Friday 2:40: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

[Sir Puntalot]

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[beaker1]

Re: Friday 2:40: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle A race for proper NH types (the 2009 and 2011 winners went on to win the following season’s RSA Chase) where they should not run the risk of bumping into speedier horses from the Flat as can be the case in the Neptune, this test is principally about staying power and there have been a couple of brutal editions so the stamina factor is crucial. Six of the eight winners so far (and 18 of the 24 win-and-placed horses) had previously experienced what a three-mile hurdle had felt like unlike African Gold (though he does promise to stay well and connections were mulling over the Pertemps Final), I Shot The Sheriff, Le Bec and Utopies Des Bordes (though she is the winner of a Grade 1 chase in France over 2m6f on heavy ground and Henderson is adamant she will stay). Ballycasey has not run over 3m under Rules but did so in his three point-to-points. Three key guides run at Cheltenham earlier in the season are the Hyde, Bristol and Classic Novice Hurdles which have featured six of the eight winners between them. Coneygree won the first of those two events but misses the race with a late setback. He could, however, only finish third behind At Fishers Cross in the latter and that form was franked big time when the runner-up, The New One, hosed up in the Neptune. Equally as convincing is that five of the eight winners had raced at least twice over the course of which four already had winning course form to their name. At Fishers Cross also won a handicap at Cheltenham in December. Outside of Cheltenham it has been the race registered as the Prestige Novices’ Hurdle run at Haydock in late February that has been the only other race to feature more than one Albert Bartlett winner but this season’s winner, Two Rockers, ran in the Neptune. The most notable Irish guide so far has been the Synergy Security Services Novices’ Hurdle at Leopardstown in late-January over 2m4f won by Pont Alexandre and in which Our Vinnie finished third. It is also the race that Weapon’s Amnesty finished second in on his final start before becoming the first Irish-trained winner of this event. Liskennett also finished second in that event before filling the same berth in the Albert Bartlett and both were trained by Charles Byrnes as is Our Vinnie. Byrnes’ Powerstation also finished second in the Albert Bartlett. It took the Albert Bartlett just six runnings to produce three winners aged 7+ whereas it took the previous 72 combined runnings of the Supreme and Neptune to better that figure. I am not saying purely concentrate on novices aged seven or older but I am saying give them a lot more respect than for the Supreme or Neptune. Horses aged 7+ are the dual Cesarewitch winner Aaim To Prosper (9), Superior Quality (8) and Inish Island (7). No horse aged 8+ has won yet but the fact that only 14 have run yet four have hit the frame only strengthens the case for older novices. In addition to Charles Byrnes’ runners we should also respect Jonjo O’Neill’s entries as has been unrepresented for the last four seasons but Black Jack Ketchum and Wichita Lineman ran out convincing winners as short-priced favourites the previous two years so his contenders would be worth a look. Cloudy Copper (in the same ownership as Black Jack Ketchum) represents him this time. All eight winners had run at least three times over hurdles (which is not good for supporters of Ballycasey, Cloudy Copper, Le Bec, O’Faolain’s Boy, of which six had won a graded race. Graded race winners are At Fishers Cross, Inish Island, Our Vinnie and Utopie Des Bordes. Short List At Fishers Cross Our Vinnie Inish Island (Utopie Des Bordes) Conclusion AT FISHERS CROSS is the standout trends horse. Twice a winner at the course this season, including the same pattern race that Wichita Lineman and Bibs Worth won before they won the Albert Bartlett, he is also proven over 3m and has had his last two pieces of form franked when the runner-up then winning a pattern race, notably The New One of course who won the Neptune on Wednesday. He also therefore starts in the first five in the betting like 7 of the 8 winners and won or finished second last time out like 7 of the 8 winners. OUR VINNIE didn’t finish in the first two last time out but he was third in the same race that Charles Byrnes ran his Albert Bartlett winner who was also beaten in that race and another of his two runners-up in this race that was over 2m4f behind Pont Alexandre which would be a trip half a mile short of his best so he should improve plenty back up to 3m today He was given a sighter of the course early season which suggests Byrnes has had this race in mind for a long time and he is only one of five pattern race winners in the field (in fact he has won two including when outstaying the Neptune second Rule The World over this trip) which is something 6 of the 8 Albert Bartlett wins already had in the bag. Our Vinnie makes a lot of each-way appeal at a double-figure price. INISH ISLAND is also a pattern race winner and represents the red hot Willie Mullins. He may be their second string behind Ballycasey but he has much the stronger trends claims and was only 1½ lengths behind At Fishers Cross (gave 3lbs) back in December. UTOPIE DES BORDES gets the final berth. She is in brackets as she has one trend to overcome (not run over 3m) but she is a Grade 1 winner over 2m6f in heavy ground and receives a handy 5lbs mares’ allowance here. The only winning five-year-old was also a French-bred. A last-time-out winner who looks classy and a battler and representing the yard that had a 1-2 in this race two years ago who should start in the first five in the betting like 7 of the last 8 winners, she is certainly short list material.