The Turners Novices’ Chase is the opening race on Day 3 of the Festival and thus the first race to be run on the New Course.
Established in 2011, its registered title is the Golden Miller Novices' Chase.
First sponsored by Jewson and then known as both the JLT and the Marsh Novices' Chase, Turners (a transport company) was announced as the new sponsor for 2022.
It gives trainers an alternative to running their best novices in either the Arkle Chase or the Brown Advisory Chase.
The standard of runners has been on the rise, with recent renewals fought out by the likes of Defi du Seuil, Lostintranslation, Samrco, Melon and Faugheen.
TURNERS NOVICES’ CHASE TRENDS
Course experience is key, with most Turners Novices’ Chase winners having raced in a novice hurdle at the Festival 12 months before.
Five winners had run in the previous season's Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
There have been just three winning outright favourites thus far: Vautour (2015), Yorkhill (2017) and Defi Du Seuil (2019), plus one co-favourite Black Hercules (2016).
But 9 of the 12 winners were 4/1 or shorter.
LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA
PREVIOUS WINNERS
There was a dramatic ending to the 2022 Turners Chase as Galopin Des Champs slipped and ditched Paul Townend onto the ground after jumping the last 12 lengths clear.
That handed victory to Bob Olinger, who thus secured back-to-back Festival wins after his Ballymore triumph of 2021.
But winning trainer Henry de Bromhead was quick to acknowledge that the unlucky faller was comfortably the better horse on the day:
Envoi Allen was bidding for a third successive Festival win in 2021, having won the Champion Bumper and the Ballymore previously.
But the 4/9 shot crashed out at the fourth fence, leaving the way clear for Chantry House to run out an impressive winner in his absence.
Of Envoi Allen's early exit, winning jockey Nico de Boinville said:
There was a epic battle in 2020 as Samcro, Melon and Faugheen fought it out up the hill.
Samcro, ridden by Davy Russell, eventually saw off the gallant Melon in a pulsating finish, with dual Festival winner Faugheen a length back:
Defi Du Seuil, winner of the Triumph Hurdle two years earlier, got the better of old rival Lostintranslation in 2019 to record a 20th Festival winner for trainer Philip Hobbs:
Shattered Love became the first mare to win the race in 2018, despite a mistake at the last, with trainer Gordon Elliott reflecting:
The mighty Vautour cruised to victory back in 2015, the second of his three Festival wins.
The race was effectively a procession turning for home and the 6/4 favourite flew the final two fences under Ruby Walsh: