The race was established in 1987 and was originally sponsored by Paddy Power followed by Le Coq Hardi. Deloitte gave their support to the event from 1992 to 2017.
The race continued as the Deloitte and Touche Novice Hurdle until 2003, and was known as the Deloitte Novice Hurdle from 2004 to 2018. Since 2019 the race has been sponsored by the Chanelle Pharmaceuticals.
Winners of the Chanelle Pharma usually go on to compete in either the Supreme Novices' Hurdle or the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Those to have also achieved victory in one of those races include greats such as Danoli, Istabraq, Like-A-Butterfly, Brave Inca, Champagne Fever, Vautour, Samcro and Appreciate It.
The race itself is open to novice hurdlers aged five years or older and is run over two miles at the February Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse.
During the race, the novices have to negotiate nine hurdles in their bid to become the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle champion.
Traditionally the contest is run at a fairly frenetic pace. The top three quickest Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle’s over the last 20 renewals are:
-
2019 - Klassical Dream (3:48.30)
-
2020 - Asterion Forlonge (3:59.10)
-
2021 - Appreciate It (4:06.90)
Aran Concerto set the slowest winning time (5:00.50) in the 2007 renewal.
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle Winners
-
2021 - (4:06.90) Appreciate It 7yo 11-12 1/3F (Paul Townend/Willie Mullins)
-
2020 - (3:59.10) Asterion Forlonge 6yo 11-10 4/1 (Danny Mullins/Willie Mullins)
-
2019 - (3:48.30) Klassical Dream 5yo 11-9 9/4F (Ruby Walsh/Willie Mullins)
-
2018 - (4:08.70) Samcro 6yo 11-10 4/6F (Jack Kennedy/Gordon Elliott)
-
2017 - (4:32.80) Bacardys 6yo 11-10 12/1 (Mr P W Mullins/Willie Mullins)
-
2016 - (4:38.70) Bleu Et Rouge 5yo 11-9 11/1 (Barry Geraghty/Willie Mullins)
-
2015 - (4:24.70) Nichols Canyon 5yo 11-9 9/2 (Ruby Walsh/Willie Mullins)
-
2014 - (4:22.50) Vautour 5yo 11-9 7/4 (Ruby Walsh/Willie Mullins)
-
2013 - (4:22.90) Champagne Fever 6yo 11-10 2/1F (Paul Townend/Willie Mullins)
-
2012 - (4:27.20) Benefficient 6yo 11-10 50/1 (Bryan Cooper/Tony Martin)
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle Statistics
-
Age: 9 of the last 12 winners were aged 5 or 6.
-
Price: 4 of the last 10 favourites/joint favourites have won, 8/10 winners came from the top three in the horse racing betting.
-
Last Run: 8 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle, 10/10 winners ran within the last 56 days, 3/10 winners ran in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown) on their last run, 1 of the 3 won, 0 placed.
-
Previous Course Form: 6/10 winners had at least one previous run at Leopardstown, 3/10 winners had at least one previous win at Leopardstown.
-
Previous Distance Form: 10/10 winners had at least two previous runs over 16-18 furlongs, 10/10 had at least one previous win over 16-18 furlongs.
-
Previous Hurdle Form: 10/10 winners had at least two previous runs over hurdles, 10/10 winners had at least one previous win over hurdles, 6/10 winners had at least two previous wins over hurdles.
-
Rating: 8/10 winners were rated 136 or higher.
-
Graded Wins: 8/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1-3 race.
-
Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least two runs that season, 10/10 winners had at least one win that season.
Leading Trainers
It should come as no surprise to find that the leading trainer in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle over the last 20 years is Willie Mullins who has won the race 8 times.
The 8 winners are as follows: Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Bleu Et Rouge (2016), Bacardys (2017), Klassical Dream (2019), Asterion Forlonge (2020) and Appreciate It (2021).
To get the lowdown on Mullins’ Chanelle contenders for this season, check out our Willie Mullins Stable Tour.
Noel Meade is the only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins with three of his runners doing the business.
Leading Jockeys
The leading jockey from yesteryear in this race is Paul Carberry with six wins to his name: Bolino Star (1996), Native Estates (1998), Solerina (2003), Mr Nosie (2006), Aran Concerto (2007), Pandorama (2009).
Of the jockeys still riding at present, Paul Townend has won the race twice. Those two winners came from Champagne Fever (2013) and Appreciate It (2021).
Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle Trial Races
In recent years the Future Champions Hurdle has provided a few pointers towards this race but there are no real trial races as such leading into this.
Going forward from this race however:
-
Next Run: 5 of the last 10 winners won on their next run after the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle, 2/10 placed on their next run.
-
Rest of The Season: 9 of the last 10 winners ran in at least two more races that season.
-
7/10 won at least one more race that season, 2/10 placed in at least one more race that season.
Cheltenham Festival Run Same Season:
-
6/10 winners ran in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the next Cheltenham Festival, 4 of the 6 won, 1 placed.
-
4/10 winners ran in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the next Cheltenham Festival, 1 of the 5 won, 1 placed.
Starting Prices
Looking through the horses that have come from the head of the market over the last 20 years and they have returned 10 winning favourites.
Upsets have been reasonably rare however Benefficient in 2012 sprang one for trainer Tony Martin at a whopping 50/1 – a wonderful price for those who bet on sports.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 1st February 2022
