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2026 Novice Hurdlers

had my first deep dive into the novice hurdle division - and it looks average at best

Main focus was in the supreme

Bumper form doesn’t look strong. Starting with El Carios, I still can bring myself to think Gary Moore and our friend Max had the supreme fav along - and he’s been beaten by a bunch of average UK horses in those bumpers

Old Star bumper form looks weak too, and he didn’t look all that in them. Has he really improved that much with Henderson ?

French recruits haven’t really stood out

Just look at the state If the Moscow flyer this weekend! Shocking. We have a flat horse leading the market. A horse that hasn’t ran in Britain or this season, and a outsider that ran 2 days ago

Pretty damn poor!

Willie doesn’t appear to have one

Can’t really trust the UK lot, we haven’t had a decent one since con hill, and none of the UK load within 20lbs of that lol

Will take another look, I feel this could be a Summerville boy year where a horse had ran well’ish but didn’t have conditions to leading II to the supreme, so arrived without a bunch of 1’s next to his name. Maybe a William Munny v2 type…

Dunno, it’s all abit below average
 
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Craigy14 said:
Said that to a couple of mates yesterday, Irish novices for once in many a year just might not be up to much.

Depending how the betting goes prior to the 2m grade 1 at the DRF, if talk the talk is well fancied might have to do a related double with no drama this end, albeit from bumpers. Granted talk the talk is Irish but not from the usual stables we expect.
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IMO talk the talk should be just about fav, looked as if he was going to beat Skylight Hustle pretty convincingly. Held off backing talk the talk just incase the fall had any lasting issues. Might play the the DRF Supreme double though if any double digit prices get offered.

Was quite interesting to hear Declan Queally yesterday mention I'll Sort That works all over some of his other graded horses with his brother onboard weighing over 13 stone. An assumption, but I'd imagine one of them horses is Carrigmoornaspruce and he was far from disgraced in behind Skylight Hustle over Christmas.
 
opatcho said:
had my first deep dive into the novice hurdle division - and it looks average at best

Main focus was in the supreme

Bumper form doesn’t look strong. Starting with El Carios, I still can bring myself to think Gary Moore and our friend Max had the supreme fav along - and he’s been beaten by a bunch of average UK horses in those bumpers

Old Star bumper form looks weak too, and he didn’t look all that in them. Has he really improved that much with Henderson ?

French recruits haven’t really stood out

Just look at the state If the Moscow flyer this weekend! Shocking. We have a flat horse leading the market. A horse that hasn’t ran in Britain or this season, and a outsider that ran 2 days ago

Pretty damn poor!

Willie doesn’t appear to have one

Can’t really trust the UK lot, we haven’t had a decent one since con hill, and none of the UK load within 20lbs of that lol

Will take another look, I feel this could be a Summerville boy year where a horse had ran well’ish but didn’t have conditions to leading II to the supreme, so arrived without a bunch of 1’s next to his name. Maybe a William Munny v2 type…

Dunno, it’s all abit below average
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Their has been some impressive looking winners that really could be anything.
I’m hoping one or two of those , or preferably more, can also look impressive upped in class.
All novices are open to any kind of improvement .
It’s difficult to be confident about one right now, and personally I love the challenge of trying to find one or two that gives me a run for my money on the day.
 
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Oh yeah, I’ll be back on the laptop tonight as this has really opened up an opportunity to find the winner, which will likely be a big price

Average bunch I feel, but it’s keeping my interest

I think looking at RPR’s or form line won’t find this years winner, at the moment anyway. And could be one where you’ll need to watch back on each run and work out who’s the improver and will suit a supreme - bring it on
 
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…W Mullins;

Sober; ‘I’m really looking forward to getting him going again. He picked up a little niggle after winning at Royal Ascot and is obviously a horse with a future over hurdles. He won at Killarney in May which was a nice starting point in the jumping game, and should improve from that.

Even though this trip is shorter than both of those two victories, I’m hoping he has the class to cope and give a very good account of himself.

Free Spirit; ‘A nice acquisition from France from the connections of Galopin Des Champs. He has a good bit of form around Auteuil before winning in Dieppe. He’s a horse I think will improve for this run, but I like the fact he has two hurdle races under his belt.

Maybe he might need a longer trip, but he takes his chance on Sunday and we’ll learn plenty.

Riskabahia; ‘She’s a mare I’ve always liked but was too keen on her first run for us at Navan in November. Hopefully she’ll settle better in a hood this time and show a lot more.’
 
May be worthwhile keeping tabs on the market support for Riskabahia in the 14.50 at Punchestown tomorrow with a view to the Mares Novice Hurdle. She’s widely available at 50/1.

Far too keen and fresh to do herself justice at Navan off the back of a two year break on heavy ground.

Expecting her to come on plenty tomorrow, the hood will definitely be of a benefit to her potentially living up to her lofty reputation as would the application of stable cash so market check will be vital.
 
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On the topic of the mares novice, not much talk on here about future prospect yesterday, who i thought was pretty good.

Done it very easy, and the two she beat aren't total trees. The second and third had a few good runs in novice hurdles behind the likes of fruit de mer and Santo sospir. Thought she'd be cut a bit more than she was but I'd say it's the disappointing end to her bumper season thats stopping people going in. But her bumper season also started off very well before tailing off due to how keen she was. She looked to settle better over obstacles yesterday.
 
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Place de la nation . 5 runs over hurdles . BHA 137. I had backed her for mares novice, but any thoughts on handicap for her??
 
Guinness Village said:
Place de la nation . 5 runs over hurdles . BHA 137. I had backed her for mares novice, but any thoughts on handicap for her??
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I hope not but it's a real concern. Especially with the win over 2m 6f probably opening up all the handicap possibilities.

Kargese ran in the county off 141 as a 5 year old mare. So it wouldn't be dissimilar.
 
Brooksie said:
IMO talk the talk should be just about fav, looked as if he was going to beat Skylight Hustle pretty convincingly. Held off backing talk the talk just incase the fall had any lasting issues. Might play the the DRF Supreme double though if any double digit prices get offered.

Was quite interesting to hear Declan Queally yesterday mention I'll Sort That works all over some of his other graded horses with his brother onboard weighing over 13 stone. An assumption, but I'd imagine one of them horses is Carrigmoornaspruce and he was far from disgraced in behind Skylight Hustle over Christmas.
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My stance is that if El Cairos and Talk the Talk both stayed up, EC wouldn't be any shorter a price than what he is now. But TTT would be favorite in my opinion
 
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It looks like some ante post support is starting to build around Fire Warning? I feel the Henderson stable have tended to get involved ante post in recent but the pedigree seems a bit unusual being by the grey gatsby out of a high chaparral mare. Does anyone with pedigree knowledge have any thoughts?
 
FredFlintstone said:
It looks like some ante post support is starting to build around Fire Warning? I feel the Henderson stable have tended to get involved ante post in recent but the pedigree seems a bit unusual being by the grey gatsby out of a high chaparral mare. Does anyone with pedigree knowledge have any thoughts?
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Fairly big bet went down on him on BFX yesterday, and blue across the board

Be working the house down no doubt
 
darlojim said:
Fairly big bet went down on him on BFX yesterday, and blue across the board

Be working the house down no doubt
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Ye I made a bit of a mental note last year in regards to Henderson’s stable on ante post they seem to play it. I’m absolutely no pedigree except but it doesn’t scream 2mile hurdler
 
darlojim said:
Fairly big bet went down on him on BFX yesterday, and blue across the board

Be working the house down no doubt
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Yeah apparently Taylr on X met RR on course & he was waxing lyrical about FW without any prompting.
 
I like 2 with a football connection (via their owners) for the Supreme - firstly, Tony Bloom's The Reverend who was very decent on the flat for William Haggas (rated 96, won some big staying handicaps) and dotted up at Cork on hurdles debut. Has a DRF entry and is currently 25/1 for the Supreme. Secondly, Harry Redknapp's Taurus Bay - a very different profile to The Reverend, he is a P2P winner who is 2 from 2 over hurdles and did it very nicely at Aintree, readily beating Captain Hugo (subsequent winner). Currentlly no entries and available at 33/1, he is really a chaser in the making but could run a big race in the Supreme, especially if it comes up testing.
 
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