Neptune Investment Novices Hurdle 2013

[Old Vic]

Jessica Harrington

As for today, Pont Alexandre is one of my bankers of the meeting. His form is rock solid and I can’t see any holes in it. I think the Irish form is superior to the English and he’ll just prove far too strong for them.

 

[Lester]

Mordin

NEPTUNE A RED HOT RACE

Sectional times suggest that the Neptune Novices Hurdle was a red hot race this year. The way the field picked up from the fifth last was pretty remarkable. The novices gained 5.27 seconds on the handicappers from this point.

The winner was THE NEW ONE (35-pace adjusted 42) who picked up really well to score by four lengths.

The New One is an athletic sort that clearly has a smart turn of foot. If he hadn't run green at Cheltenham last year and idled when losing narrowly in his prep for this he might well have won all his nine starts to date. I can now see why he was able to beat the smart My Tent Or Yours into second in last year's Aintree Festival Bumper. He clearly has plenty of speed. So the plan to cut him back to two miles next season and shoot for the Champion Hurdle makes perfect sense. Meanwhile it would be fascinating to see him tackle Annie Power, the best two mile novice hurdler on my ratings.

Runner up RULE THE WORLD (41) is more of a staying type than the winner. So he cannot have been as well suited to the way the race was run. His sire Sulamani has yet to have a runner over fences but Rule The World continues to look a good prospect for the bigger jumps.

Third placed PONT ALEXANDRE (39) has a lot of ability but lacks a serious turn of foot. So he too cannot have been best suited by the quickening pace from five out and the near sprint finish from two out. He's already shown that he can stand off and produce a bold jump over a hurdle. This will stand him in good stead when he goes chasing next season.

CHATTERBOX (38) lost his unbeaten record but ran up to his best to take fourth. His dam is a half sister to RSA Chase fourth Unioniste and scored her only win in a two and a half mile chase. No doubt this is the route Chatterbox will be taking next term.

MISK (37) keeps running well in big novice hurdles but has yet to earn anything better than a Listed class rating from me. Sixth placed TAQUIN DU SEUIL (37) on the other hand has earned bigger ratings from me. The near sprint finish was probably not helpful for him as he's a proper stayer. He's another that looks a good prospect for novice chases next term.