Hermes Allen and Harry Cobden at Newbury

Timeform's top novices going into the Christmas period

By Timeform

Horse Racing

Mon December 18, 2023 · 2y ago

With a busy Festive programme coming up, we look at Timeform's current top-rated novices over both hurdles and fences

NOVICE HURDLERS

A half-brother to the very smart chaser Sky Pirate, winning pointer Captain Teague was third in the Champion Bumper in March on just his second start under Rules and has made a fine start to his hurdling career for Paul Nicholls. Sent straight into a Grade 2 contest, he improved his stable’s excellent record in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow in October, looking a smart staying prospect, and while he failed to land the odds in a similar event at Cheltenham last month, he again shaped with plenty of promise trying to give 5 lb to another exciting prospect in Minella Missile.

HIGH CLASS HERO (140p)

For the time being, at least, the unbeaten High Class Hero heads the ratings among Willie Mullins’ novice hurdlers. A winning pointer, he was the ready winner of a bumper on his debut at Listowel in the summer and has since landed the odds in all three of his starts over hurdles, a maiden at the Galway Festival and novices at Listowel and Limerick. That latest success came against only three rivals in a listed contest, but High Class Hero gave a seven-length beating to The Big Doyen who went on to finish third behind Minella Missile and Captain Teague at Cheltenham. Whatever he does over hurdles, High Class Hero looks the sort to flourish over fences.

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BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD (139p)

Already favourite for the Dawn Run at the Cheltenham Festival, Brighterdaysahead first made her mark for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown in bumpers, winning the valuable sales contest at the Punchestown Festival. She’s likewise unbeaten in two starts over hurdles now too, making all to accomplish a simple task by ten lengths at Thurles on her debut and then following up in a Grade 3 mares’ novice at Down Royal last month when making the odd error but accounting for the standard-setter Banntown Girl by nearly five lengths in the end. A half-sister to her stable’s ill-fated Mighty Potter, she’ll win more races against her own sex.

FARREN GLORY (139p)

After making a winning debut for Gordon Elliott in a bumper at Navan, Farren Glory was put straight into a Grade 2 novice on his debut over hurdles at Fairyhouse later in the spring but that’s his only defeat in four starts so far and he’s already a Grade 1 winner this term. He comfortably won his maiden at Clonmel in October and then took the step up in grade in his stride to win last month’s Royal Bond Novice Hurdle back at Fairyhouse. He did especially well, too, given he made a mess of the last but rallied well to beat stablemate King of Kingsfield by a length and a half. It wasn’t a vintage Royal Bond, but Farren Glory can go on improving.

NOVICE CHASERS

FOUND A FIFTY (156)

Found A Fifty made little impact in Grade 1 novice hurdles at Aintree and Punchestown for Gordon Elliott in the spring but he’s a chaser looks and has duly left those efforts behind over fences this term. He followed in the footsteps of some other top novices from his yard who’d won the same race when landing the odds in a beginners chase at Down Royal in November, and while he couldn’t complete the same double as Mighty Potter last season, he found only the more experienced Irish Grand National winner I Am Maximus (who’s no longer eligible for novices) too good in the Drinmore Novices Chase at Fairyhouse.

HERMES ALLEN (155p)

Hermes Allen won his first three starts over hurdles last season for Paul Nicholls, notably the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury, and while he came up short at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring, he always looked as though fences would bring out the best in him. Following a breathing operation over the summer, he made an impressive chasing debut in Grade 2 company in the Berkshire Novices’ Chase at Newbury early this month, running to a high level for a first start over fences in beating Nickle Back six and a half lengths. He’s a most exciting novice, now due out next in the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Gaelic Warrior is in a league of his own on chasing debut

GAELIC WARRIOR (154p)

Gaelic Warrior has always shown plenty of ability for Willie Mullins, right from being narrowly beaten at the Cheltenham Festival on his stable debut as a four-year-old. His only defeat in five starts last term came at the hands of high-class stablemate Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle before a Grade 1 win of his own when stepped up to three miles at Punchestown. He then matched his smart hurdling form on his debut over fences when a hugely impressive winner at Punchestown last month, heavily eased in beating the useful Inothewayurthinkin by fifteen lengths, and he’s one to look out for at Leopardstown next week.

SALVADOR ZIGGY (153+)

Runner-up under top weight in last season’s Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, Salvador Ziggy is another leading novice from the Elliott stable. Switched to chasing during the summer, he ran up a hat-trick at Punchestown, Tramore and Killarney, with the pick of those efforts being a thirteen-length beating of his sole rival Toss Again in a novice at the last-named track. Off a 3 lb higher mark than in the Pertemps, Salvador Ziggy then ran well in defeat in the Kerry National at Listowel trying to concede more than a stone to another progressive novice, Desertmore House. His latest start in America in the Grand National Hurdle can probably be overlooked.

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