Grade 1 race | |
Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 2005 |
Race type | Hurdle race |
Sponsor | Albert Bartlett |
Website | Cheltenham |
Race information | |
Distance | 2m 7f 213y (4,822 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
Weight | 11 st 7 lb Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
Purse | £135,000 (2023) 1st: £75,965 |
2024 | ||
Stellar Story | The Jukebox Man | Dancing City |
Previous years | ||
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2023 | ||
Stay Away Fay | Affordale Fury | Sandor Clegane |
2022 | ||
The Nice Guy | Minella Cocooner | Bardenstown Lad |
2021 | ||
Vanillier | Oscar Elite | Streets Of Doyen |
The Spa Novices' Hurdle, known for sponsorship purposes as the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles (2 miles 7 furlongs and 213 yards, or 4,822 metres), and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
It was one of several new races introduced at the Festival when a fourth day was added to the meeting in 2005. For its first three runnings the event was sponsored by Brit Insurance, and it was classed at Grade 2 level. The vegetable growing company Albert Bartlett began supporting the race in 2008, and since then it has held Grade 1 status. The race was originally open to horses aged four years or older, but since 2023 four year olds have been excluded.