The Turners Novices’
Chase is a Grade 1 novices’ steeplechase run over 2 miles, 3 furlongs
and 168 yards on the New Course at Cheltenham in March. Open to
horses aged five years and upwards, the race is currently scheduled
as the first race on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival. It is,
in fact, one of three Grade 1 novices’ steeplechases staged at the
Festival, but the only one run on the New Course, which places more
emphasis on stamina than the Old Course.

The Turners Novices
Chase is officially registered as the Golden Miller Novices’ Chase
but, since its inception, in 2011, has been run under several
different titles for sponsorship purposes. Originally known as the
Jewson Novices’ Chase, the race was elevated from Grade 2 to Grade 1
status in 2014, at which point it was renamed the JLT Novices Chase
to reflect the new sponsors,

Jardine Lloyd Thompson
(JLT). Marsh & McLennan acquired JLT in 2019, resulting in
another name change, to the Marsh Novices’ Chase, the following year.
Turners took over sponsorship in 2022.

The intermediate
distance of the Turners Novices’ Chase is ideal for novices’ who lack
the speed required for the Arkle Challenge Trophy, over 2 miles,
and/or the stamina required for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase,
over 3 miles. In its relatively short history, Willie Mullins has won
the race four times, courtesy of Sir Des Champs (2012), Vautour
(2015), Black Hercules (2016) and Yorkhill (2017) and is the leading
trainer in its history.

Willie Mullins also has
plenty of live contenders for the 2023 renewal, including the current
ante-post favourite, Sir Gerhard, Appreciate It and El Fabiolo. It
will be interesting to see how the pecking order in the division
develops by the time 1.30pm on Thursday, March 17 rolls around.