When entering horses for the NH you can choose between novice and open. What is the difference?

Is the horse an open horse if it has won in the league before, or is there other criterias?

Is it recommended to enter all your horses as novices?

I want to take this a little further - What is the difference between the two - not in real life but the league?

I think the two are just differentiated between in the league so we can have the real races. In reality a horse is a novice until it wins in a season. Then the next season it can no longer be a novice unless it changes codes.

Simply put a horse starts the season as a novice (maiden) hurdler, if it wins a race it continues to be a novice until the end of the season. Next season it is no longer a novice and can't run in novice races. However if it doesn't win it can continue to be a novice the next season.

As not many horses return for a second season about 80% of the horses in the league are technically novices but if we want to have authentic races there has to be a system of differentiating. I assume this was decided years ago. It is just about the only way the league could operate Novice races I think unless of course 2 year careers were compulsory. Chances are then though the Novice division would be stronger than what the league calls 'open'. In real life novices can run in anything except the Grand National. A novice won the Cheltenham Gold Cup a couple of years ago.

I can see how it is confusing to people who are not heavily into racing structure but I would suggest its the only way we could have Novice races, which are a large part of the jumping pattern race schedule.

In the league novices can only run in novice/juvenile chases/hurdles and non-graded handicaps for both hurdles and chases.

Open horses can run in all races except novice/juvenile races.

It's best to have around 2/3 open horses and 1/3 horses

As far as my stable goes, there is probably very litle difference in performance between my Open horses and my Novice horses. These were the results from my 2m hurdles trials.

Sunpool Girl - 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 1st - Open horse, 5yo, won twice in league

Calmpool girl - 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd - Novice horse, 5yo, won once in league

Manorpool Boy - 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 3rd -Open Horse, 5yo, won twice in league


I think Novice races are just Novice races in name only for league purposes and have no bearing on the horse itself.

Although all my horses are 5yo, you can have a 5yo open horse and a 7yo novice in the league.

Cool - Thanks for your replies.
It makes more sense now.