2014 Supreme Novices Hurdle

[Old Vic]

Favourites:

Briar Hill (10), Pedigree suggests Neptune ? Bumper winners in Supreme - no thanks
Regal Encore (16), - bumper runner up and maybe fragile ?
Tiger Cliff (16), aimed at ebor - cant see anything about hurdling ?
Empiracle (20),
Faugheen (20),
First Mohican (20),
Golantilla (20),
Moyle Park (20),
West Wizard (20),
Killyglass (25),
Le Vent DAntan (25),
Oscar Rock (25),
Union Dues (25),
Blackmail (33),
Diamond King (33),
The Liquidator (33),
Tistory (33),
Urubu DIrlande (33),
Vago Collonges (33)

[Sefton]

Tiger Cliff is going to Alan King - surorising as Hendo trains most of Ponsonby's jumpers

One place ahead of Lieutenant Miller in the Ascot Stakes was fellow Ponsonby-owned runner Tiger Cliff, trained by Lady Cecil.

He is being saved for the Ebor or at York August 24 and he too will be running over hurdles later in the year.

"He's very well at the moment and I'm sure you haven't seen the best of him yet. His next race will be the Ebor," said Ponsonby.

"He ran very well at Ascot and Lieutenant Miller has boosted the form since, which is encouraging.

"He'll go to Alan King to go jumping in the winter."

[Old Vic]

Thanks Sefton - First Mohican also going to King

First Mohican could be heading to Ireland for his next run after his success at York last week.

The five-year-old was compared to Frankel in his early days on the Warren Hill gallops but injury has hindered his progress.

His only defeat to date came in last season's November Handicap where he was a beaten 3/1 favourite, but Sir Henry Cecil has earmarked the International Stakes at the Curragh next month, won by Famous Name in three of the last four seasons, as a likely port of call.

"First Mohican has gone up to 108 so he is still eligible for some handicaps," said his owner Henry Ponsonby.

"If he went to Ascot there'd be the Wolferton over 10 furlongs or the Duke of Edinburgh over a mile and a half, but Sir Henry is happy to keep him to 10 furlongs for now I think.

"I think he'll probably head for the International Stakes on June 28 at the Curragh.

"Henry said he'd need the race at York so we weren't very confident but he won well in the end.

"As he's five now, he'll be heading to Alan King to go hurdling in the winter as he'll be six in January."

Here is what Mullins said about his cHampion Bumper horse last year

Sizing Tennessee

5 ch g Robin Des Champs - Jolivia

He showed plenty of potential on his debut in a Fairyhouse bumper last spring and we put him away for this season. He returned to action in December when successful in a Punchestown bumper and the following month completed back-to-back successes in a Gowran contest. He looks a nice horse for the future and despite having won both bumpers on heavy ground he looks like he will be more at home on better ground.







Union Dues

5 b g Malinas – Royale Dorothy

The third of my three Champion Bumper entries, this horse is unbeaten in two bumpers. The most recent, a Grade 2 contest at Navan, proved he was a smart performer. That run was good enough to book his Cheltenham ticket as he showed a nice turn of foot on heavy, suggesting better ground would suit him even more.







Briar Hill

5 b g Shantou – Backaway

He is a funny horse because he doesn’t exactly advertise his talents when working at home. To be honest he rather surprised us when so well on his debut, but it was a good run. Being so closely related to Boston Bob I would say this horse has to come into the reckoning for the Champion Bumper.







Moyle Park

5 ch g Flemensfirth – Lovely Present

He won a Leopardstown bumper on Boxing Day in grand style and was subsequently bought to join the Muine Beag team. He has pleased me since his arrival but at this point I would suggest he is less than 50-50 to run in the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper and will be aimed at Punchestown instead



Still very little about Faugheen

[mayo]

Faugheen entered at Punchestown on Wednesday. Not impressed by Regal Encore.

Probably time to start paying some attention to the ones this new boy Aidan O'Brien is turning out.

[Yeehaa]

Akorakor well beaten today but wouldn't write him off yet.

Oscar Rock out on Friday ...added this to his thread...

I was delighted to have a horse of such potential come to the yard and everything I've seen of him at home confirms what he has done on the course," said Jefferson, quoted in this week's Racing & Football Outlook stable tour.

He added: "I never like to shout about my horses, I would rather they did the talking on the course, but he's an athletic horse who has a very exciting future. At the moment the intention is to start him off at Wetherby this weekend. He has schooled well, being very quick and accurate over his hurdles."

[mayo]

You can take Empiracle of the list

The six-year-old shot to the head of the antepost markets for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham following a seven-length debut victory at Huntingdon last October, only to pick up a minor injury and miss the race. He was put away for the summer with a view to going hurdling this term but Scott reports the son of Kris Kin to have sustained a fresh injury.

The trainer said: "Empiracle is unlikely to race this season.It is a different problem to the one he suffered earlier in the year, it's a tendon injury.It's nothing too desperate and there would be an outside chance he'd be able to race again in the spring but realistically we're going to be better off waiting until next season."

[mayo]

Le vent dantan about a week away from a debut this was on galops live on 25 october

Le Vent D’Antan*
(4yo Gelding: Martaline – Leeloo)

Only two racecourse starts to date. *An impressive 6 length bumper winner on debut at Leopardstown, he would go off the 7/1 joint favourite for the Cheltenham Champion Bumper, finishing a respectable seventh having struggled with the infamous hill.
“D’Antan is about three weeks off of a run and he will start off in a 2 mile, 4yo maiden hurdle. *I wasn’t too disappointed with his Cheltenham run, he is only four and he was travelling the best of them turning in but like many the hill just found him out that day but that was just age and lack of experience. *He is going really well and we are very pleased with him and we are looking forward to him starting off again. *He should run up to a high level this season.”

[mayo]

Can I recommend http://supremenovice.blogspot.co.uk/ ...was good last year too.

[Sefton]

another one going to Henderson

Middleham Park Racing have high hopes for Area Fifty One, who has been sent to champion trainer Nicky Henderson.

The five-year-old was a decent middle-distance handicapper on the Flat for owner Dr Marwan Koukash and trainer Richard Fahey, and his new connections are hoping he can have an even better career over jumps.

The ultimate objective for Area Fifty One is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham and he could make his National Hunt debut late next month.

"We did think of running him in the November Handicap, but we are going to focus on going jumping with him," said Middleham Park's racing manager, Tim Palin.

"We saw him at Nicky's on Sunday at an open morning. He did a piece of work on the gallops there.

"He probably prefers good ground and will be perfect for the Festivals in the spring as they are generally run on good ground.

"If all goes well the Supreme Novices' is his target and there would be a race at Aintree for him. He's rated 103 on the Flat and is perfect as a one-mile-two, one-mile-four horse going jumping.

"If he does take to the jumping game he could be top class, even another Overturn. Hopefully we'll see him out around Christmas time."

[mayo]

Le vent dantan about a week away from a debut this was on galops live on 25 october

Le Vent D’Antan*
(4yo Gelding: Martaline – Leeloo)

Only two racecourse starts to date. *An impressive 6 length bumper winner on debut at Leopardstown, he would go off the 7/1 joint favourite for the Cheltenham Champion Bumper, finishing a respectable seventh having struggled with the infamous hill.
“D’Antan is about three weeks off of a run and he will start off in a 2 mile, 4yo maiden hurdle. *I wasn’t too disappointed with his Cheltenham run, he is only four and he was travelling the best of them turning in but like many the hill just found him out that day but that was just age and lack of experience. *He is going really well and we are very pleased with him and we are looking forward to him starting off again. *He should run up to a high level this season.”

Update

Doyle said: "He's in good order and has been schooling well. I'd say we'll probably start him off in the next couple of weeks in a four-year-old hurdle somewhere.

"There is a race in Cork on Sunday week, so we'll probably give him an entry in that and then see where we are in the middle of next week. If we want to wait another week, we can do that.

"I'm very happy with him and I was happy enough with him in Cheltenham, to be honest.

"He was travelling like the best of them coming down the hill and just didn't quite get home, but he is only a four-year-old and hopefully he'll have caught up a bit in the last six months. He does look a stronger horse now.

"This will be a defining year for him, as it is with all those good bumper horses.

"As we know, it's a different story over hurdles, so we'll see what happens, but we're looking forward to it.

"I have it in my head he's a two-miler, but we'll see how we go."

[Yeehaa]

New Sponsor

Sky Bet to sponsor Supreme Novices' Hurdle and other races on the "Road To Cheltenham"
11th November 2013 - Cheltenham Racecourse is pleased to announce Sky Bet as the new sponsor of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

A five-year deal will see the Leeds-based bookmaker lend its support to the traditional curtain raiser at The Festival. Run over an extended two miles, the roll of honour for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle includes such Festival legends as Flyingbolt, L'Escargot, Bula, Golden Cygnet, Buck House, Hors La Loi III and Brave Inca.

Sky Bet will also support two Grade Two novices' hurdles on "The Road To Cheltenham". They are:
The Skybet Supreme Novices' Trial Hurdle Race (Registered As The Sharp Novices' Hurdle), Grade Two - Cheltenham, Sunday, November 17, 2013
The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Trial Hurdle (Registered as the Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle), Grade Two - Haydock Park, Saturday, January 18, 2014

Sky Bet is also looking to expand the series further ahead of the March showpiece.

Peter McNeile, Head of Sponsorship at Cheltenham Racecourse, commented: "I am really pleased that Sky Bet will be sponsoring this Supreme Novices' Hurdle for the next three years.

"This is the company's first major sponsorship at Cheltenham and to position it with such a prominent race in the Supreme Novices' is great.

"Like a lot of the championship races that are run at The Festival, we have built the deal around some of the races that lead to the Supreme Novices', which will help to drive the narrative of the sponsorship.

"I am already, like I'm sure the team at Sky Bet are as well, looking forward to the traditional roar from the crowd at the start of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' to signify the start of The Festival."

Michael Shinners, Horse Racing PR Manager at Sky Bet, added: "Sky Bet is delighted to be sponsoring the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

"Being the first race of the most eagerly-awaited meeting of the season, means it has a special place in the hearts of racing fans. It is a fantastic championship race and has been a stepping stone to greatness for many horses over the years.

"The 2014 renewal already looks likely to continue the trend. The Sky Bet-sponsored contests in the build-up are top quality races in their own right and alongside the Sky Bet Supreme Novices, make for a mouth-watering series through the autumn and winter.

"With Sky Bet now offering the Best Odds Guaranteed concession on all UK and Irish races, this sponsorship further strengthens what we already believe to be one of the best racing products in the marketplace."

[mayo]

Irish angle http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...upreme-novices

spliced and diced into horses to follow threads apart from these few ...

Gilt Shadow and Azorian, both exciting bumper horses last term, both impressive in winning their maiden hurdles this term (the latter over two and a half miles), could prove to be at their best over distances in excess of two miles, but both would be lively Supreme Novices' Hurdle contenders were they kept to the minimum trip, while the Aidan O'Brien-trained Carriganog has raced exclusively over two miles and looked good in winning both his races over hurdles last month.

Yes, it is the same Aidan O'Brien, the Derby-winning one, the Royal Ascot one, the Breeders' Cup one, the one who claimed his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 1996 when Urubande landed the Sun Alliance Hurdle. That's 17 years ago.

That's not all. Carriganog now races in JP McManus' colours, the same ones that Istabraq - under O'Brien's watchful eye - carried to victory in the (same) Sun Alliance Hurdle in 1997 and in the Champion Hurdle three times between 1998 and 2000.

[Old Vic]

Have added Sea lord to the novices to follow . Could be Ferguson's big breakthrough horse ?

[mayo]

Sea lord going to be going over further and well put in his place by The liquidator. Added briar hill video to http://www.cheltenhamantepost.co.uk/...rdle-2014.html think he will be going to Neptune or Bertie Bartlett though

[Old Vic]

Tolworth Hurdle Video

http://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/video/20140111/2331932/13717025