Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Cheltenham 15:20 £150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 7f 213yds, Class 1 
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1 Johnny's Jury 20/1
2 Fruit De Mer 28/1
3 The Passing Wife 11/1
4 Mondoui'Boy 14/1
22 ran Distances: 1½l, hd, 4l
Time: 5m 59.64s (slow by 13.64s)
Johnny's Jury gets the verdict in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle🥇
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2026
A winner for Gavin Sheehan and Jamie Snowden! 👏#ITVRacing | @jamiesnowden pic.twitter.com/oU0rwOeWtb
Johnny’s Jury showed admirable resolve to claim the spoils, producing a relentless late charge to land one of the Festival’s sternest examinations of stamina. Sent off at 20-1 for Jamie Snowden and ridden by Gavin Sheehan, the grey appeared to have plenty on his plate turning for home, with much of the field ahead of him as the rain swept across Prestbury Park.
Yet the response from both horse and rider was immediate and decisive. Gradually, Johnny’s Jury began to reel in his rivals, passing one after another before asserting up the famous hill to score by a length and a half from Fruit De Mer, with The Passing Wife close behind in third. The market leader Doctor Steinberg had set out to make the running but paid for those early exertions, weakening before the finish as the race developed into the attritional contest it so often becomes.
Snowden said: “It’s fabulous, just wonderful. We never planned to be at the back, but it was a bit of a mess at the start once again. He’s travelled through the race and jumped great and there’s no better man than Gavin. We’ve gone through a lot of things over the last few years and it’s wonderful to have another Grade One winner and certainly at Cheltenham it’s amazing. He’s a very nice horse, he came from Nicky (Henderson) who highly recommended him and he’s done nothing but improve over the course of the last year. It was a massive step up from two miles one (furlong) to three miles, but he’s a half-brother to Appreciate It so we thought his stamina was not in question and thankfully it worked out. We’ve had some wonderful times, winning the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup) with Datsalrightgino and Grade One winners at Aintree and other big races, but it’s tough. At this place it’s tough to win and it’s tough to run well. We came here with five bullets to fire and five really nice horses and haven’t got a look in, which makes results like this so special.”
Runner-up Fruit De Mer emerged with plenty of credit for Henry de Bromhead, shaping like a horse whose future lies over fences. De Bromhead said: “I’m really happy, he travelled really well and did everything right, just sadly didn’t win. He’s a horse with a real bright future and I’m delighted. He’s a staying chaser and he’s already schooling over a fence in the indoor school and has been electric over that. Touch wood we’ll be dreaming.”
The Passing Wife also ran with distinction in third, though trainer Gavin Cromwell felt the testing finish may just have stretched his charge a shade too far. Cromwell said: “You can’t say he didn’t stay, he did stay, but probably one has just outstayed him on this track on the day. I’m sure he’ll be a horse for over fences in time.”
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
(Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 1)
£150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 7f 213yds, Class 1
22 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places
PREVIOUS RESULTS
2025 Jasmin De Vaux
2024 Stellar Story
2023 Stay Away Fay
2022 The Nice Guy
2021 Vanillier
2020 Monkfish
2019 Minella Indo
2018-WINNER-KILBRICKEN STORM 7-11-05 Owner-A Selway & P Wavish; Trainer-Colin Tizzard; Jockey-Harry Cobden; SP-33/1
2ND-OK Corral 8-11-05 Owner-J P McManus; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-16/1
3RD-Santini 6-11-05 Owner-Richard & Lizzie Kelvin Hughes; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Nico de Boinville; SP-11/4 Fav
20 ran, Time-6m 13.60s; Dist-3, 1½
2017-WINNER-PENHILL 6-11-05 Owner-Tony Bloom; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Paul Townend; SP-16/1
2ND-Monalee 6-11-05 Owner-Barry Maloney; Trainer-Henry de Bromhead IRE; Jockey-David Mullins; SP-8/1
3RD-Wholestone 6-11-05 Owner-Simon Munir & Isaac Souede; Jockey-Daryl Jacob; SP-13/2
15 ran, Time-5m 49.90s; Dist-3 13/8 Fav Death Duty (UR)
2016-WINNER-UNOWHATIMEANHARRY 8-11-05 Owner-Harry Fry Racing Club; Trainer-Harry Fry; Jockey; Noel Fehily; SP-11/1
2ND-Fagan 6-11-05 Owner-Ronnie Bartlett; Trainer-Gordon Elliott IRE; Jockey-Davy Russell; SP-33/1
3RD-Champers On Ice 6-11-05 Owner-Prof Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew; Trainer-David Pipe; Jockey-Tom Scudamore; SP-20/1
19 ran, Time-5m 48.10s; Dist-1¼, 1½ 7/2 Fav Shantou Village (PU)
2015-WINNER-MARTELLO TOWER 7-11-07 Owner-Barry Connell; Trainer-Mags Mullins IRE; Jockey-Adrian Heskin; SP-14/1
2ND-Milsean 6-11-07 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Danny Mullins; SP-33/1
3RD-No More Heroes 6-11-07 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer-Gordon Elliott IRE; Jockey-Bryan Cooper; SP-6/1
19 ran, Time-6m 0.30s; Dist-½, 1 5/2 Fav Black Hercules (7th)
2014-WINNER-VERY WOOD 5-11-07 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer-Noel Meade IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-33/1
2ND-Deputy Dan 6-11-07 Owner-Tim Syder; Trainer-Oliver Sherwood; Jockey-Leighton Aspell; SP-10/1
3RD-Apache Jack 6-11-07 Owner-Mrs Pat Sloan; Trainer-Dessie Hughes IRE; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-20/1
18 ran, Time-5m 50.70s; Dist-4½, sh 2/1 Fav Briar Hill (Fell)
2013-WINNER-AT FISHERS CROSS 6-11-07 Owner-J P McManus; Trainer- Rebecca Curtis; Jockey-A P McCoy; SP-11/8 Fav
2ND-African Gold 5-11-07 Owner- Ron Bauer; Trainer-Nigel Twiston-Davies; Jockey-Sam Twiston-Davies; SP-9/2
3RD-Inish Island 7-11-07 Owner- Susan, Hazel F& Patrick Flanagan; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-13/2
13 ran, Time-6m 40.10s; Dist-4½, nose
2012-WINNER-BRINDISI BREEZE 6-11-07 Owner-Sandy Seymour; Trainer-Lucinda Russell; Jockey-Campbell Gillies; SP-7/1
2ND-Boston Bob 7-11-07 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-6/5 Fav
3RD-Grand Vision 6-11-07 Owner-Terry Warner; Trainer-Colin Tizzard; Jockey-Tom O’Brien; SP-25/1 20 ran, Time-5m 47.20s; Dist-2, 1¼
2011-WINNER-BOBS WORTH 6-11-07 Owner-The Not Afraid Partnership; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-15/8 Fav
2ND-Mossley 5-11-07 Owner-Michael Buckley; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-A P McCoy; SP-12/1
3RD-Court In Motion 6-11-07 Owner-Nick Mustoe; Trainer-Emma Lavelle; Jockey-Jack Doyle; SP-9/1
18 ran, Time-5m 42.20s; Dist-21⁄4, 6
2010-WINNER-BERTIES DREAM 7-11-07 Owner-Half A Keg Syndicate; Trainer-Paul Gilligan IRE; Jockey-Andrew Lynch; SP-33/1
2ND-Najaf 5-110-7 Owner-The Johnson & Stewart Families; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Timmy Murphy; SP-25/1
3RD-Kennel Hill Owner-Peter & Lisa Hall; Trainer-Keith Goldsworthy; Jockey-Jason Maguire; SP-66/1
19 ran, Time-5m 55.60s; Dist-6, 8 100/30 Fav Tell Massini (PU)
2009-WINNER-WEAPON'S AMNESTY 6-11-07 Owner-Gigginstown House Stud; Trainer Charles Byrnes IRE; Jockey-Davy Russell; SP-8/1
2ND-Pride Of Dulcote 6-11-07 Owner-Angela Yeoman; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-3/1 Fav
3RD-The Midnight Club 8-11-07 Owner-C C R Racing Syndicate; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Emmet Mullins; SP-14/1
17 ran, Time-5m 59.90s; Dist-½, 2
2008-WINNER-NENUPHAR COLLONGES 7-11-07 Owner-Top Brass Partnership; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-9/1
2ND-Liskennett 5-11-00 Owner- Patrick Pierce; Trainer-Charles Byrnes IRE; Jockey-Niall Madden; SP-16/1
3RD-The Tother One 7-11-07 Owner-Graham Roach; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Sam Thomas; SP-9/2 Jt Fav
18 ran, Time-6m 0.20s; Dist-2¾, ½ 9/2 Jt Fav Carruthers (11th)
2007-WINNER-WICHITA LINEMAN 6-11-07 Owner-J P McManus; Trainer-Jonjo O’Neill; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-11/8 Fav
2ND-Air Force One 5-11-07 Owner-Brian Walsh (Co Kildare); Trainer-Charlie Mann; Jockey-Noel Fehily; SP-25/1
3RD-Itsa Legend 8-11-07 Owner-The We’re A Legend Partnership; Trainer-The We’re A Legend Partnership; SP-100/1
20 ran Time-5m 43.60s; Dist-12, 6
2006-WINNER-BLACK
JACK KETCHUM 7-11-07 Owner-Gay Smith; Trainer-Jonjo
O'Neill; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-Evens Fav
2ND-Powerstation 6-11-07 Owner-Fat Frog Syndicate; Trainer-Charles Byrnes
IRE; Jockey-Davy Russell; SP-9/1
3RD-Travino 7-11-07 Owner-P Kilroy; Trainer-Mags Mullins IRE; Jockey-Barry
Geraghty 6/1
19 ran Time-5m 43.6s; Dist-12,6
2005-WINNER-MOULIN
RICHE 4-11-00 Owner-Elite Racing Club; Trainer-Alan
King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-9/1
2ND-Faasel 4-11-00 Owner-Jim Ennis; Trainer-Nicky Richards; Jockey-Tony
Dobbin; SP-7/1
3RD-Akilak 4-11-00 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Howard Johnson;
Jockey-Graham Lee; SP-7/2 Fav
23 ran. Time-4m 3.60s; Dist-hd, 8
