festival for the first time.
⏱️ Previous Cheltenham experience: Horses that have run at Cheltenham before, particularly over similar trips or hurdles, tend to handle the unique undulations better.
🏇 Bumper or hurdle background: Winners often have proven experience in bumpers or novice hurdles, ideally showing stamina and finishing strength.
💨 Strong pace preference: Horses that can travel comfortably through a decent pace and finish strongly tend to dominate, as the uphill finish exposes weaknesses in stamina.
📏 Trip suitability: Most successful contenders have proven form at 2m4f–2m6f, showing they can cope with the Turners’ intermediate distance.
🎯 Top connections targeting the race: Owners and trainers often use the Turners as a stepping stone to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the Ballymore, so well-targeted entries from top yards can carry significant market respect.
Turners Novices’ Hurdle FAQs
- When is the Turners Novices’ Hurdle run at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?
- What type of race is the Turners Novices’ Hurdle?
- Which horses are most likely to do well in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle?
- Which trainers have a strong record in this race?
- Can favourites be relied on in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle?
- How can punters use form trends to guide their bets?
- Which horse will win the Turners Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham 2026?
- What are the each-way bets for the Turners NovicesHurdle?
