Sharp Novices' Hurdle
| Class | Grade 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
| Race type | Hurdle race |
| Sponsor | Sky Bet |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m 87y (3,298 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 1 lb (4yo) 11 st 2 lb (5yo+) Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares Penalties 5 lb for winners of a Class 1 wfa hurdle 3 lb for winners of a Class 2 wfa or Class 1 handicap hurdle |
| Purse | £50,000 (2023) 1st: £28,475 |
| 2024 | ||
| Valgrand | Gale Mahler | Dancing In Paris |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
| Lookaway | Kamsinas | Idy Wood |
| 2022 | ||
| Fennor Cross | Ukantango | Springwell Bay |
| 2021 | ||
| I Like To Move It | Washington | Only two finished |
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The Sharp Novices' Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong (2 miles and 87 yards, or 3,298 m), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The event was formerly contested over 2 miles, and it used to be held in December. It was extended by a furlong in 1992, and it was cut to its present length and moved to November in 1994. In 2011 the race was renamed as the Opus Energy Novices' Hurdle as part of a sponsorship deal with UK power supplier Opus Energy. Since 2013 the race has been sponsored by Sky Bet and run as the Sky Bet Novices' Hurdle.
In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would be run in October as part of a restructure of the 2023/24 programme.