The Sefton Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlong (4,964 metres), and during its running there are thirteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Grand National meeting in early April.
The event was established in 1988, and it was originally called the White Satin Novices' Hurdle. For a period it was classed at Grade 2 level. The race was given its present title in 1993, and it was promoted to Grade 1 status in 1995.
In recent years the Sefton Novices' Hurdle has usually featured horses which ran in the previous month's Spa Novices' Hurdle, and the last to achieve victory in both races was At Fishers Cross in 2013.
Records Leading jockey (3 wins): Tony McCoy – Unsinkable Boxer (1998), Black Jack Ketchum (2006), At Fishers Cross (2013) Barry Geraghty – Sackville (2000), Iris's Gift (2003), Beat That (2014)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
Nicky Henderson – Rustle (1988), Beat That (2014), Santini (2018), Champ (2019)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 1988 Rustle 6 Michael Bowlby Nicky Henderson 1989 Boreen Belle 7 Charlie Swan Bill Harney 1990 Dwadme 5 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood 1991 Derring Valley 6 Graham McCourt Anthony Jones 1992 Barton Bank 6 Carl Llewellyn David Nicholson 1993 Cardinal Red 6 Ben de Haan Cath Walwyn 1994 Corner Boy 7 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson 1995 Morgan's Harbour 9 Peter Niven Mary Reveley 1996 Pleasure Shared 8 Paul Carberry Philip Hobbs 1997 Forest Ivory 6 Richard Johnson David Nicholson 1998 Unsinkable Boxer 9 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 1999 King's Road 6 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies 2000 Sackville 7 Barry Geraghty Frances Crowley 2001 Garruth 7 Russ Garritty Tim Easterby 2002 Stromness 5 Robert Thornton Alan King 2003 Iris's Gift 6 Barry Geraghty Jonjo O'Neill 2004 Accipiter 5 Tom Best Toby Balding 2005 Asian Maze 6 Ruby Walsh Tom Mullins 2006 Black Jack Ketchum 7 Tony McCoy Jonjo O'Neill 2007 Chief Dan George 7 Mick Fitzgerald James Moffatt 2008 Pettifour 6 Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies 2009 Ogee 6 Jimmy McCarthy Renee Robeson 2010 Wayward Prince 6 Dougie Costello Ian Williams 2011 Saint Are 5 Richard Johnson Tim Vaughan 2012 Lovcen 7 Robert Thornton Alan King 2013 At Fishers Cross 6 Tony McCoy Rebecca Curtis 2014 Beat That 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2015 Thistlecrack 7 Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard 2016 Ballyoptic 6 Ryan Hatch Nigel Twiston-Davies 2017 The Worlds End 6 Adrian Heskin Tom George 2018 Santini 6 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2019 Champ 7 Mark Walsh Nicky Henderson no race 2020 2021 Ahoy Senor 6 Derek Fox Lucinda Russell 2022 Gelino Bello 6 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2023 Apple Away 6 Stephen Mulqueen Lucinda Russell 2024 Dancing City 7 Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2025 Julius Des Pictons 6 Gavin Sheehan Jamie Snowden 2026 Zeus Power 5 JJ Slevin Joseph O'Brien
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races Recurring sporting events established in 1988 – this race is included under its original title, White Satin Novices' Hurdle.
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
aintree.co.uk – 2010 John Smith's Grand National Media Guide. pedigreequery.com – Sefton Novices' Hurdle – Aintree.
External links Race Recordings (1988, 1992, 1995-2007) youtube.com