• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cheltenham Betting Offers

  • Home
  • Free Bets
  • Meetings
    • New Year’s Day Meeting
    • Festival Trials Day
    • Cheltenham Festival
    • April Meeting
    • Race Night
    • Showcase Meeting
    • November Meeting
    • International Meeting
  • News
  • Articles
    • Stats & Trends

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (David Nicholson) – Champion Day

4-10pm Day One at the Cheltenham Festival is predominantly about the Champion Hurdle, the race before this one. Much like the races before the Champion Hurdle have their own draws to mean they shouldn’t be dismissed, so too the Mares’ Hurdle isn’t a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’. There are seven races on the first day of proceedings, of which this is the fourth. Even if you got the winner on the Champion Hurdle and want to spend all of your winnings, it’s worth sticking around for the rest of the races.

The Cheltenham is much-loved for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it’s always evolving and changing. This race is a perfect example of that, founded as it was in 2008. It was initially run under the title of the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle (the races registered name), but that changed in 2011 when OLBG.com started sponsoring it, in 2020 Close Brothers took over. The trophy is still named after David Nicholson, though, dedicated to the memory of a man who won five times as a jockey at the Festival and a further seventeen times as a trainer.

Race Facts

Course
Old Course
Grade
Grade 1
Fences
10
Distance (m)
2m 3f 200y (4005m)
Winner / Purse
£67,524 / £118,044

This Grade 1 hurdle race is run left-handed on the Old Course, as all Day One races are. It lasts for just under two miles and four furlongs, with ten hurdles needing to be cleared during its running. It is open for fillies and mares that are four or older and the weight limit is ten stone ten pound. Horses over five can be eleven stone five pounds.

2019’s winner was Roksana, the Irish horse trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by brother Harry Skelton. That broke up the monopoly of Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins, as we’ll mention in a moment.  Who have won the race together 8 out of the first 11 years of the race.

Willie Mullins was again prevented from winning more in 2020, beaten by Henry De Bromhead trained Honeysuckle, ridden by Rachael Blackmore; again in 2021 by the Black Tears trained by Denise Foster standing in for Gordon Elliott and once more by the Nicky Henderson 18/1 shot Marie’s Rock in 2022.  Maybe his dominance has ended, I wouldn’t bet against Mullins though still.

Records For Most Wins

Record Type No of Wins Record Holder
Horse 6 Quevega
Trainer 9 Willie Mullins
Jockey 8 Ruby Walsh

Race Trends: Winners Since 2008

Average Odds
6.49
Average Age
6.87
Percent Mares
100%
Percent Favourite
53%

Race Trivia

cheltenham old course hurdleThis race was originally run on the New Course on the final day of the Festival, switching to the Old Course on Day One in 2009. It was also a Grade 2 race until 2015, when it was upgraded to become a Grade 1 event. The race’s trophy may well be dedicated to the memory of David Nicholson, but it could almost be given over to Ruby Walsh, such is the amount of times he’s won it. Run for the first time in 2008, the Mares’ Hurdle has taken place every year since. That means that it has been run 15 times between then and our typing this, with Walsh winning it on eight occasions.

In 2008 Whiteoak romped home, ridden well by Jason Maguire and trained by Donald McCain, Jr. For the next six years, however, there was only one winner. Quevega, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh, won it consecutively between 2009 and 2014, beating Golden Miller’s record of five wins at the Festival. Admittedly Golden Miller’s wins came in the Gold Cup, but Quevega’s performance is no less impressive in its own.

horse walk sign at cheltenham racecourse

In 2015 Walsh failed to win the race for the first time since its inaugural year, with Glens Melody coming home thanks to Paul Townend’s riding. It meant another win for Willie Mullins as trainer, however. Mullins won for the eighth time in 2016 when Vroum Vroum Mag came home and the ninth time in 2018 with Benie Des Dieux. Who was the jockey both times? Our old friend Ruby Walsh, of course! Pretty impressive from Walsh and Mullins, all things considered.

CBO Rating | 7/10

close up view of the fences from the rail

Owners, trainers and breeders who send horses to the Cheltenham Festival were long in favour of a race for mares only, with this being the result of their campaigning. It might not feel like one of the most important races, but it was a real boon for those that wanted to see a race of its kind brought in and they take it very seriously. There will be a decent field every time this race is run for that reason, so even if other people don’t seem to rate it it’s still worthy of your attention.

You’ll see plenty of people heading to the bar once the Champion Hurdle comes to an end, so if you’re at Cheltenham Racecourse then you’ll likely be able to move yourself into a decent position to watch this one. It’s also not as popular as other races with punters, so you’ll probably be able to get to the front of the queue to place a bet without any messing about. This is the final Grade 1 race of Day One, so if you value quality racing above all else then don’t be quick to dismiss it from the race card.

Primary Sidebar

Cheltenham Free Bets

Races on This Day

  • 13:30
    Supreme Novices' Hurdle
  • 14:10
    Arkle Challenge Trophy
  • 14:50
    Ultima Handicap Chase
  • 15:30
    The Champion Hurdle
  • 16:10
    Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle
  • 16:50
    Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
  • 17:30
    National Hunt Chase

Meetings at Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Champion Day
    • Ladies Day
    • St Patrick’s Thursday
    • Gold Cup Day
  • Festival Trials Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • November Meeting
    • Countryside Day
    • Gold Cup Day
    • November Meeting Sunday
  • Race Night
  • Showcase Meeting
    • The Showcase Friday
    • The Showcase Saturday
  • The April Meeting
    • April Meeting Day One
    • April Meeting Day Two
  • The International Meeting
    • International Friday
    • International Saturday

Race Types

  • Amateur Races
  • Championship Races
  • Conditions Races
  • Cross Country Races
  • Cup Races
  • Fillies' Races
  • Grade 1 Races
  • Grade 2 Races
  • Grade 3 Races
  • Handicap Races
  • Hurdle Races
  • Juvenile Races
  • Listed Races
  • Maiden Races
  • Mares' Races
  • Novices' Races
  • Premier Handicap Races
  • Standard Open Flat Races
  • Steeplechase Races
  • Trial Races
  • Trophy Races
  • Discontinued Races

Latest News

  • Aintree & Cheltenham Amongst Jockey Club Courses To Drop Dress Code
  • What Can Be Done To Combat Race Fixing In Horse Racing?
  • Jockeys Are Struggling With The New Whip Rules
  • Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Likely To Go Ahead As Temperatures Rise This Week
  • BHA Whips Rules Changed At The Last Minute Following A Jockey Backlash

Articles

  • Who Are The BHA?
  • Origins Of Steeplechasing
  • Is Horse Racing Too Traditional? Why Is It So Confusing?
  • Robot Horse Racing
  • Are There More Fatalities On Hard Ground In Horse Racing?
  • Types Of Jump Racing Fences
  • Biggest Comebacks In Horse Racing
  • Difference Between A Hurdle & A Fence In Jump Racing
  • What Are Hurdles & Fences Made From?
  • Why Are Race Distances Measured In Miles, Furlongs & Yards
  • Stag And Hen Do's At Cheltenham
  • Each-Way vs Place Betting: Which Is Better?
  • What Are Final Declarations
  • Does Illegal Horse Racing Still Happen?
  • What Is Pony Racing? How Is It Different To Horse Racing?
  • Ladies At The Races
  • What Do Nose, Head, Neck and Length Mean?
  • What Is A Furlong?
  • When Is A Race Declared Void?
  • False Starts In Horse Racing
  • What Are Official Ratings in Horse Racing?
  • Can You Run A Race With Only One Horse?
  • What Is Point To Point Racing
  • Best Day Of The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Buy and Train a Racehorse?
  • Cheltenham Festival Ticket Types
  • How Much Does Racing Make From The Betting Levy?
  • Are There Less Horse Deaths In Racing Today?
  • Origins Of Jockey Silks In Horse Racing & Rules
  • Can A Jockey Remount A Horse?
  • What Happens If No Horse Wins A Race?
  • Why Do Horses Jump Fences?
  • How High and Far Can A Horse Jump?
  • Use Of The Whip In Horse Racing
  • What Are The Different Types Of Racehorses?
  • Who Sponsors Cheltenham Races
  • How Do Racehorse Owner Syndicates Work?
  • How Much Do Racehorses Weigh?
  • How Does Travelling Affect Racehorse Performance?
  • What PPE Do Jockeys Wear And Why?
  • Can Racehorses Overheat?
  • Benefits Of Owning Race Horses
  • What Is The Top Speed Of A Racehorse?
  • Do Racehorses Have Special Diets & Nutrition?
  • How Are Racehorses Transported & What Are The Rules
  • What Happened To All-Weather Jumps Racing?
  • What Was Tic Tac? The Sign Language For On-Course Bookmakers
  • The Road To Cheltenham
  • Retraining of Racehorses
  • What Happens To Retired Racehorses?
  • Horse Racing Mix-Ups
  • Youngest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • What Are Blinkers & Why Do Race Horses Wear Them?
  • How Long Do You Have To Claim A Winning Bet At A Racecourse?
  • Female Jockey Pioneers
  • Oldest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Record Jockey Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Record Trainer Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Races Record Horse Wins
  • Biggest Prize Money Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • The Life Of A Racing Jockey
  • Races With The Most Fences At The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Often Do Mares' Win At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Average Winner Age Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Longest Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Newest Races
  • How Often Does the Favourite Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • Average Winner Odds Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Stats & Trends
  • Veganism & Horse Racing
  • Horse Doping In Horse Racing
  • Most Feared Fences In Horse Racing
  • Jockey Injuries
  • How To Become A Jockey
  • Horse Injuries
  • What Is Going In Horse Racing
  • Richest Races In Horse Racing
  • What Is The Starting Price In Racing
  • When Is The Best Time To Bet Ante-Post
  • Impact Of Wetter Winters On UK Jump Racing
  • How Long Do Racehorses Live For?
  • How Much Do Jockeys Weigh?
  • Rules For Naming Race Horses
  • What Is A Dead Heat In Horse Racing?
  • Who Would Win A Race Between A Horse And A Dog?
  • What Makes A Good Jump Stayer?
  • What Is A Stewards Enquiry?
  • Why Are Horses Disqualified and Who Decides?
  • Courses At Cheltenham: Old, New and Cross Country
  • How Are Jump Horses Trained Differently To Flat Horses?
  • Longest Odds Winners In Horse Racing History
  • How Much Money Is Bet At Cheltenham?
  • How Much Is Cheltenham Worth To The Economy?
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Owners
  • Accessibility At Cheltenham The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Race Still Running
  • Biggest Female Trainers
  • Celebrity Race Horse Owners
  • Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet?
  • British vs Irish Trainers And Stables At Cheltenham
  • Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
  • The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
  • How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
  • How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
  • Cheltenham Race Types
  • Cheltenham Hotels & Cheltenham Festival Accommodation
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
  • Top 10 Cheltenham Festival Horses
  • How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
  • Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Getting To Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Cheltenham Festival vs Grand National, Which Is Better?
  • Cheltenham Racecourse History
  • Why Is The Cheltenham Festival So Big?
  • Cheltenham Festival History
  • The Prestbury Cup
  • Cheltenham Festival Quiz
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
  • Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
  • Ante-Post Betting - Risk vs Reward
  • Jump Racing Distances
  • How to Read a Race Card
  • How To Bet On Horse Racing
  • Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
  • Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
  • History And About National Hunt Racing
  • A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
  • Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
  • Live Streaming of Horse Racing
  • Live Betting In Play On Horse Racing
  • Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
  • Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing

Offers

  • Acca Offers For Horse Racing
  • Extra Places Each-Way & Enhanced Each Way Terms Cheltenham Festival 2023
  • Horse Racing Loyalty Free Bet Clubs
  • Horse Racing Money Back
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
  • Tote and Totepool Betting
  • Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
  • Non-Runner No Bet
  • Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
  • Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing

Copyright © 2023 CheltenhamBettingOffers.com | 18+ Gamble Aware | Privacy & Cookie Policy