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The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the traditional curtain-raiser to the Cheltenham Festival, is a Grade 1 race that consistently attracts some of the most promising young hurdlers in National Hunt racing.
Known for its electrifying atmosphere, with the famous Cheltenham roar echoing across Prestbury Park as the tapes go up, this two-mile contest has become synonymous with high-quality competition.
With Willie Mullins tipped to win this race for a record-extending eighth time this year, as Salvator Mundi is the 7/2 favourite in the horse racing odds, here’s a look back at the last five winners.
2024: Slade Steel
There was little to separate the top three in the market ahead of the 2024 renewal. Tullyhill was the 11/4 favourite, followed closely by Mystical Power (100/30) and Slade Steel (7/2).
However, it was the latter two who battled it out up the Cheltenham hill as Tullyhill weakened out of contention on the run-in.
Both clear of the rest at the last, Mystical Power was in the lead at the final hurdle but was caught in the final strides by Slade Steel—giving Henry de Bromhead his first win in this race.
2023: Marine Nationale
Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale provided a fairytale result in the 2023 edition of the Supreme, giving his owner-trainer a maiden Cheltenham Festival victory.
Guided by jockey Michael O’Sullivan, the bay gelding went into the race unbeaten and showcased his devastating turn of foot to beat the highly-rated Facile Vega by over three lengths.
Marine Nationale’s career hasn’t hit the heights expected since his switch to fences, with just one win over the larger obstacles in four starts.
2022: Constitution Hill
In arguably one of the best renewals of the Supreme in its almost 80-year history, Constitution Hill introduced himself to the wider racing world with a stunning victory.
Lining up alongside stablemate Jonbon and Mullins’ Dysart Dynamo for starters’ orders, anticipation was at a fever pitch.
Constitution Hill sat quietly on the tails of his rivals until Dysart Dynamo fell three out, which is when Nico de Boinville asked his mount to kick on—and he romped to a 22-length win. The rest is history.
2021: Appreciate It
Mullins’ most recent win in this race came via Appreciate It in 2021, as the horse justified odds-on favouritism with conviction.
Backed into 8/11 after winning his three prep races, this was a no-contest—with Appreciate It going six lengths clear before the last and being driven out to win by 24 lengths from Ballyadam.
Like Marine National, despite showing promise in his first two steeplechases, Appreciate It’s career never went to the next level over fences.
2020: Shishkin
Another win in the Supreme for veteran trainer Henderson, Shishkin won the 2020 renewal of the race by a slender margin.
A faller on his hurdle debut, Shishkin bounced back with successive wins at Newbury and Huntingdon in the build-up to Cheltenham.
However, he hadn’t proven himself at this level like some of the other runners — evident in his 6/1 odds — but he proved the bookies wrong when winning by a head from Abacadabras.
