Sportsbook Guardian

David ‘The Duke’ Nicholson was a legendary figure in Cheltenham Festival circles, winning five festival races as a jockey and an impressive seventeen as a trainer.

It seems fitting that after his death in 2006, organisers decided to dedicate this Mares Hurdle race to a man who will be fondly remembered by the racing world.

Race Conditions

• The David Nicholson Mares Hurdle is a Grade 2 Hurdle Race for Mares.
• The Mares Hurdle has been run at a start time of 16:40 in recent years and takes place on the first Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival.
• Age qualification for the race is 4 years old and upward.
• The race is run over approximately 2 miles and 4 furlongs.
• In 2011 the prize fund for the race was £75,000.
• There are a total of 9 hurdles for the mares to tackle.

Race Trends

• Now in its 4th year of running, the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle has been won by the same horse (Quevega) for the previous 3 years. The only other winner of the race was Whiteoak back in 2008.
• 2012 sees Quevega bid for a potentially fantastic achievement of 4 consecutive festival wins in the same race.
• Willie Mullins is the trainer of Quevega, the only other trainer to win the Mares Hurdle is Donald McCain.
• We can’t read too much into this due to the immaturity of the race, however 3 favourites have won out of 4 renewals and Quevega has obliged for the favourite backers at odds of 2/1 (2009), 6/4 (2010) and 5/6 (2011).
• In 2008 Whiteoak took the spoils for the first renewal of the Mares Hurdle at odds of 20/1.