Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tips & Predictions
The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle is the final race of the Cheltenham Festival. It is scheduled to take place on day four of the meeting at 5.20pm.
This race was added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2009 and named after the legendary trainer Martin Pipe, one of the most successful British trainers in history. It takes place over 2m4½f on the New Course, with a maximum field of 24.
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Betting Odds
Willie Mullins holds the record for the most victories as a trainer in this contest as the Irishman has been successful four times, including in 2021 with this year’s leading Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Galopin Des Champs.
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Tips
When Cheltenham Festival betting odds are first announced, there are typically around 90 horses entered into the Cheltenham Festival's final race! Over 70 of those won't end up racing in the final event but it makes betting on the ante-post very interesting for this particular race.
This is one race where we recommend waiting until the cards are announced - even with No Runner No Bet as a potential option for bettors. As for our betting tips for the race itself, this is what we'll be doing to ensure we can be as accurate as possible in our tips.
Willie Mullins’ Kopeck De Mee is the current favourite going into the race, and given Mullins’ success in this particular race, there is good experience backing the runner. The Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle could be a breakthrough opportunity for Kopek De Mee, building on from the success on French turf in 2024.
Wodhooh has a flawless record across Hurdles so far, but will the Gordon Elliott-backed runner be able to continue that in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle? The win at Cheltenham back in December would lean towards yes, proving that Wodhooh can do it on familiar turf.
If you’re considering an each-way bet, Taponthego could be worth keeping in mind with good consistency across top 3 placements this term, including a 3rd place finish at Punchestown in February. Henry De Bromhead will be hoping Taponthego maintains this form for the closing race of the Cheltenham Festival.
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Betting Trends
- In the last twelve renditions of the race, the favourite has failed to win. Finishing in second on two occasions. We recommend looking at the midfield for this particular race.
- Ten out of Twelve winners have been aged 5 or 6. However, the age of the horse hasn't been the same in back-to-back years since 2013.
- In the first fifteen renditions of the race, Willie Mullins had the most success, winning four times. However, Mullins has only had one horse place since the victory of Galopin Des Champs in 2021.
- While six of the last eleven winners had ran at Cheltenham prior to this race, only one winner had previously won at the course, that was Indefatigable, who is the only runner to have previously ran at Cheltenham more than once.
- 11 of the last 12 winners had a victory in their last four Hurdle races.