Supreme Novices Hurdle 2025 Tips & Trends (Cheltenham 1.30pm Day 1 First Race)
The traditional curtain-raiser to the Cheltenham Festival, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle kicks off the four-day feast of racing at Prestbury Park on Tuesday 11 March with another top-class renewal of the extended two-mile contest.
Famous for its’ ‘Cheltenham Roar’ which heralds the start of the race as the runners break the tape and gets the 2025 Cheltenham Festival underway in earnest, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has a habit of throwing up top-class horses and a brief look back through the list of winners of the race certainly backs that up as a race to watch!
Constitution Hill, Shishkin, Altior, Douvan, Vautour, Champagne Fever, Al Ferof, Menorah and Brave Inca are just a few graduates of the Sumpre Novices’ Hurdle who have gone on to great things in their careers with a host of Grade One victories to their respective names. Could the 2025 renewal throw up another?
2025 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Ante-Post Tip
13.20 CHELTENHAM – TUESDAY MARCH 11 2025
The ante-post betting market for the traditional Festival curtain-raiser is fairly open at the time of writing with just two of the initial race entries trading below double-figure odds.
Current ante-post favourite Salvador Mundi and second-favourite Romeo Coolio both boost solid form and both have previous Cheltenham Festival experience to call upon with each having run at the Festival last year.
Salvador Mundi, trained by Willie Mullins may only have finished sixth in the Triumph Hurdle behind stablemate Majborough, but it was a very good performance given it was his first run in almost a year following his move from France and that experience wasn’t lost on him when bolting up in a minor contest at Tipperary two months later. He’s a sure improver over hurdles this term and one that is certainly worthy of plenty of respect.
ROMEO COOLIO hails from the Gordon Elliott camp and found only Jasmin De Vaux too good in last season’s Champion bumper. The Kayf Tara gelding is 2-3 over hurdles this term, most recently winning by nine lengths at Leopardstown over Christmas in the Grade One Pady Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.
That victory saw him atone for a defeat when odds-on to win the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse the time before where he was beaten by a more exposed rival from Willie Mullins’ yard although he didn’t help his cause by hanging right late on in that race, while the winner had been campaigning over the summer and possibly just had a fitness edge. It was hard not to have been impressed by his hurdling debut however when a clear-cut winner at Down Royal and his pleasing return to winning ways sees that defeat easily forgiven.
Gordon Elliott’s charge was seen to good effect at Leopardstown, given a positive ride by jockey Sam Ewing although perhaps that was more down to circumstance than to plan as he was left in the lead early following a near-race ending blunder by Karniquet. Clear approaching the last hurdle, he did made a mistake but it wasn’t enough to halt his momentum and he scored readily in the end despite the race being hard to watch given the course was shrouded in fog.
There looks to be more to come from him over hurdles and with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle usually ran at a decent pace the race could be set up for him. A general 8/1 ante-post could prove generous come raceday and Gordon Elliott has already stated the Supreme is the most likely target for him.
This year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle doesn’t look particularly strong and he looks sure to be involved at the finish on the back of his solid form this term, while previous experience of Cheltenham is another plus.
SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE ANTE-POST TIP – ROMEO COOLIO (7/1 with bet365)
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Will Kopek Des Bordes win the 2025 Champion Hurdle?
CIARAN: The fact that the long-time antepost favourite was a second-season novice who hadn’t been seen since winning at Tipperary was evidence that this division lacked a superstar. Until Sunday. What Kopek Des Bordes did on the track was spectacular but what’s more, I don’t ever recall Willie being as effusive in his praise. Quite frankly, while these are novices are all capable of rapid progress, I don’t see anything getting close to him. Perhaps his buzzy and free-going nature will be exposed in the hustle and bustle of a Supreme but I don’t see it.
Verdict: Back
ADAM: The DRF can often blow a race or division open and that’s what happened last weekend with some outstanding performances from the Willie Mullins stable. The Supreme Novices Hurdle market was quite flakey before Sunday but the way Kopek Des Bordes smashed his rivals with ease has blown the race and market apart. He improved no end from his 1st start over hurdles at Xmas and if any improvement is to come next time (which it likely will) then I’m not sure there’s another novice that can live with him. Willies comments post-race and in his press day a couple of days after, would tell us how highly he rates the performance and the horse, and who are we to go against Willie’s No1 Supreme horse? I can see him shortening even more over the coming weeks and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t win this.
Verdict: Back
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Supreme Novice’ Hurdle Trends 2025
Ahead of the 2024 Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham, punters will use trends to consider which horse to bet on and there are always strong trends for a race such as this one. As we get closer to the 2023 Cheltenham Festival we will be able to narrow down the horses based on the Supreme trends.
- Age – 11 of the last 12 winners were aged 5 or 6
- Price – 4 of the last 12 winners were favourites/joint favourites, 10/12 winners were in the top 3 in the betting
- Last Run – 11 of the last 12 winners won on their last run before the Supreme Novices Hurdle, 10/12 winners ran within the last 66 days
- 4/12 winners ran in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown) on their last run, 4 of the 4 won, 0 placed
- 2/12 winners ran in the Tolworth Hurdle (Sandown) on their last run, 2 of the 2 won, 0 placed
- Previous Course Form – 5/12 winners had at least 1 previous run at Cheltenham , 2/12 winners had at least 1 previous win at Cheltenham
- Previous Distance Form – 10/12 winners had at least 3 previous runs over 15-17 furlongs, 12/12 had at least 2 previous wins over 15-17 furlongs
- Previous Hurdle Form – 10/12 winners had at least 3 runs over hurdles, 8/12 winners had at least 4 runs over hurdles, 11/12 winners had at least 2 wins over hurdles
- Rating – 10/12 winners were rated 148 or higher
- Graded Wins – 11/12 winners had at least 1 previous win in a grade 1-3 race
- Season Form – 12/12 winners had at least 2 runs that season, 9/12 winners had at least 3 runs that season, 11/12 winners had at least 2 wins that season
