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2022 Novice Hurdle Division

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https://twitter.com/jess_stafford_/status/1439636621066915852

I Am Maximus looking in fine fettle. Interestingly i've noticed from most comments on twitter recently that people on there are talking about him in Ballymore terms and as a stayer, but on here he's mostly been talked of for the Supreme. Who do we reckon will be right, if either?! To my very much untrained eye he didn't appear to be screaming out for further in his bumper, but that was some time ago now! And I still feel Henderson is more likely to chuck a couple of good ones into the Supreme than elsewhere.
 
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Atlantic Viking said:
https://twitter.com/jess_stafford_/status/1439636621066915852

I Am Maximus looking in fine fettle. Interestingly i've noticed from most comments on twitter recently that people on there are talking about him in Ballymore terms and as a stayer, but on here he's mostly been talked of for the Supreme. Who do we reckon will be right, if either?! To my very much untrained eye he didn't appear to be screaming out for further in his bumper, but that was some time ago now! And I still feel Henderson is more likely to chuck a couple of good ones into the Supreme than elsewhere.
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Looking at the trends, I think it all just points to the supreme to be honest considering he throws a lot of good ones at it every year, excluding this year
 
Apparently Nicky said IAM has "all the speed in the world", surely this means hes going to the supreme?
 
Zachx02 said:
Apparently Nicky said IAM has "all the speed in the world", surely this means hes going to the supreme?
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I'd be very surprised if he went to Cheltenham and ran in anything other than the Supreme.
 
Britain's best novice hurdler last term was the Dan Skelton-trained My Drogo, second in a Cheltenham bumper 13 months ago to I Am Maximus, who has not run since.

"He could be anything, and he and Jonbon are the standouts," purred Henderson.

"His form, beating My Drogo, looks spectacular. We gave him a break afterwards and I never got him back, but I'm not a great fan of the Cheltenham Bumper and he wasn't one for Aintree so didn't run again.

"He looks superb and has got all the speed in the world.
 
Zachx02 said:
Apparently Nicky said IAM has "all the speed in the world", surely this means hes going to the supreme?
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Last year I was confident about the novice chasers and now it's the novice hurdlers," said the leader of Lambourn's highest-profile yard.

"I think this will be an exciting division for us and then next year I hope I'm talking about novice chasers again because the Jonbons and I Am Maximuses will be going over fences; they're the horses who keep you going."


There is certainly a glint in Henderson's eye when talking about Newbury bumper victor Jonbon, a brother to eight-time Grade 1 winner Douvan who cost a whopping ?570,000 after landing his point-to-point.


"I've never been so frightened when I took him to Newbury because you know what everyone would have been like if he'd been beaten, but I hadn't done much with him and he definitely wasn't wound up for it," he continued.


"It took us months to find a box he was happy in – he moved six times and is a fidget of a horse - but he came back looking magnificent.


"We're very lucky to have him and he's bred to be good, looks good and everything he's done in one point-to-point and bumper has been very good. There's a long way to go, but he's got that pace and I can't believe we'll start over further than two miles."

Britain's best novice hurdler last term was the Dan Skelton-trained My Drogo, second in a Cheltenham bumper 13 months ago to I Am Maximus, who has not run since.

"He could be anything, and he and Jonbon are the standouts," purred Henderson.

"His form, beating My Drogo, looks spectacular. We gave him a break afterwards and I never got him back, but I'm not a great fan of the Cheltenham Bumper and he wasn't one for Aintree so didn't run again.


"He looks superb and has got all the speed in the world. Those two are top of the bunch, but it's a very strong bunch."

Warming to that theme, Henderson reels off a host of youngsters who put the spring into his step each morning.


"Nico [de Boinville] is mad about Firestep and his sister arrived this week after we bought her on the grounds that we think Firestep is going to be the bee's knees, in which case you need his little sister in your pocket – and she's for sale," he said.
 
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There is certainly a glint in Henderson's eye when talking about Newbury bumper victor Jonbon, a brother to eight-time Grade 1 winner Douvan who cost a whopping ?570,000 after landing his point-to-point.

"I've never been so frightened when I took him to Newbury because you know what everyone would have been like if he'd been beaten, but I hadn't done much with him and he definitely wasn't wound up for it," he continued.

"It took us months to find a box he was happy in – he moved six times and is a fidget of a horse - but he came back looking magnificent.

"We're very lucky to have him and he's bred to be good, looks good and everything he's done in one point-to-point and bumper has been very good. There's a long way to go, but he's got that pace and I can't believe we'll start over further than two miles."
 
It'd be so lovely if you could trust a word he says wouldn't it?! :highly_amused: Encouraging nonetheless!
 
They’re all rockets at this time of the year.

Its a period of great optimism.
 
Saxon Warrior said:
They’re all rockets at this time of the year.

Its a period of great optimism.
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Yes , Talking of Rockets ... Impulsive One . ( Munir / Souede / Nicky H ). absolutely flew up the hill at Plumpton Yesterday :encouragement: .
 
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BigChaang said:
Yes , Talking of Rockets ... Impulsive One . ( Munir / Souede / Nicky H ). absolutely flew up the hill at Plumpton Yesterday :encouragement: .
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I was at Plumpton yesterday and Impulsive One was impressive against a field that whilst wasn’t the strongest, had a couple of decent winners in Fred Bear and The Yellow Mini.

Impulsive One jumped cleanly for the most part, and dealt well with Fred Bear’s dramatic bucking bronco attempt at the first despite being unsettled. Decent turn of pace up the hill and outpaced rivals easily to win by 10+ lengths. Definitely looked a class apart in that field, though will be interesting to see how it copes in stronger company.
 
After seeing NH's comments on Firestep and watching his 2 races i decided to have 1/2pt at 66/1 with Ladbrokes. They offered me a maximum stake of 15 pence :welcoming:. Took 50/1 with B365 instead .
 
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I'd be interested in what people are thinking about Cheveley Park's novice hurdlers (https://twitter.com/Ruby_Tuesday59/status/1440008099528679435?s=20)

Seems Grangeclare West is the stayer, Classic Getaway and Guily Buily a bit of a mystery. Seems the bookies are struggling too; all three are fairly evenly priced across Supreme/Ballymore/Albert Bartlett, and even in the same races e.g. Classic Getaway is 20/1 for the Supreme on 365, but 5/1 on Sky.
 
I'm just going to wait on where they are entered up for their seasonal debuts and then pounce. Impossible to say now which race they'll end up in and the TWAR odds are obscene!
 
Sprinter Sacre said:
I'd be interested in what people are thinking about Cheveley Park's novice hurdlers (https://twitter.com/Ruby_Tuesday59/status/1440008099528679435?s=20)

Seems Grangeclare West is the stayer, Classic Getaway and Guily Buily a bit of a mystery. Seems the bookies are struggling too; all three are fairly evenly priced across Supreme/Ballymore/Albert Bartlett, and even in the same races e.g. Classic Getaway is 20/1 for the Supreme on 365, but 5/1 on Sky.
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Classic Getaway is 5/1 for the Supreme on Sky? That has to be the worst antepost price ever
 
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Sprinter Sacre said:
I'd be interested in what people are thinking about Cheveley Park's novice hurdlers (https://twitter.com/Ruby_Tuesday59/s...528679435?s=20)

Seems Grangeclare West is the stayer, Classic Getaway and Guily Buily a bit of a mystery. Seems the bookies are struggling too; all three are fairly evenly priced across Supreme/Ballymore/Albert Bartlett, and even in the same races e.g. Classic Getaway is 20/1 for the Supreme on 365, but 5/1 on Sky.
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From the rest of the book the comments are as follows:

Classic Getaway
Paul Ferguson - Doesn't really know what his trip will be but suggests Ballymore as the potential target
Richard Thompson - No mention of trip
Patrick Mullins - He says 2 1/2 miles or possibly even further now he goes jumping

Given that his bumper run was over 2 1/2 miles you could say they look at him as more than a 2 miler so that means Bally or AB. And based on everything I've heard I don't think he'll be going the Supreme.

Grangeclare West
Paul Ferguson - Pedigree suggests he is a stayer and Paul suggests he will step up in trip over the season
Richard Thompson - Looks a stayer by was surprised with the ease he won his bumper
Patrick Mullins - Thinks he has more pace than Classic Getaway, suggests he thinks he will be campaigned between 2m and 2 1/2 miles
Jamie Codd - No mention of trip but rates him very highly

From reading that I don't see them going the Supreme with him either as they see him as a future stayer as well

Guilly Billy
Paul Ferguson - No mention of trip though and echos below of Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson - No mention of trip though mentions will probably start off in a bumper and will be hurdling after before too long

He could go anywhere and as he's the only one of the 4 novices hurdlers not with HDB I think he will be the one that will most likely end up in a race with another of the owners horses if they all make it the Cheltenham

Sir Gerhard
Sort of Forgotten that he is a novice hurdler like the other 3 for CPS

Paul Ferguson - Suspects he will be kept at the minimum trip this season with the supreme the aim
Richard Thompson - No mention of trip again
Patrick Mullins - States that he is quicker of the two (him and Kilcruit), but as he settles so well would see no issue going up in trip. Then states that they will likely split him and Kilcruit between Supreme and Ballymore buy doesn't know which yet.

Based on the above i would say that then send SG to the Supreme and Kilcruit beyond that, with the Ballymore favourite atm


Overall View

My overall view atm for the destination of the above four would be:

Supreme - Sir Gerhard
Ballymore - Grangeclare Native (because he has more pace that CG)
Albert Bartlett - Classic Getaway
Guilly Billy - Any of the above


Just will I'm touching on Willies novice hurdlers I will try to make a guess where they will all end up tripwise by March. Though some could end up in handicaps if not as good as the others:

Supreme
Sir Gerhard
Dark Raven
Hubrisko

Ballymore
Kilcruit
Dysart Dynamo
Grangeclaire Native

Albert Bartlett
Classic Getaway

Mares Novice
Ashroe Diamond
Belle Metal
Brandy Love
Grangee
Take Tea

Unknown
State Man
Hunters Yarn
Adamantly Chosen

So much ammunition at his disposal this year
 
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I agree with that assessment WTL. I think the two interchangeable ones are possibly Dark Raven and Dysart Dynamo that could both go either way.

I think Guily Billy may stay in bumpers. They're talking about starting out that way, and it would be a convenient way of avoiding the other two.
 
Looking at that lot I'm still absolutely convinced one of the CPS horses will end up in the Bumper regardless of what has been mentioned in interviews.
 
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