.png)
Pulse Racing
Mares' Hurdle
Detailed race analysis for The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
* note all data is from 2016 unless otherwise stated.
RACE SUMMARY
First run in 2008, the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 contest for leading mares, registered as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle in honour of the legendary jockey and trainer.
Open to fillies and mares aged four and older, it was upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 in 2015.
From 2026, the race moved to St Patrick’s Thursday and the New Course, where it is run over 2 miles 4 furlongs with 10 hurdles.
WINNING PROFILE
AVERAGE AGE
6.5
152
AVERAGE OFFICIAL RATING
AVERAGE HURDLE RUNS PRIOR
9.2
PATH TO CHELTENHAM
The following races have produced the most Mares' Hurdle winners since 2016:
-
(4) Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Fairyhouse, December)
-
(3) Irish Champion Hurdle (PCI / Chanelle Pharma) (Leopardstown, February)
Number of horses that ran in these races and went on to win at Cheltenham that season in brackets.
TRAINER WINS
TRAINER S/R
WINS BY AGE
PULSE STOPPER
Mares at 12/1+ are 1/79 | 1.3%
Mares older than 7 are 1/47 | 2.1%
British-trained are 2/71 | 2.8%.
No graded hurdle experience is a negative at 2/46 | 4.3%.
OR Mares less than 147 are 2/82 | 2.4%
PULSE INSIGHT
Irish-trained horses dominate at 9/56 | 16.1% vs British-trained at 2/71 | 2.8%
French-breds have a good record with 6/42 | 14.3%
Favourites have won 4/10 | 40% with 2nd-fav 2/9 | 22%
8/1 or shorter: 8/31 | 25.8%.
Only five Mares have won a Grade 1 in the season as prep and three have won (3/5 | 60%)
LTO winners are 7/46 | 15.2%
Although Mullins has most winners it is at a lower strike rate than Elliott 2/7 | 28.6% (better still if you include Black tears who was officially with Denise Foster) and de Bromhead 2/9 | 22.2% (Mullins is 4/31 | 12.9%)
Higher rated horses fare well with OR 150+ at 6/28 | 21.4%.
PULSE EDGE
PULSE SUMMARY
Classy Mares Come to the Fore
Four of the last 11 winners, both multiple winners in Honeysuckle and Lossiemouth, have won the Champion Hurdle (Honeysuckle twice) highlighting the class of Mare in this race.
Irish-trained Mares have largely dominated this race with 9/11 winners from 56 runners
PULSE VERDICT
Pulse Rate
The Hatton's Grace and Irish Champion Hurdle are strong prep races for the Mares'
Pulse Stopper
Honeysuckle, on the back of two Champion Hurdle wins, is the only Mare older than seven-years-old to win (1/47 | 2.1%)
Pulse Insight
Irish-trained + French-bred: 6/34 | 17.6%
Pulse Edge
Only five Mares have won a Grade 1 as prep with three winners (3/5 | 60%)
ALL DATA FROM 2016 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
LAST UPDATED SEPT 2026