Top Ten Facts about the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle

Here are our top ten facts about the Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle

1. The Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle was introduced to The Festival in 1971 as the
   Aldsworth Hurdle. Sun Alliance, who merged with Royal Insurance in 1996, took it on in
   1974, together with the Sun Alliance Chase, having previously sponsored the Foxhunter
   Chase. Ballymore Properties sponsored the contest for the first time in 2007.
2. The Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle, along with the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, are acknowledged as championship races for the staying novice hurdler and chaser.
3. Only one horse has won both the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle and the Royal &
   SunAlliance Chase. The West Awake took the hurdle race in 1987 and the chase event a
   year later.
4. The smallest field for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle was 14 in 2000, when
   there were three non-runners. Previously the lowest number of runners was 15 in 1973, the year of Willie Wumpkins, who later dominated the Coral Golden Hurdle Final at The Festival with three straight wins from 1979-81. There were also 15 runners in 2004 and 2007.
5. The largest field was 29, achieved in 1979, 1984 and 1991. The current safety limit is 24.
6. The Irish-trained 1994 winner, Danoli, was the subject of a massive gamble and was sent
   off the 7/4 favourite. The shortest-priced winner was another Irish victor, Mr Kildare, at 8/11 in 1978. Favourites have been successful in 12 of the 36 runnings. The longest-priced winner was 40/1 chance Even Dawn in the second running in 1972.
7. The Irish have an excellent record in the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle with 13
   wins, including six consecutive victories from 1973-78. Nicanor, trained by Noel Meade,
   scored for the Irish in 2006 when upsetting hot favourite Denman.
8. Aidan O’Brien, Martin Pipe, Oliver Sherwood, Mick O'Toole, Edward O'Grady and Nigel Twiston-Davies have each won two Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdles. Oliver Sherwood and Dessie Hughes are the two trainers to have also won the race as jockeys. Sherwood was in the saddle on Venture To Cognac in 1979, while his training wins were with The West Awake (1987) and Rebel Song (1988). Dessie Hughes was twice successful as a jockey with Davy Lad (1975) and Parkhill (1976) and sent out Hardy Eustace (2003) to victory as a
   trainer.
9. The fastest time for the winning horse was 4m 52.0s set by Monsignor in 2000, beating
   the 4m 56.2s of Regal Ambition in 1990.
10. Istabraq (1997) and Hardy Eustace (2003) both won this race en route to victory in the
    Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle while Davy Lad (1975) went on to take the totesport
    Cheltenham Gold Cup.
    

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Tags: Aidan O’Brien, Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle, Dessie Hughes, Edward O'grady, Martin Pipe, Mick O'toole, Nigel Twiston-Davies, Oliver Sherwood