Top 10 Facts about the Anglo Irish Supreme Novice's Hurdle

We list the top 10 Facts about the Anglo Irish Supreme Novice's Hurdle

1. The Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle was known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle until 1974. Anglo Irish Bank sponsors the race for the third time in 2008. Capel Cure Sharp backed the contest in 2000 and the company, which became Gerrard Wealth Management, supported the race until 2003. Racecourse caterers Letheby & Christopher became the sixth sponsor since the initial backer Lloyds Bank in 1974 when supporting the contest in 2004 and 2005.
2. The Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the only race at The Festival to have
   been divided. From 1946-1971 when known as the Gloucestershire Novices’ Hurdle, it
   divided on no less than 25 occasions. In 1963 and 1946 there were even three divisions.
3. The oldest horse to have won was 12-year-old Beau Caprice in 1966 (Div One). Three eight-year-olds have also been successful - Like-A-Butterfly in 2002, Sondrio in 1989 and Boys Hurrah in 1956 (Div One).
4. The 1993 winner, Montelado, holds a unique position in the history of The Festival at
   Cheltenham. He is the only horse to have won consecutive Festival races, landing the
   Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 1992, the last race of that year’s meeting, and returning to win the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1993, the first race 12 months later.
5. The Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has thrown up one winner of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and three Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle heroes. L'Escargot won in 1968, before consecutive Gold Cup triumphs in 1970 and 1971. Bula scored in 1970, before Champion Hurdle victories in 1971 and 1972, the 2002 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi III took the race in 1999, and Brave Inca took the Champion Hurdle in 2006 having landed the novice event two years earlier.
6. The race has been won by Irish-trained raiders on no less than 36 occasions, and by the
   French once. Of the 16 divisions from 1952-59, Vincent O'Brien won 10. Ireland also kept a stranglehold on the race for seven years from 1977-83 and has won five of the last seven runnings.
7. The smallest field was in 1950, with nine runners in Division 1, and the largest, 30
   runners, for both Harry Hastings' win in 1985 and French Ballerina in 1998. The maximum
   field allowed is now 24.
8. Since the race ceased to be divided, big-name jockeys have found the Anglo Irish Bank
   Supreme Novices’ Hurdle difficult to win. Tony McCoy, successful on Hors La Loi III in 1999, is the only one of the last four champion jockeys to have scored in this particular contest, and only Charlie Swan (1993 and 2002), Tommy Carmody (1980 and 1983) and Niall Madden (1978 and 1981) have been successful twice.
9. The longest-priced winner was Arctic Kinsman at 50/1 in 1994, while last year’s victor
   Ebaziyan is one of only two 40/1 shots to have scored. The shortest-priced winners at 4/9
   were Tsaoko in 1950 and Flyingbolt in 1964. Favourites have been successful eight times in the 35 runnings since 1972, with three of the last six winning.
10. The fastest time for the winning horse was achieved by Montelado in 1993 at 3m 50.6s.
    French Ballerina came close to that record in 1998 when her time was 3m 50.9s.
    67.

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