Sunday, 16 July 2017

Cheltenham Festival - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle


This hurdle race is one of the youngest races run on the closing day of the Cheltenham Festival. Horses aged four years and above compete over two miles four-and-a-half furlongs in a bid to take home £31,000 of the £60,000 purse price.

Weight handicaps are used to balance competition, while conditional jockeys are a strict requirement in the riders’ qualifications. Conditional jockeys must be less than 26 years old, be apprentices in national Hunt competitions and must not have won more than 75 races ran under competition rules.

The 2018 event will be the 10th edition of this competition. Willie Mullins has won three Martin Pipe races as trainer, while all horses and jockeys that have participated never won more than once. Paul Nicholls could equal Mullins’ record with a win in the 2018 event.

Champagne classic has a chance of setting a two win record this year, but is currently ranked behind Flawless Escape as favourite.