THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE
CMG_2017_150217_digital
CMG_2017_150217_digital
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<strong>THE</strong> O<strong>THE</strong>R RACES<br />
NOVICE HURDLES AT <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FESTIVAL</strong><br />
Brave Inca (left) ridden by Barry Cash clears the<br />
final hurdle ahead of second placed War of Attrition<br />
ridden by Connor O’Dwyer to win by a short head the<br />
Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices Hurdle, on<br />
the first day of the Cheltenham Festival meeting.<br />
SKY BET SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE<br />
The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the traditional curtain<br />
raiser to The Festival, was known as the Gloucestershire<br />
Hurdle until 1974. It is the only race at The Festival to<br />
have been divided. From 1946-1971, when run as the<br />
Gloucestershire Novices’ Hurdle, it divided on no less than<br />
25 occasions. In both 1963 and 1946, there were even three<br />
divisions. Run over an extended two miles, the Sky Bet<br />
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has thrown up one winner of<br />
the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup and three Stan James<br />
Champion Hurdle heroes. L’Escargot won in 1968, before<br />
consecutive Gold Cup triumphs in 1970 and 1971. Bula scored<br />
in 1970, before Champion Hurdle victories in 1971 and 1972.<br />
The 2002 Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi III took<br />
the race in 1999, and Brave Inca captured the Champion<br />
Hurdle in 2006, having landed the novice event two years<br />
earlier. Irish-trained raiders have been successful on no less<br />
than 41 occasions, and the Irish had a stranglehold on the<br />
race for seven years from 1977-83. The most successful<br />
trainer has been Vincent O’Brien, who landed an amazing<br />
10 divisions between 1952 and 1959. More recently, Willie<br />
Mullins has dominated the race, with five victories through<br />
Tourist Attraction (1995), Ebaziyan (2007), Champagne<br />
Fever (2013), Vautour (2014) and Douvan (2015). The most<br />
successful jockey was Tommy Burns, who landed seven<br />
divisions between 1955 and 1959, while currently Ruby<br />
Walsh leads the way with five wins (2006, 2011, 2013 and<br />
2014).The 1993 winner, Montelado, holds a unique position<br />
in the history of The Festival at Cheltenham. He is the only<br />
horse to have won consecutive Festival races, landing<br />
the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 1992, the last race<br />
of that year’s meeting, and returning to win the Sky Bet<br />
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1993, the first race 12 months<br />
later. Capel Cure Sharp backed the contest in 2000 and<br />
the company, which became Gerrard Wealth Management,<br />
maintained support until 2003. Racecourse caterers<br />
Letheby & Christopher became the sixth sponsor since the<br />
initial backer Lloyds Bank in 1974 when putting its name to<br />
the event in 2004 and 2005, while Anglo Irish Bank was<br />
the sponsor from 2006 to 2008. Bookmaker William Hill<br />
sponsored in 2009 and the backers the following year were<br />
the Stewart Family, on behalf of the charity Spinal Research.<br />
Stan James supported the race in 2011 with William Hill<br />
taking over the sponsorship again in 2012 & 2013. Sky Bet<br />
became the backer in 2014.<br />
NEPTUNE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT<br />
NOVICES’ HURDLE<br />
The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, run<br />
over two miles and five furlongs, was introduced to The<br />
Festival in 1971 as the Aldsworth Hurdle. It is registered as<br />
the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle and commemorates<br />
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