2026 Novice Hurdlers

[Many Clouds]

One of my 1st bets was Bambino Fever for the SNH. Just cashed the lot and went to put on with WH. Guess what? They let me have £20 at 3.77 boosted. When the fuck did the bookies lose their balls? Shit prices,Only so much a day you can put on. Fucking joke. Shame i cant do the big rant like @Quevega can. It really is piss poor.

The Hills daily horse racing boost is always limited to £20 max per day, has been for as long as I can remember doing it anyway. Can still put more on at the normal price.

 

[Lobos]

….that 40-1 ‘CB & MNH’ was decent in hindsight, especially given Mullins mentions MNH today.

Looks very hot now Eggs

 

[HoldenTheReins]

One of my 1st bets was Bambino Fever for the SNH. Just cashed the lot and went to put on with WH. Guess what? They let me have £20 at 3.77 boosted. When the fuck did the bookies lose their balls? Shit prices,Only so much a day you can put on. Fucking joke. Shame i cant do the big rant like @Quevega can. It really is piss poor.

The game is pretty much at an end when bookies won't take bets.

 

[Lobos]

How about Hipop for the Albert? Still classed as a Novice. Classy flat form and won in a canter over 2m 6f at Galway on just his 2nd run over Hurdles . Currently 20/1 but that will vanish if he wins the Cesarewitch and Willie says that he'll continue to switch codes.

 

[Eggs]

I understand it’s the Cheltenham
Tattershalls sale on 24/10 after racing. There is an article in Racing Post and interestingly there is a strong tip for Queensbury Boy in the Persian War before he goes to the sale ‘has been laid out for it’!

….6/4 fav. Hills offer 33-1 & a/r.

 

[fatherjohn]

Davy crocket out till spring..has had a setback

https://twitter.com/x/status/1975979429936628022

 

[Lobos]

Oh dear. Didn't take long for one to go AWOL !

 

[Yosser]

Just like Wayward was saying last week about insider trading but in the bookies favour. There was a big drift on him yesterday from all the major bookies. Like in a few weeks time when the prices shift left, right and centre a couple of days before the stable tours are released. What's good for the goose and all that....

 

[Exar Essay]

Paddy Power have pushed out Davy Crockett to 33/1. As a someone who makes a book, that's a must for me. Mullins suggests that it's only a small injury that means he'll miss Christmas but will be brought back for the Spring Festivals. Hardly ideal preparation, granted, but 33/1 seems fair enough in the circumstances, particularly given how Willie speaks bout him.

 

[Eggs]

….Bambino Fever;

‘She’ll go novice hurdling and we’ll start her off in mares’ races if we can. She’s one that could end up taking on the boys, but I’m always a believer in winning the races you can at Cheltenham and come home with a winner rather than a loser, so I’d imagine she’ll be one for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle if all goes well through the season. It would be hard to think that we might end up with a better mare than her. She races lazily enough and if she looked like she wanted further, the Ballymore would be there as an option too.’

 

[Eggs]

Paddy Power have pushed out Davy Crockett to 33/1. As a someone who makes a book, that's a must for me. Mullins suggests that it's only a small injury that means he'll miss Christmas but will be brought back for the Spring Festivals. Hardly ideal preparation, granted, but 33/1 seems fair enough in the circumstances, particularly given how Willie speaks bout him.

‘He was excellent the other day at Listowel, but he’s not going to make it to the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle as he’s picked up a little injury that will need a month off, maybe more. We’ll be looking to have him back for a spring campaign. He’ll keep improving as he matures, much like his mother did.’

 

[Eggs]

….Too Bossy for Us;

‘I’m looking forward to getting him back over hurdles. Harry Cobden was very impressed with him in his two runs in the spring, but he’s disappointed me since in his runs on the Flat. I’ve given him a little break to have him ready for the National Hunt season proper. I think he could be a big player in either the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the Ballymore, but probably more likely the former.’

 

[Eggs]

…Kopeck de Mee @darlojim

‘He’s in great shape. He didn’t quite live up to the hype that surrounded him last season, but he’s a nice prospect. He might go novice chasing, but we’ll see. We thought he could get up to the top echelon last season, but he didn’t, so let’s see if he can do so this season.’

 

[darlojim]

…Kopeck de Mee @darlojim

‘He’s in great shape. He didn’t quite live up to the hype that surrounded him last season, but he’s a nice prospect. He might go novice chasing, but we’ll see. We thought he could get up to the top echelon last season, but he didn’t, so let’s see if he can do so this season.’

I'll be there.

 

[Craigy14]

Not proposing a bet as don’t even think he’s priced up but a very nice debut by Masked Man for Nigel there.

Bolted up, jumped well in the main bar hitting 3 out but didn’t stop his momentum at all.

92 rated point in Ireland in May.

 

[SeanRock]

A couple I fancy for staying novice hurdles from Ireland this season that may be a bit under the radar.

Theflyingking AB 66/1 B365

Kiwi Rush & in particular Un Sens A La Vie have franked the PTP form right up to today at Market Rasen.

His second at Down Royal reads well now with the 3rd Strong Link winning three on the bounce afterwards. The winner that day Kilwaughter finished a very respectable 6th in the good Aintree bumper before a solid 3rd behind El Cairos at Punchestown. Don’t think his Persian War run was true to form he sweated up badly beforehand and ran very free.

I’ll Sort That franked the form of his Fairyhouse 2nd in very good fashion a few weeks ago. A further three winners have come from that race.

He broke his duck on unsuitably good ground at a sharp track in Wexford beating the Thedeviluno (who subsequently went on to finish second behind Doctor Du Mesnil at Cork) and then second to Strong Link at Wexford again in May.

He was very raw/green in his races last season, tending to hang left at the business end of races which went against him at Down Royal and Fairyhouse.

As a PTP winner he’s built and bred for a trip/obstacles being a Jukebox Jury out of a Flemensfirth mare. I can see him coming on plenty going forward.

Burrows Drive AB 33/1 B365/PP/Sky

The form of his first run under rules at Punchestown looks very solid now finding only subsequent G2 DRF winner Colcannon & Mares Novice Hurdle 2nd Sixandahalf too quick to handle on the run in.

He had break off the track for the guts of a year then before running into the future Champion Bumper hotpot in Copacabana at Navan. A horse I don’t think we’ve seen the best of yet and I’m sure will make strides over hurdles this season. The race at Navan wouldn’t have been suitable for Burrow Drives strengths at all, it was a very sedate pace that turned into a mad dash off the home turn up the hill. He ran on well though doing his best work to nick 2nd at the post.

He got off the mark in very good fashion at Navan the following month. Setting the fractions from the front and making it a much better test of stamina. Ma Jacks Hill was 12 lengths back in 2nd, he flattered to deceive in bumpers last season but showed his strengths winning what looked a strong novice hurdle at Gowran earlier this month.

Burrows Drive will only improve further as he steps up in trip and goes over hurdles. Again another that is well bred for the job. Philip Dempsey is a shrewd handler when he gets a good one.

 

[Eggs]

….Skelton re Kadastral;

‘He is a lovely horse who won the valuable bumper at Newbury. He will start over hurdles over two miles in November but will get two and a half in the spring. We would have to have Graded aspirations for him. Hopefully, he can be a good hurdler, but I would say he be a better chaser.’

My daddypaddy;

‘He is a real impressive horse who bolted up in his bumper at Huntingdon. He looks pretty smart, and we don’t know yet where he will start but he is definitely one to follow.’

 

[Eggs]

Mark Howard's new series launches with a look at some of the exciting new recruits who have joined Dan Skelton for the season ahead.

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DUTCH CORNER (IRE) 4 ch g Getaway (GER) – Lightning Breeze (IRE)

A half-brother to four times Grade 1 and dual Cheltenham Festival winner Yorkhill, Dutch Corner is bred to be a useful performer. Placed in his only bumper at the Skelton’s local track Warwick in the spring, he is expected to leave that form behind once plying his trade over obstacles this campaign.

A €50,000 foal, the four year old was sent off 3/1 favourite for a ‘newcomers’ event at the Midlands track towards the end of March. Ridden with the utmost confidence by Harry Skelton, the Getaway gelding tanked through the contest and, having moved up ominously behind the leaders, looked set to score at the first time of asking. However, his passage in the homestraight wasn’t trouble free before staying on to fill third position.

Three lengths behind Warren Greatrex’s winner Liam Mera Kai, the second, fourth, fifth and seventh have all run creditably in defeat since. According to Race Iq, Dutch Corner hit the highest speed of all twelve runners, recording 38.04mph during the penultimate furlong – the four year old covered that furlong in 11.84 seconds, which is the fastest of any runner in the whole field. Team Skelton were no doubt disappointed that Dutch Corner didn’t make a winning start but it won’t be long before he redresses the balance. One for the future, he can develop into a smart two mile novice hurdler.

REAL QUARTZ (IRE) 5 bb g Soldier of Fortune (IRE) – Miss Elderberry (IRE)

Owners Ged Mason and Sir Alex Ferguson have a huge amount to look forward to with Grade 1 winning novice chasers Caldwell Potter and Kalif Du Berlais in training with Paul Nicholls. The pair are also involved in Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winning duo Monmiral and Protektorat.

The latter, who won the Ryanair Chase in 2024, is trained by Dan Skelton who is also in charge of this winning pointer. A gelded son of Soldier of Fortune, he was a four and a half lengths scorer at Boulta in November before being bought a week later at the Goffs UK Coral Gold Cup Sale for £190,000.

Trained by Sam Curling and ridden by Derek O’Connor, he made smooth headway before two out. Challenging for the lead at the last, he pulled clear on the run-in.The same maiden point has been won by Robin Roe (2015), Sir Gerhard (2019) and Found A Fifty (2021) and Real Quartz looks set for a productive career under Rules.

Considered quick enough for two miles on slow ground, he could emerge as a live player in either the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree (26th December) or Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury (29th December

 

[Durham Edition]

Eachtothierown entered up on Sunday at Galway for Barry Connell who has likened him to William Munney and that he believes he is a graded horse and a 2 miler, can be boosted to 110's with Lads as low as 50's with some, worth a small punt I think.

 

[Yosser]

Scratched him from my thinking. He may well improve but his bumper form is un-inspiring. Might well improve for a hurdle but it's not one for me. I do love it when Connell talks up his horses though, his enthusiasm is brilliant.