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2026 Novice Hurdlers

…HdB;

Full Of Life​

We got it wrong with her last season in terms of trip. She won her maiden hurdle at Tramore over two miles and five and a half furlongs, but we ran her over two miles and four and a half furlongs in a beginners’ chase at Kilbeggan in September, and she didn’t see it out at all. Her owner Roger Kissane suggested running her in the Grade 3 mares’ novices’ hurdle at Down Royal last Friday, which she won. She has been on the go for a little while, so we’ll give her a break now and aim her at the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Gameball​

He has been a lovely addition to the team. He won his bumper for the Slatterys at Ballinrobe in July, and he won his maiden hurdle on his first run for us at Punchestown last month. He won impressively there, he travelled well and he jumped well, and the race has been working out well. He is more than likely going to go for the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse next.
 
Been working all day so not seen much of the racing but Tim Toe getting beat was unexpected. Think a few had him high on the radar for novices this season

Just watching the Beginners, good to see Qualimita finding at least something today
 
….from Dan Skelton tour, maybe a boost for Starzand given he won that race at Ffos Las;

Big Cadillac
5g Soldier Of Fortune - Askrosy
3 Sons
1/1-6
RPR 103h OR -

He won a Chepstow bumper very much through stamina and pleased us in what I think was a very deep race at Ffos Las on his return. He looks a real staying novice hurdler, a proper staying chaser down the line, so it was good to see him travel so well, and if I can find him a 2m6f or 3m maiden next time, I'd fully expect him to go in.

….Starzand;
Newbury’s Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle is on the radar for exciting youngster Starzand after his taking winning debut over hurdles.

The five-year-old changed hands for £230,000 following a wide-margin victory in the pointing field and after joining Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, he was the effortless winner of a Ffos Las bumper on his rules debut in March.

Returned to the same track to begin life over hurdles, he was equally impressive, seeing off a strong cast of rivals to bring high-ranking targets into play over the coming months.

“I was very pleased with how he won at Ffos Las and he’s a very exciting prospect,” said White.

“The Challow would be his target and whether he runs again before that or goes straight to Newbury, I’m not sure yet.

“There’s options at Ascot and Newbury for him in the next two or three weeks. We haven’t done a lot with him since Ffos Las, but we will just keep seeing how he is and go from there.

“We think we have a ‘real one’ and it was definitely a strong division of that hurdle that he won – I think there will be a lot of winners come out of that race and we could have finished fourth or fifth and still be entitled to say we have a really nice horse. I’m just glad we didn’t and we won.”
 
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Mydaddypaddy
4g Walk In The Park - Debdebdeb
Dermot Hanafin
1-
RPR 110b OR -

Out of a mare we trained, he won a bumper nicely at Huntingdon in the spring and looks an exciting novice hurdler for this season. He's only four and we tried our hardest not to run him last year, but he did everything so easily and naturally that we let him go and do what he did. We'd like to stick to two miles for as long as possible — he looks exciting.
 
Tolworth could be next for Gordon's impressive Naas winner Port Authority
 
Very impressed.
Only time will tell what he's beaten, but deserves to take his chance up in grade.

Could still be one that turns up in March unbeaten and gets swatted aside by the Irish, but looked to have loads left in the tank
 
Was quite pleased till I realised backed for Turners and not supreme. 1st mistake and not last I would think
 
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It's about as impressive as he could be. But let's be real, the second and third would be lapped in the supreme. And we're at that early stage of the season where everyone's getting excited about horses winning awful races. Looked good on the eye though.
 
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Into 7's (from 10/1) TWAR with Hills
 
Magpie said:
Was quite pleased till I realised backed for Turners and not supreme. 1st mistake and not last I would think
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I done the exact same thing! Looking through all my accounts to find supreme to no avail! Let's hope he goes TNL route!
 
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