The Grade 1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle is open to horses aged four years or older, and is run over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs, with ten hurdles to be jumped. It is the opening race on the Wednesday of the festival. The event was established in 1971, and it was initially called the Aldsworth Hurdle. The insurance company Sun Alliance (later Royal & Sun Alliance) began sponsoring the race in 1974, and it became known as the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle. This association continued until 2006, and for the following three years the event was backed by Ballymore Properties. There were high winds on the day of the planned running in 2008, so the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle was rescheduled and run on Cheltenham's New Course. A new sponsor, Neptune Investment Management, began supporting the race in 2010 until Ballymore resumed sponsorship from the 2018 running. The registered (non-sponsored) title of the race is now the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle. This is in honour of Baring Bingham, a developer who purchased Prestbury Park in 1898, and organised the first Cheltenham Festival in 1902. Previous winners include subsequent Champion Hurdlers Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen as well as former forum favourites Peddler's Cross and The New One. The 2019 running has received a monster 139 runners, with a large number also entered for the shorter Supreme Novices' Hurdle as well as for the longer Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. The market is headed by Champ (Nicky Henderson / JP McManus) who has the standout British form having taken the Challow Hurdle and is only entered in this race. He is a general 3/1 shot. Next best at around 5/1 is Battleoverdoyen (Gordon Elliot / Gigginstown) who is 3 from 3 under rules and won the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas at the beginning of January. He is entered in all 3 novice hurdle races. We then have my personal fancy, Martin Brassil's City Island, at around the 11/1 mark. He is also 3 from 3 over hurdles and only entered for this race at the festival. Although he hasn't won at graded level I think he has a nice progressive profile and his beating of Dallas Des Pictons over Christmas has certainly been boosted by that one's subsequent expolits. All manner of options and angles currently on this race and clearly a minefield for ante post punters without the NRNB concession. Day of the race bet for me.
A total of 49 horses were scratched at the 20th Feb forefeit stage leaving 90 still entered. Market largely unchanged although Olly Murphy's Brewin'upastorm, an unlucky last-flight faller at Cheltenham, has been nibbled at and is now a solid 10/1 shot. He is entered in both this and the Supreme, although this looks the more likely target.
