Outsiders to Consider for the 2024 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Most horse racing enthusiasts will agree that the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the perfect way to kick off the Cheltenham Festival.

It is notoriously a race that unearths a future generation of equine stars, with Constitution Hill, Shishkin, Altior, Douvan, and Vautour just some of the standout winners in the last decade.
Willie Mullins has won the Grade 1 a record seven times, and his promising youngsters lead the way in the Supreme Novices Hurdle 2024 betting.

Ballyburn, a recent Grade 1 winner at Leopardstown, leads the market but is followed by stablemates Tullyhill and Mystical Power.

Just four of the last 12 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winners have been the pre-race favourite though, so let’s take a look at some of the contenders who could stun the Mullins front runners.

Jeriko Du Reponet – 9/1

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Jeriko Du Reponet before he even made his debut for veteran trainer Nicky Henderson, as some racing pundits were already tipping him for the Supreme.
A convincing Maiden Hurdle success at Newbury on his first appearance under rules saw the five-year-old slashed in the horse racing odds.

Jeriko Du Reponet, who is owned by the esteemed JP McManus, has extended his record to three wins in as many races with further success at Newbury and Doncaster.

How he won those contests was somewhat underwhelming in many people’s opinion, but you can’t rule this horse out.

Firefox – 6/1

Gordon Elliott hasn’t won the Supreme since his maiden victory in the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival with Labaik in 2017.

However, the top Irish handler looks to still have a solid chance of stealing the spoils from under Mullins’ nose with Firefox.

With three wins in four Bumpers, Firefox made a seamless transition to obstacles with a victory over the Supreme favourite Ballyburn in a Maiden Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December.

But he couldn’t build on that success in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novices Hurdle when last seen in January — finishing fourth of seven runners.

Odds of 6/1, and even 9/1 in some places, appear far too big for a horse of his potential despite that recent poor performance.

Mistergif – 20/1

This one might be a bit of a bold call, as we arguably haven’t seen enough of this horse yet, but Mistergif could prove good value at this stage with odds of 20/1 and above.

Another potential runner trained by Mullins, the five-year-old failed to impress during his time in France under Sylvain Dehez in France — failing to win in 11 outings and placing just twice.
However, his first start for Closutton was flawless as he romped to an 18-length victory over Ballycallan King in a Maiden Hurdle at Limerick in January.

While Mistergif also holds a Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle entry, the markets suggest that the Supreme is a more likely destination.

But take that with a pinch of salt at this stage, as we perhaps haven’t seen enough from this horse yet to suggest he’s entirely up to the Cheltenham Festival standard and he may need another run under his belt.