Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle 2025 Trends For The Cheltenham Festival

2025 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle Trends

Even in a Cheltenham Festival race with so little history, following trends can still pay dividends when spending your Cheltenham free bets wisely! We've taken a look at the most important Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle trends and used them to find you the best horses to follow on your horse racing betting sites for the 2025 Cheltenham Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

All nine winners:

• Had run 2-5 times that season
• Had run up to nine times over hurdles
• Finished in the top three in their last race - six winning
• Had never won at Cheltenham before - only two had run
• Were aged five or six

Eight of the race's nine winners:

• Had won that season (exception was maiden Concertista)
• Last ran no more than 47 days ago (Eglantine Du Seuil)
• Had at least one win over hurdles

Seven of the race's nine winners:

• Were rated 135 or higher (Eglantine Du Seuil, Golden Ace)

Key Trials for the Cheltenham Mares' Novices' Hurdle

A clear pattern with regards to stepping-stone races has yet to emerge, but Willie Mullins does prefer to test his contenders at Fairyhouse or Leopardstown, whilst two of the last three winners last ran at Sandown.

• The Grade 3 Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse has been won by two winners of this race (Limini and Laurina). Aurora Vega won this for Willie Mullins in 2025.
• Mullins' 2019 and 2020 winners were both beaten on their final start before the festival, so it’s clear that he is capable of getting his runners to step up markedly on previous form on the big day.
• Two winners of this race also won the Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Sandown in February (Love Envoi and You Wear It Well). That particular race was won by Hollygrove Cha Cha this year.

Trainer Trends

• This race was initially dominated by Willie Mullins, who won the first five editions, trained the first two home in 2019, and saddled four of the first five in 2020. However, his best finish since then has been third.
• Henry De Bromhead has emerged as a serious source of good jumping mares overall, and he trained first and second in 2021, before getting second in 2023 and third last year.
• Harry Fry saddled the first British-trained winner of the race in 2022 when Love Envoi beat Ahorsewithnoname, Jamie Snowden followed that up with You Wear It Well in 2023, and Jeremy Scott-trained Golden Ace got the victory last year.

Jockey Trends

• Ruby Walsh won the first two iterations of this race, but the last seven have been won by seven different jockeys, so there are no significant trends to follow here.

How Did The Trends Do Last Year?

Golden Ace largely followed the trends set out since Willie Mullins' last winner in 2020. She had run - and won - twice that season and never been to Cheltenham before. As well, she was six years old and in just her third hurdle race.

The only main aspect that set her apart from the rest was a rating of just 124, which is the lowest of any winner with an OR (Eglantine De Seuil was unrated for her victory).

Who Fits The Trends Best In 2025?

Although Maughreen and Sixandahalf are both shorter ante post prices, Jubilee Alpha gets the nod from a trends perspective. The six-year-old has run three times this season, winning twice with both of those coming over hurdles and has never graced Cheltenham with her presence. As well, she had a rating of 128 last time out so will flirt with the 135+ rating that seven of the nine winners of this race have had.

As winner of the Solerina Mares' Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse back in January, Aurora Vega is also worth keeping an eye on. She has two wins from two hurdle races this season, with the most recent coming exactly 47 days before this race and has never been to Cheltenham before. However, she turned seven this year so would be the first winning mare not to be five or six years old if she emerges victorious here.

2025 Mares' Novice Hurdle Odds

2024 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle Result