13:30 Cheltenham

Tuesday 10 March 2020

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)

Off time: 13:32 | Winning time: 4m 8.2s

Abacadabras⁷⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 153| D

11/4

Beaten once in four starts over hurdles, when a keeping on 1½L runner-up to Envoi Allen in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse (2m, yd/sft); pushed clear in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novices' at Leopardstown in December (beating Heaven Help Us by 8L).

Form: 4-21121

Allart²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: James Bowen| T: N J Henderson| OR: 142| D

33/1

Made an inauspicious start over hurdles (fell), but has steadily got his act together since with short-odds confidence boosting victories at Ludlow (2m, soft) & Doncaster (2m½f, soft); retains potential; stablemate of Shishkin & Chantry House.

Form: 3-F11

Asterion Forlonge³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 155| D

9/4

Cost £290,000 (Feb 2018); unbeaten in three starts for the Closutton maestro Willie Mullins; most impressive 10L winner of a Naas maiden on hurdles debut before stepping up to the mark in Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma at Leopardstown (2m, yld).

Form: 1/111

Berkshire Royal⁵¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Dave Crosse| T: W P Mullins

100/1

Useful over 1m4½f on the Flat for Andrew Balding (86-rated); changed hands for 130,000gns in October 2018 and hasn't been seen in competitive action since; Willie Mullins holds stronger chances elsewhere than with this hurdling newcomer.

Form:

Captain Guinness⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| D

14/1

Driven clear to spring a 20-1 surprise on debut in a Navan maiden (2m, soft); proved that was no fluke with a weakening second to Andy Dufresne in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer at Punchestown (2m, soft) in early January; place possibilities.

Form: 12

Chantry House³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: B J Geraghty| T: N J Henderson| OR: 140| C| D

15/2

Cost £295,000 (Dec 2018); 3-3 for the triply-represented Nicky Henderson; beat Edwardstone in a Warwick bumper last March; didn't necessarily need to better the form of his debut hurdles success (here) when easily landing the odds at Newbury latest.

Form: U11-11

Edwardstone⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 142

25/1

Runner-up in three bumpers, including behind Chantry House (Warwick); progressive over hurdles since downing Fiddlerontheroof on debut at Wincanton (2m, good) in November; split Stolen Silver & Thebannerkingrebel in Haydock's Rossington Main latest.

Form: 222-112

Elixir D'Ainay³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 148

16/1

Broke the maiden at Naas (2m3f, soft/heavy) in November; has faced some tricky assignments since, including when 3½L second to Envoi Allen in the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novices' (2m4f); drops back in trip to 2m; stablemate of Asterion Forlonge.

Form: 61/2-125

Fiddlerontheroof⁶⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 154| D

6/1

Closely matched with Edwardstone on Wincanton form; much like that rival has shown further progression in recent starts, scaling new heights with an emphatic victory in the Grade 1 Tolworth at Sandown (2m, soft) in early January; off since.

Form: 21-2211

Hollow Sound²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr D T Kelly| T: L Comer

150/1

Galway bumper winner (2m½f, soft/heavy) last October; has shown consistent form since, including on hurdles debut in a Navan maiden (third) 23 days ago; very much thrown in at the deep-end on this occasion and expected to struggle as a result.

Form: 431233

Mario De Pail³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: S Thomas| OR: 135| D

100/1

Ffos Las bumper winner (2m, heavy); made the perfect start over hurdles with a 12L success at Kelso; bettered that when short-headed by Eden Du Houx at Chepstow subsequently; this race rates as a much sterner assignment; others more obvious.

Form: 3-2112

Shishkin³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 153| D

6/1

Cost £170,000 (Dec 2018); well supported when falling early on hurdles debut (Newbury); has proved his worth since with bloodless back-to-back wins at Newbury & Huntingdon (Listed Sidney Banks Hurdle); can only be labelled as an exciting prospect.

Form: 3/11-F11

Soviet Pimpernel⁷²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: K C Sexton| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 142| D

50/1

Listowel bumper winner (Sep 2019); hasn't done a great deal wrong over hurdles, winning two of his four starts (Gowran & Limerick); has work to do with Abacadabras on Royal Bond form (Fairyhouse) but could run well at a likely big price.

Form: 3-11261

Whatsnotoknow^t³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Phillip Enright| T: M F Morris| OR: 125| D

100/1

Kept on well for pressure when scoring at the fourth attempt over hurdles early last month (2m Thurles maiden, good to yielding); well down the pecking order amongst the Irish contingent; thought to be simply making up the numbers.

Form: 4-22721

Heaven Help Us⁶⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Mullins| T: P Hennessy| OR: 136| CD

100/1

Navan bumper winner and the sole mare in the field (receives 7lb); made all when scoring at odds of 33-1 on hurdles debut here (2m maiden) in October - beat Master Debonair by 2L; 0-4 since, and seemingly held by Abacadabras.

Form: 013423

Non-Runners

Jabbaar³⁷

Weight: 11-7| Age: 7

T: I Jardine J: C O'Farrell

Forecasts

Asterion Forlonge (9/4), Abacadabras (11/4), Shishkin (6/1), Fiddlerontheroof (6/1), Chantry House (15/2), Captain Guinness (14/1), Elixir D'Ainay (16/1), Edwardstone (25/1), Allart (33/1), Soviet Pimpernel (50/1), Heaven Help Us (100/1), Whatsnotoknow (100/1), Berkshire Royal (100/1), Mario De Pail (100/1), Hollow Sound (150/1), Jabbaar (200/1)

The Closutton maestro Willie Mullins has taken the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on no fewer than six previous occasions, including with Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015) and Klassical Dream (2019). He holds another strong hand numerically courtesy of ASTERION FORLONGE, Elixir D'Ainay and Berkshire Royal. The selection raced prominently throughout and wasn't at all troubled by the step up in class in the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novices' at Leopardstown. While immensely respectful of the talented Nicky Henderson trio of Shishkin, Chantry House (and to a lesser degree Allart) the grey son of Coastal Path can hopefully maintain his unbeaten career record (4-4).