Record-low entry for Brown Advisory in past 15 years despite axing of Turners

The switch to an open novice handicap chase for the Turners Novices’ Chase has not led to a higher entry for the Brown Advisory, with the three-mile event attracting the lowest number of potential runners since 2011.

It was hoped the change in conditions for the 2m4f novice chase would lead to a more competitive offering in the division, with the quality of the Arkle and Brown Advisory set to come under scrutiny in March.

The quantity of entries, however, does not paint the most positive of pictures. The Brown Advisory on Tuesday attracted 32 entries, six lower than last year and the lowest in the past 15 years, taking over the mantle from 34 entries in 2023.

British-trained entries in the race were down by two to 15 compared to the previous two festivals, while Willie Mullins, who won the race with Fact To File last year, was responsible for ten of the 32 entries. The number of Irish entries was down by four to 17.

There was a marginal increase of one in the My Pension Expert Arkle entries, with the 2m novice chase attracting 25 possibles. There were 16 Irish-trained entries, while Sir Gino heads the nine-strong home challenge.

Sir Gino: heads the home team in the ArkleCredit: Edward Whitaker

The JCB Triumph Hurdle fared best on the entries front compared to last season, with the Grade 1 juvenile event attracting ten more horses courtesy of 54 entries. It was still the joint-third lowest total since 2011.

There was an increase of one to 64 for the Sky Bet Supreme, with Mullins responsible for 22 of the entries, while Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba was given a second entry in the festival opener. Hors La Loi III was the last four-year-old to win the Supreme in 1999, with Fakir D’Oudairies the most recent juvenile to attempt the feat when fourth in 2019.

The Supreme was the only race among the six novice/juvenile contests to receive a greater number of Irish entries, and that was only by an increase of one to 44 compared to last season.

The Turners Novices’ Hurdle and Albert Bartlett saw a reduction in potential candidates.

Entries for the Turners were down by seven to 79, with Mullins making 28 of those entries, while the Albert Bartlett attracted one less entry, with the 3m novice hurdle featuring 62 contenders at the first entry stage.

Read more . . .

Brown Advisory entries suffer and Lulamba in the Supreme as more major Cheltenham Festival contenders revealed 

The Willie Mullins-trained novice hurdler who could be absolutely anything - plus other key talking points  

Removal of the Turners has helped but multiple entries still leave plenty of Cheltenham questions for punters to answer  

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