You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Premier Kelso Hurdle Preview
Run over a distance of two miles and two furlongs in which the runners face ten hurdles, the Premier Kelso Hurdle is scheduled to take place in March of each year at the Kelso racecourse and is open to runners aged four or older who are novices over hurdles. The race is the highlight at Kelso, being a Grade 2 race which was first run back in 1990.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Premier Kelso Hurdle will hold the title of 'bet365 Premier Novices Hurdle'.
Premier Kelso Hurdle Information:
- Premier Kelso Hurdle Past Winners
- Premier Kelso Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- Premier Kelso Hurdle Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Kelso tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Kelso Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Premier Kelso Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2015, when the race had an over-round of 106%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 124%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Premier Kelso Hurdle, the over-round has been 114%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £114 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Premier Kelso Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Premier Kelso Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Premier Kelso Hurdle Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Premier Kelso Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Nemean Lion (4:20.32) in 2023
- Paddy The Piper (4:20.80) in 2004
- Jet To Vegas (4:21.86) in 2025
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Premier Kelso Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -10.15. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Premier Kelso Hurdle.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2017 renewal when Mount Mews from Malcolm Jefferson under the guidance of Brian Hughes, won in a time of 4:51.00, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Nemean Lion, trained by Kerry Lee and ridden by Richard Patrick set the quickest time of 4:20.32 in the 2023 renewal.
Premier Kelso Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Premier Kelso Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Premier Kelso Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:21.86 | Jet To Vegas (IRE) 6yo 11-5 16/1 | Derek Fox Lucinda Russell (GB) |
| 2024 4:29.96 | Personal Ambition (IRE) 5yo 11-5 3/1 | Kielan Woods Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2023 4:20.32 | Nemean Lion (GER) 6yo 11-5 4/1 | Richard Patrick Kerry Lee (GB) |
| 2022 4:30.32 | Nells Son (GB) 7yo 11-3 16/1 | Sean O'Keeffe Nicky Richards (GB) |
| 2021 4:26.94 | My Drogo (GB) 6yo 11-7 2/1F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2020 4:49.20 | Clondaw Caitlin (IRE) 5yo 10-9 9/4 | Brian Hughes Ruth Jefferson (GB) |
| 2019 4:26.90 | Rouge Vif (FR) 5yo 11-1 7/2 | Gavin Sheehan Harry Whittington (GB) |
| 2017 4:51.00 | Mount Mews (IRE) 6yo 11-5 11/8F | Brian Hughes Malcolm Jefferson (GB) |
| 2016 4:40.80 | Le Prezien (FR) 5yo 11-5 13/8F | Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2015 4:31.10 | Glingerburn (IRE) 7yo 11-9 5/2 | Brian Harding Nicky Richards (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Premier Kelso Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 29 placings from 160 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 9 runners
Premier Kelso Hurdle Trainer Statistics
Here are the Premier Kelso Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Skelton | 5-1-1 | -2.00 | -2.75 |
| Ben Pauling | 2-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.80 |
| Ruth Jefferson | 1-1-1 | +2.25 | +1.41 |
| Jamie Snowden | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.15 |
| Seamus Mullins | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.70 |
| Patrick Neville | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Premier Kelso Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Premier Kelso Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Brian Hughes, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Mount Mews (2017) and Clondaw Caitlin (2020).
Here are the Premier Kelso Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Hughes (The Last Cloud) | 9-2-3 | -3.37 | -4.59 |
| Harry Skelton (Le Beau Madrik) | 5-1-1 | -2.00 | -2.75 |
| Derek Fox (Caballo De Guerra) | 3-1-2 | +14.00 | +8.50 |
| Gavin Sheehan (Kosac dOudairies) | 3-1-2 | +1.50 | +1.04 |
| Stan Sheppard (Montemares) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Ben Jones (Starmount) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Jamie Hamilton (Gaelic Rover) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Premier Kelso Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, 1, 1, 3, 2, (3, 4), 7, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, 3, 1, (2, F), 2, 2, 2
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (67%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Beaten no more -11l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 106+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Achieved a TS of 86+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 3 - 21 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 2 - 9 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not in DEU/IRL/ITA/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Off a break of 14 - 101 days
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 1 - 5 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Had 2 - 11 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No more than -7lbs (Vs Max Weight)
- 19 / 20 (78%) - Not at CAT/CHL/HEX/SED (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 18/1 (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Kelso racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Premier Kelso Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Premier Kelso Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Premier Kelso Hurdle Trend Shortlist
Kelso will host the 2026 renewal of the Premier Kelso Hurdle, which will be run at 2:15 pm on Saturday, 28th February 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Le Beau Madrik (9/2)
- Dan Skelton (5-1-1 -2.00 / -2.75)
- Harry Skelton (5-1-1 -2.00 / -2.75)
- 15/15 Starmount (5/2)
- Ben Pauling (2-1-1 +2.00 / +0.80)
- Ben Jones (1-0-0 -1.00 / -1.00)
Others: Kosac dOudairies (14/15), Montemares (14/15), Gaelic Rover (14/15), The Blue Room (14/15), The Last Cloud (14/15), Caballo De Guerra (13/15), Red Oak (12/15), West Hill Verde (12/15) and Lord Byron (10/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:54 am Thursday 26th February 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Premier Kelso Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +27.68, is when runners had 1 career place on the going.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 career place in Jumps (Hurdle) races, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-25.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Premier Kelso Hurdle is Newcastle; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Newcastle last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Musselburgh and Haydock; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 160 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 9 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Premier Kelso Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Getaway (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Sadlers Wells (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Bold Sir Brian in 2011, winning for Lucinda Russell at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Peter Buchanan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Premier Kelso Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Premier Kelso Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Premier Kelso Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Jet To Vegas Ayr - 1st of 9 (7/4) | Watch Racing TV For Free Novices Hurdle |
| 2024 - Personal Ambition Doncaster - 1st of 13 (5/4) | Download The At The Races App Novices Hurdle |
| 2023 - Nemean Lion Sandown - 3rd of 8 (18/1) | Formby Novices' Hurdle |
| 2022 - Nells Son Haydock - 4th of 7 (50/1) | Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices Hurdle |
| 2021 - My Drogo Ascot - 1st of 6 (9/1) | Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices Hurdle |
| 2020 - Clondaw Caitlin Newcastle - 1st of 10 (1/1) | Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 EBF Mares "National Hunt" Novices Hurdle |
| 2019 - Rouge Vif Newcastle - 1st of 15 (4/11) | Corporate Funfairs Novices Hurdle |
| 2017 - Mount Mews Doncaster - 1st of 9 (4/9) | Sky Bet Top Price Promise Novices Hurdle |
| 2016 - Le Prezien Haydock - 2nd of 6 (15/8) | Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices Hurdle |
| 2015 - Glingerburn Kelso - 1st of 5 (19/5) | Morebattle Hurdle |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Premier Kelso Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal races at Kelso Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Kelso racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
