Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Betting Odds & Preview – 1.30 Cheltenham Festival March 16th 2022

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle betting kicks off the action at Cheltenham Festival Day 2 and this is an exciting Grade 1 feature. This is the biggest race of the season for novice hurdlers at this distance.

There have been some famous winners of this race throughout its history. The Ballymore has proven to be a platform where top performers have gone on to compete at the Champion Hurdle in the future.

Our betting experts look through the field for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle tips 2022, sizing up some of the front-runners and each-way racing prospects.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Details

Date: 16th March 2022
Time: 13:30
Grade: Grade 1
Distance: 2m 5f
Age: 4 year olds plus

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Favourites and Outsiders

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle tips are going to first take a look at some of the front-runners in the market for this year’s renewal.

It could be an exciting contest as well looking at the ante-post market ahead of this year’s edition.

There has been a bit of a swing towards the favourites in recent editions.

There has been a winning favourite in three of the last four renewals of the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival.

The largest priced winner in the last ten editions was Willoughby Court in 2017 who came home at 14/1 for the score.

But longer-priced winners are the clear outliers in the most recent ten editions of the Ballymore, as eight of the last ten winners have been no bigger than a quote of a 9/2 SP.

The ante-post market in the Ballymore odds for 2022 suggests that there is going to be a closely fought contest between a small handful of players.

So once again, tips may well send plenty more support to the stronger options in this field.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Odds Cheltenham 2022

While we can take a look at the ante-post Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle odds for 2022, the market will likely take on a different complexion closer to the start of the Festival.

When the final declarations for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, which happens 48 hours out, are in, punters will know exactly who is going to the start.

For now, here is a list of current Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle odds taken at the time of writing for the Cheltenham Festival 2022.

Sir Gerhard 7/4
Constitution Hill 5/2
Dysart Dynamo 5/1
Ginto 5/1
Journey With Me 6/1
Stage Star 7/1
Three Stripe Life 12/1
State Man 12/1
Kilcruit 12/1
Walking on Air 14/1
Mighty Potter 16/1
Hillcrest 16/1
Minella Cocooner 16/1
Classic getaway 16/1
I Am Maximus 18/1
Jonbon 20/1
El Fabiolo 20/1
Skytastic 25/1
The Nice Guy 25/1
Wonderwall 25/1
Hollow Games 25/1
Good Risk At All 33/1 bar
* (odds recorded at 21:27 GMT on March 8th, 2022 at 888Sport)

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About the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

The official name of the race is the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, but because of sponsorship, it is known as the Ballymore. Baring Bingham was the man who bound the ground and pulled the first-ever Cheltenham Festival together.

The race has been around since the early 1970s when it was called the Aldsworth Hurdle.

For Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle tips we are looking at a race that is a Grade 1 fixture that is over a distance of 2m 5f. There are 10 hurdles.

It’s open to four-year-olds and above with the fillies and mares getting a 7lb weight allowance.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle contenders – 16th March 2022

There is an interesting ante-post Ballymore Novices’ hurdle betting market that is currently active.

The field won’t be settled until final declarations for the fixture, but as things are shaping up, it could be a massively competitive renewal.

SIR GERHARD has taken to the hurdles well, opening his account immediately over the timbers with a score at Leopardstown in December. From that win in a maiden, he then was thrown straight into Group 1 on his follow-up back at that same venue in early February. Sir Gerhard is the 7/4 favourite* (odds recorded at 21:27 GMT on March 8th, 2022 at 888Sport)

CONSTITUTION HILL is two from two over the hurdles as well, having taken both of his scores at Sandown. Those were both by big wide margins as Nicky Henderson’s 5-year-old is heading in the right direction and could get in this.

DYSART DYNAMO does also hold an entry to the Supreme Novices’, but wherever he goes he will be a big threat. Dysart Dynamo picked up a maiden score at Cork on his hurdles debut, before following up by a 19l score at Punchestown in a Group 2 on his pattern company debut.

GINTO brings plenty of form to the table having won all three runs over the timbers this season, which were a couple at Navan and then at Naas. The most recent one of those was Group 1 by a cosy margin. Ginto is currently at 5/1 in the market* (odds recorded at 21:27 GMT on March 8th, 2022 at 888Sport)

JOURNEY WITH ME is another of the big potential players in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle tips, having won two from two. Those were at Leopardstown and Naas. He hasn’t had a taste of pattern company yet but has a stack of potential.

This could be a really deep field lining up in the Ballymore in terms of place claims. There are so many top contenders in the field who are bringing form to the table.

STAGE STAR has won all three efforts this season while WALKING ON AIR looked excellent on his debut score over the hurdles.

Others who could make their presence felt include the unbeaten JON BON, MINELLA COCOONER and HILLCREST.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Trends Cheltenham 2022

For the next part of this Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Betting Preview 2022, we are going to dive into some of the trends surrounding the event.

To do that, we cast an eye back over the last 20 editions of this Grade 1 fixture.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Trainer Statistics

Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in Ballymore in the last 20 editions. He has won it four times. The last time that Willie Mullins saw one of his get to the line first was with Yorkhill back in 2016.

Only two other trainers have landed more than one win in the Ballymore across the last two decades. Those were Nigel Twiston-Davies and Gordon Elliott who have both picked a couple of wins.

It could be worth looking at who isn’t in great shape in terms of the trends. That will be Alan King who has failed to land a win from 10 previous runners.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Jockey Statistics

Davy Russell is the only active jockey to have won the race more than once in the last 20 renewals, with three. The most recent of those came on the back of Envoi Allen in 2020.

Last year’s winning jockey was Rachael Blackmore on Bob Olinger who came home at 6/4F.

Other Key Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Trends

The last nine winners have all been Irish bred horses, from the trainer’s perspective, it’s been a horse from an Irish yard in seven of the last eight Ballymore renewals.

Going back to the favourite, only once in the last thirteen renewals of the Ballymore, has the race favourite on the day has been outside of the top three.

There hasn’t been a winner bigger than 20/1 in the last 20 editions and each of the last 20 winners was either a 5 or a 6-year-old.

For Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle tips it may well be worth leaning towards those at the front of the market.

That’s because 19 of the last 20 Ballymore winners were in the top five of the market at the off.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle 2021 Review

In last year’s edition, it was BOB OLINGER who took a commanding victory for trainer Henry De Bromhead. The jockey was Rachael Blackmore who rode home the 6/4 FAV.

Bob Olinger was pushed into the lead ahead of the last and he was never going to be caught from there. He was full of running at the close and runner up GAILLARD DU MESNIL simply was no match for him.

Taking the third-place finish in the Ballymore was BRAVEMANSGAME who had been in front a couple of times from home and was rallying well. But his challenge fell away in the chase for home as he was spent.

Cheltenham Festival 2022 Day 2

 

 

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Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Former Winners

Year	Winner	Odds	Jockey	Trainer
2021	Bob Olinger	6/4F	Rachael Blackmore	Henry de Bromhead
2020	Envoi Allen	4/7F	Davy Russell	Gordon Elliott
2019	City Island	8/1	Mark Walsh	Martin Brassil
2018	Samcro	8/11F	Jack Kennedy	Gordon Elliott
2017	Willoughby Court	14/1	David Bass	Ben Pauling
2016	Yorkhill	3/1	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2015	Windsor Park	9/2	Davy Russell	D K Weld
2014	Faugheen	6/4F	Ruby Walsh	Willie Mullins
2013	The New One	7/2	Sam Twiston-Davies	Nigel Twiston-Davies
2012	Simonsig	2/1F	Barry Geraghty	Nicky Henderson

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Betting Offers

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