14:50 Cheltenham

Friday 13 March 2020

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

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle)

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 5m 57.96s

Aione³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 138| D

33/1

Progressive since embarking on his hurdles career at Fairyhouse (second) on New Year's Day; has landed the odds on both occasions since, in poor visibility at Gowran Park (2m4f, soft/heavy) & at Naas (2m3f, gd/yld); first rules attempt at 3m.

Form: 1/1211

Cat Tiger^t1⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr D Maxwell| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 140

50/1

Ex-French; form figures for Paul Nicholls read 21211; relentless from the front (jumped well) in winning back-to-back novice races (Class 3 & 4) on soft/heavy ground at Plumpton; meets a totally different calibre of opponent here; tongue-tie on.

Form: 1-21211

Cobbler's Way^t⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 146

14/1

Played second fiddle to the talented Andy Dufresne on hurdles debut, before making all at Leopardstown (2m4½f, heavy); responded positively for pressure when runner-up to Latest Exhibition (Fury Road fourth) in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown (2m6f, yld).

Form: 2/1-212

Foxy Jacks^p²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Phillip Enright| T: M F Morris| OR: 129

100/1

Off the mark at the ninth time of asking over hurdles when justifying favouritism in a 2m4f Navan maiden (heavy) three weeks ago; has plenty of further improvement to find in order to play a constructive role in this Grade 1 contest; look elsewhere.

Form: 774221

Fury Road^t⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 144| BF| D

5/1

Grade 2 & 3 winner; lost his unbeaten record over hurdles (3-4) in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown (2m6f, yielding) last month - finished fourth (beaten approx 5L) to Latest Exhibition & Cobbler's Way; does stay 3m on soft ground.

Form: 1-31114

Harry Senior⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 144| C

16/1

Made a steady start over hurdles but has done nothing other than improve (overall form makes appeal); stayed on strongly when accounting for the well-backed King Roland in the Ballymore Trial here (2m4½f, soft) in January; bred for a stamina test.

Form: 3-42211

House Island⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: G Sheehan| T: P R Webber| OR: 142

66/1

Ludlow winner (2m5½f); 20-1 runner-up in the Grade 2 Winter Novices' Hurdle at Sandown (2m4f, soft); was put firmly in his place (fourth) by Harry Senior in the Ballymore Trial subsequently; it's difficult to envisage those placings being reversed.

Form: 1-92124

Janidil¹⁰³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 149

16/1

Ex French racer (G.Cherel); runner-up to Notebook in a Tramore maiden hurdle (2m) on New Year's Day 2019; fast-improving and unbeaten in three starts this season (Tipperary, Down Royal & Fairyhouse); first attempt beyond 2m2f - stamina in pedigree.

Form: 422-111

Kiltealy Briggs^t⁶¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Adrian Heskin| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 136

100/1

Effectively campaigned to score in more modest novice events in the north at Hexham (2m4f, heavy) & Kelso (2m6½f, heavy); not entirely disgraced (third) in December's trial for this race - beaten 6½L by Redford Road; others appear more obvious.

Form: 2/22131

Latest Exhibition⁴¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: B J Cooper| T: P Nolan| OR: 149

9/2

Hasn't looked back since finishing second to the Supreme Novices' runner-up Abacadabras in a Grade 3 at Navan (2m, soft/hvy) in November; had the measure of both Cobbler's Way (second) & Fury Road (fourth) in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown (2m6f; yld).

Form: 21-1211

Lieutenant Rocco²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Harry Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 139

33/1

Former pointer, and a prominent racing stablemate of Harry Senior; unbeaten at or around 2m3f for Colin Tizzard - ready 9L winner of a Class 4 Chepstow novice (heavy) three weeks ago; steps up markedly in trip and grade here; needs more.

Form: P-311

Monkfish⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 152| D

5/1

Cost £235,000 in May 2018; runner-up in a 2m2f Punchestown bumper in May 2019; has shown improvement with each and every start over hurdles (2-3); looked to be in full control when left clear two out at Thurles (2m6f, yld) latest.

Form: P/1-2211

Oscar Academy⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Jonathan Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 129| D

100/1

Former pointer (2-12); unbeaten (2-2) in a couple of minor events over hurdles (Leicester & Fakenham) for Olly Murphy; left that trainer last month for £50,000; faces a very tough task indeed on debut for Gavin Cromwell.

Form: 425811

Ramses De Teillee^t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 151| CD

12/1

Versatile and hardy; runner-up to Elegant Escape in the 2018 Welsh National; boasts a very different profile to the average Albert Bartlett winner but is 3-3 over hurdles this season, including the Grade 2 River Don (Doncaster) & Prestige (Haydock).

Form: 2P-1411

Redford Road⁷²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 140| BF| CD

40/1

Driven clear over C&D (soft) when winning the trial for this race in December (Kiltealy Briggs finished 6½L third); wasn't quite at his sharpest next time in the Listed Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (2m4½f, soft); absent since New Year's Day.

Form: 2-11215

Sempo^t³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 142

12/1

Finished sixth to Envoi Allen in last year's Champion Bumper; runner-up to Cobbler's Way in a Leopardstown maiden (2m4f, yielding) before justifying solid market support (8-11f) in a 16-runner Thurles maiden (2m6½f, gd/yld); requires a career best.

Form: 316-321

The Cashel Man^b³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: J McGrath| T: N J Henderson| OR: 147| BF

25/1

Dual purpose performer (91-rated on Flat); more productive over hurdles than previously this season; made all (jumped well) when winning a 2m4½f Class 2 handicap at Newbury in November; was a close second to Thyme Hill in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle.

Form: 22-1121

The Wolf⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy| OR: 132

100/1

Largely consistent over hurdles this season (1421), but truthfully lacks the strength of form required in order to be competitive at this level; kept on strongly when justifying favouritism in a 2m6f Newcastle novice (soft) six plus weeks ago.

Form: 43-1421

Thyme Hill⁷⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 150| C

4/1

Stayed on when a never nearer 2½L third to Envoi Allen in last year's Champion Bumper; 3-3 over hurdles this season, courtesy of stout efforts in the Persian War (Chepstow), the Hyde (here) and the Grade 1 Challow (Newbury); first attempt at 3m.

Form: 123-111

Forecasts

Thyme Hill (4/1), Latest Exhibition (9/2), Monkfish (5/1), Fury Road (5/1), Sempo (12/1), Ramses De Teillee (12/1), Cobbler's Way (14/1), Janidil (16/1), Harry Senior (16/1), The Cashel Man (25/1), Aione (33/1), Lieutenant Rocco (33/1), Redford Road (40/1), Cat Tiger (50/1), House Island (66/1), The Wolf (100/1), Foxy Jacks (100/1), Oscar Academy (100/1), Kiltealy Briggs (100/1)

A typically competitive Albert Bartlett. Philip Hobbs has kept his powder dry with the unbeaten (hurdles) Challow winner Thyme Hill. The manner of his victories imply that he shouldn't be found wanting for stamina on his first attempt over 3m. Colin Tizzard is doubly-represented, with the progressive Harry Senior undoubtedly his main hope, while there's less to choose between at least two of the Willie Mullins trio (Monkfish and the intriguing Janidil). However, we cast the vote towards Paul Nolan's Leopardstown scorer LATEST EXHIBITION (holds Cobbler's Way and Fury Road). His overall form portfolio is stacked full to the brim of pure quality.