Horse Racing

The TWO Cheltenham Festival Races With NO Winning Favourite For Over 10 Years

Andy Newton Sports Editor

Published13 Mar 2025

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Over the 2024 Festival we saw NINE winning Cheltenham favourites – which equates to a 33% return if you backed all the market leaders.

While overall the jollies have fair records in most Cheltenham Festival races – however, heading into the 2025 meeting, it could pay to know there are TWO contests that favourite backers have struggled in over the last 10+ years.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Hasn’t Seen A Winning Favourite Since 2013

First up is the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – which is run as the fourth race on the final day each year (Friday).

This 3m contest has been a graveyard contest for favourites in recent years – with NO winning favourite since 2013.

Meaning the race often billed as the ‘Potato Race’ is on a run of eleven years with no Cheltenham favourite rewarding backers.

The last jolly to land the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle was the JP McManus-owned At Fishers Cross in 2013, who won as the 11/8 market leader with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK.

Over this time – the average winning SP is 20/1.

Plus, we’ve even seen some top class horses win the race – including Minella Indo in 2019 at 50/1, who went onto win the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

This Cheltenham favourites curse struck again in 2024 when the red-hot 2/1 jolly Reading Tommy Wrong, who is trained by Willie Mullins, was pulled-up.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Winners Since 2013

2024 – Stellar Story (33/1)
2023 – Stay Away Fay (18/1)
2022 – The Nice Guy (18/1)
2021 – Vanillier (14/1)
2020 – Monkfish (5/1)
2019 – Minella Indo (50/1)
2018 – Kilbricken Storm (33/1)
2017 – Penhill (16/1)
2016 – Unowwhatimeanharry (11/1)
2015 – Martello Tower (14/1)
2014 – Very Wood (33/1)
2013 – At Fishers Cross (11/8 fav)

The Last Winning Cheltenham Favourite In The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Has In 2011

Next up is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – a contest that currently has the longest run without a Cheltenham favourite winning. And another race run on the Friday at the Festival.

This run stretches back to 2011 when the Willie Mullins-trained Sir Des Champs won as the 9/2 market leader.

A year later the horse added the Jewson Novices’ Chase to his Festival tally and later ran second to Bobs Worth in the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

But since then, we’ve not seen another winning jolly in the race named after the legendary trainer.

Oh, and even the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs won the Martin Pipe in 2021.

But amazingly he was sent off at 8/1, with the favourite that year Gentleman De Mee (4/1) back in 10th.

Last year this poor favourites run extended to 13 years when Better Days Ahead saw off the favourite Waterford Whispers by 1 1/2 lengths (watch below).

The average winning SP over the last 13 years (with no fav) is 12/1.

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Winners Since 2011

2024 – Better Days Ahead (5/1)
2023 – Iroko (6/1)
2022 – Banbridge (12/1)
2021 – Galopin Des Champs (8/1)
2020 – Indefatigable (25/1)
2019 – Early Doors (5/1)
2018 – Blow By Blow (11/1)
2017 – Champagne Classic (12/1)
2016 – Ibis du Rheu (14/1)
2015 – Killutagh Vic (7/1)
2014 – Don Poli (12/1)
2013 – Salubrious (16/1)
2012 – Attaglance (20/1)
2011 – Sir Des Champs (9/2 fav)

When Is The Cheltenham Festival 2025?

This year’s Cheltenham Festival 2025 dates will see the four-day meeting runs from Tuesday 11th March to Friday 14th March.

🏇Tuesday 11th March 2025: Day 1 – Champion Day
🏇Wednesday 12th March 2025: Day 2 – Style Wednesday
🏇Thursday 13th March 2025: Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday
🏇Friday 14th March 2025: Day 4 – Gold Cup Day

Cheltenham Festival Favourites Record By Race (Last 11 Years)

See below the full race-by-race Cheltenham Festival favourites record from the last eleven years.

As mentioned, the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap hurdle are currently the two worst races for favourite backers.

However, it’s also worth pointing out the new Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase – is yet to see a winning market leader from its first four runnings.

We’ve got all the 2025 Cheltenham Festival favourites listed here.

Champion Hurdle and Arkle Have Been The Best Races For Favourites Recently

At the other end of the spectrum – the best Cheltenham races for the favourites in the last eleven years have been the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Champion Hurdle.

Both of these ‘day one’ races have seen eight of the last 11 Cheltenham favourites win – backed up again in 2024 when State Man won the Champion Hurdle and Gaelic Warrior landed the Arkle.

Tuesday 11th March 2025

1:20 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – (4 of the last 11, 36%)
2:00 – Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (8 of the last 11, 73%)
2:40 – Ultima Handicap Chase (2 of the last 11, 18%)
3:20 – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4 of the last 11, 36%)
4:00 – Champion Hurdle (8 of the last 11, 73%)
4:40 – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (1 of the last 11, 9%)
5:20 – National Hunt Chase (1 of the last 11, 9%)

Wednesday 12th March 2025

1:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (6 of the last 11, 55%)
2:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (6 of the last 11, 55%)
2:40 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (1 of the last 11, 9%)
3:20 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3 of the last 11, 27%)
4:00 – Queen Mother Champion Chase (4 of the last 11, 36%)
4:40 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (1 of the last 11, 9%)
5:20 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (3 of the last 11, 27%)

Thursday 13th March 2025

1:20 – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (3 of the last 9, 33%)
2:00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase N/A (new race)
2:40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (2 of the last 11, 18%)
3:20 – Ryanair Chase (6 of the last 11, 55%)
4:00 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3 of the last 11, 27%)
4:40 – Plate Handicap Chase (3 of the last 11, 27%)
5:20 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (2 of the last 11, 18%)

Friday 14th March 2025

1:20 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (5 of the last 11, 45%)
2:00 – County Hurdle Handicap (2 of the last 11, 18%)
2:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (0 of the last 4, 0%)
3:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (0 of the last 11, 0%)
4:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup (5 of the last 11, 45%)
4:40 – St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase (3 of the last 11, 27%)
5:20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0 of the last 11, 0%)