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Ballymore Novice Hurdle 2020

Great news and well done all for the updates. I feel I put more pressure on myself than necessary by not having a cover bet in this race apart from Chantry House. Just couldn’t decide between the next 3 in the market but in hindsight should have covered one of them a few weeks back NRNB. Anyway thankfully got away with it this time. It will obviously be a very tough race and am taking absolutely nothing for granted just glad to have a solid fav running
 
There’ll be a deluge of raceweek competition entries going in now...
 
Has sporting John been confirmed for here anyone? I’m struggling to find any quotes. Obviously prices suggest he is but verbals would be better
 
Stormy Antarctic said:
Has sporting John been confirmed for here anyone? I’m struggling to find any quotes. Obviously prices suggest he is but verbals would be better
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It's his only entry and every preview I have watched they talk about him coming here
 
Stormy Antarctic said:
Has sporting John been confirmed for here anyone? I’m struggling to find any quotes. Obviously prices suggest he is but verbals would be better
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It's either here or nowhere. Only entry he has at the festival, was taken out of supreme at the 5 (6) day dec stage.
 
Gentingbet very slow to move Envoi. Still 6/4 with them if anyone else wants more on
 
EA 4/7 to go here was probably the easiest winner I’ll get all week. Profits now reinvested on an EA win
 
dthompson114 said:
Gentingbet very slow to move Envoi. Still 6/4 with them if anyone else wants more on
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I'm not sure he should have shortened at all?!

It was a NRNB market.



He was 2/1 for the Supreme NRNB and had a better chance in that, in my opinion, than he does in this.
 
Better chance in supreme? That race looks stacked to me. Sporting John the only real danger Ballymore wise IMO. I think 6/4 is a fair price. Will go off around 4/5 so can lay some off at the off aswell.
 
dthompson114 said:
Better chance in supreme? That race looks stacked to me. Sporting John the only real danger Ballymore wise IMO. I think 6/4 is a fair price. Will go off around 4/5 so can lay some off at the off aswell.
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Yeah easily.... you can take it as an absolute given he's better than Abacadabras - so he would have only had to beat Shishkin (who's never had a run in a graded race) and Asterion Forlonge.

Sporting John looks better than those to me.



Plus, Envoi has better form over 2 miles - I think he was unbeatable in the Supreme, I think he's a little bit (only a little) bit more vulnerable at this trip.



I didn't back Envoi for the Supreme as I didn't think he'd go there, but if I'd have KNOWN he was, I'd have definitely had him as the winner. Easily.
 
Kevloaf said:
I'm not sure he should have shortened at all?!

It was a NRNB market.



He was 2/1 for the Supreme NRNB and had a better chance in that, in my opinion, than he does in this.
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The Supreme looks a really deep race to me. Not sure he is facing the same quality in the Ballymore but time will tell.
 
Faugheen_Machine said:
The Supreme looks a really deep race to me. Not sure he is facing the same quality in the Ballymore but time will tell.
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Yeah it does look deep, with horses a level below.

I suppose it doesn't matter at all now.... but I just felt EA's 2 mile runs were a lot better than when he stepped up.



He's the right favourite no matter which one he ran in :encouragement: - and that wasn't in doubt for me :)
 
Kevloaf said:
Yeah it does look deep, with horses a level below.

I suppose it doesn't matter at all now.... but I just felt EA's 2 mile runs were a lot better than when he stepped up.



He's the right favourite no matter which one he ran in :encouragement: - and that wasn't in doubt for me :)
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Gordon said he done very little with him between the Royal Bond & Naas. I guess he didn’t want to risk over cooking him too early in the season. Hopefully he’ll be all the better for it next week.
 
SeanRock said:
Gordon said he done very little with him between the Royal Bond & Naas. I guess he didn’t want to risk over cooking him too early in the season. Hopefully he’ll be all the better for it next week.
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The point there is, because of how he ran, he had to make an excuse for it - therefore it's not his best run.
 
Kevloaf said:
The point there is, because of how he ran, he had to make an excuse for it - therefore it's not his best run.
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I disagree, it makes sense to me. You can’t have him cherry ripe for every grade 1 throughout the season. Elixir D’Ainay & Longhouse Poet took in their first grade 1 at Naas and were probably more tuned up because of that.
 
Naas is a very stiff finish (moreso than Cheltenham) and is undulating. Perfect track to prep for Cheltenham. If he stays the distance at Naas, he will stay up the hill at Cheltenham. I may be in the minority, but I think that was just as impressive as the Royal Bond, where he dictated the race from the front so it would suit him. It was a proper gallop all the way so no matter if they go slow and then sprint, or go a gallop throughout, EA has proved he has the speed for the former and the stamina for the latter.

Absolute bombproof. 2nd best favourite of the meeting.
 
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