2024 Novice Chasers

[JackieMoon33]

Think I might have said this before so apologies for boring everyone

I'd love to see Nicholls properly back dining at the top table. He had decent success at this year's festival and hopefully that's got him back into the importance of the festival. All that Cheltenham doesn't really matter nonsense isn't for anyone...

I'm sure nobody is competing with Mullins for a long time but I don't think it's ridiculous for Nicholls to be leading the battle for best of the rest (of the trainers) in the graded races.

And because I want to see it I've put on the following doubles:


Hermes Allen (Turners) & Stay Away Fay (BANC)

Hermes Allen (BANC) & Stay Away Fay (NHC)

I personally don’t think that he views Cheltenham with less importance, I think he’s just had a few lean years in terms of quality horses. He’ll always use Aintree for some horses that he’s minding or maybe not good enough for Cheltenham grade 1’s, but as soon as he has the right ammunition, you can bet your last fiver that he’ll be running them at Cheltenham.

[Benjy23]

I personally don’t think that he views Cheltenham with less importance, I think he’s just had a few lean years in terms of quality horses. He’ll always use Aintree for some horses that he’s minding or maybe not good enough for Cheltenham grade 1’s, but as soon as he has the right ammunition, you can bet your last fiver that he’ll be running them at Cheltenham.

Aye, I don't doubt it has a lot to do with his lack of ammunition but he did used to come out with a few 'Cheltenham isn't the be all and end all' type phrases. And without checking this through, he's probably be quite successful at picking up decent pots and targeting races elsewhere with what he's had.

But he did seem to have a bit of fire back last year imo. Even in the way he spoke. That combined with better quality horses can surely only mean one thing!

He's not everyone's cup of tea is he but my early memories of
racing are very PN themed. As I'm sure a lot of people my sort of age are. So I'm a bit of a fan boy

[Runragged]

I had this weeks paddy free bet on giovinco at 20/1

looks an obvious shortener given he will likely run a couple of times up north in poor races

And he looked to have a huge amount of potential when winning the listed race beating a bunch of decent 130ish horses on the snaff by a long way

He's by walk in the park and is trained by lucinda Russell so the old cliche anything he does over hurdles is a bonus definitely applies

If the bartlett form is poor which is very possible he could be an improver like l'homme presse/the real whacker

I think Apple Away will be their BANC selection. She is already a grade 1 winner (So unlikely to drop in class for the grade 2 NHC) and she gets the 7lb allowance in the race. Also interesting to see she has already been entered up early to race in a 3m chase albeit that plan fell through I believe on account of the ground.

Giovinco has been brought along steadily and no doubt has plenty of improvement in him reverting to fences. However, he would need to be at least 7lb better than Apple Away and plan on racing both in the same race. If they want to keep them separate then Giovinco will be campaigned with the Ultima in mind, a race the yard have had some success with in Corach Rambler, who also won it as a novice (Albeit beginning in handicaps as his mark was so low). Like you said, a couple of runs in poor Northern novices won't do much damage to his handicap mark, if he was to get there around the 145 mark (Currently 143) then he could be thrown in.

[ComplyOrDie]

I did look back in hope of finding some level of pattern with Nicholls with regards to horses running in the Bartlett & Ballymore but to no real avail. I was astounded to note he has only had 7 runners in the Ballymore in the past 17 seasons. I cherry picked the ones of real note for both races, below:

Ballymore:

2022 Stage Star (PU) - Won Turners Novice Chase 2023
2021 Bravemansgame (3rd) - Pulled out of the BANC, I think on the day of the race, though I could be wrong?
2011 Rock On Ruby (2nd) - Won Champion Hurdle 2012
2007 Silverburn (4th) - 4th in RSA 2008

Bartlett:

2021 Threeunderthrufive (6th) - 6th in BANC 2022
2021 Barbados Bucks (11th) - PU Ultima 2022
2011 Join Together (PU) - PU RSA 2012
2008 The Tother One (3rd) - 5th William Hill Handicap Chase 2009 (now the Ultima)
2008 What A Friend (PU) - 6th in RSA 2009
2007 Ornais (10th) - 5th in NH Chase 2008

I've left out some for varying reasons, whether it be not turning up to the following seasons festival or other.

The closest thing we have to Stay Away Fay from the Bartlett is The Tother One, who finished a close enough 3rd in the Bartlett in 2008 and ended up in a handicap the following seasons festival. Paul did have Najaf finish 2nd in the Bartlett in 2010 but that one never made the racetrack after that season. The Ballymore runners really are a mixed bag from Champion Hurdlers to RSA runners.

The Bartlett to following season festival pattern is fairly obvious, those horses that make it pretty much run over 3m+ (at the festival) whether that be graded races or handicaps.

[Bonjers]

He had Pride of Dulcote in the 2009 Bartlett who went off 3/1 fav and bumped into the suitably named Weapons Amnesty. Both unfortunately never got to show their potential in open company.

I'm pretty sure he's only had just over 40 runners in all three of the novice hurdles across his entire training career.

[ComplyOrDie]

He had Pride of Dulcote in the 2009 Bartlett who went off 3/1 fav and bumped into the suitably named Weapons Amnesty. Both unfortunately never got to show their potential in open company.

I'm pretty sure he's only had just over 40 runners in all three of the novice hurdles across his entire training career.

Yeah, I had that one noted down to, but forgot to mention him

[JackieMoon33]

Aye, I don't doubt it has a lot to do with his lack of ammunition but he did used to come out with a few 'Cheltenham isn't the be all and end all' type phrases. And without checking this through, he's probably be quite successful at picking up decent pots and targeting races elsewhere with what he's had.

But he did seem to have a bit of fire back last year imo. Even in the way he spoke. That combined with better quality horses can surely only mean one thing!

He's not everyone's cup of tea is he but my early memories of
racing are very PN themed. As I'm sure a lot of people my sort of age are. So I'm a bit of a fan boy

'Cheltenham isn't the be all and end all' can easily be translated to 'I don't have good enough horses to win there so I'm going to focus elsewhere'
I bet in his glory days he'd have been gushing about how Cheltenham is the pinnacle of jumps racing and how fantastic it is to have winners.

I'm also of the generation when PN was a bigger player at the Festival, in fact he won the Supreme (Noland) the first year I really paid attention to the Festival in full.

[ComplyOrDie]

I Like To Move It declared for Sunday, taking on just two rivals, Chasing Fire and Pembroke.

19lbs clear of Pembroke on Hurdles ratings, so looks to just need a clear round.

[ComplyOrDie]

Hermes Allen is a good pick for either race.

He had Wind issues throughout last season, and only had the operation after the season ended.

They went with a Tongue Tie, all season instead of having a Wind Op.

So he could be a fair bit better than he managed with that issue solved, if that Op works well.

I'm just fairly sure he'd finish behind Good Land again at the trip, let alone anything else with a bit of tactical speed about them.

I wouldn't call Hermes Allen a boat, far from it, but he comes across as a staying type to me as opposed to one blessed with tactical speed, which is why, I guess, they rode him from the front or prominently throughout his novice hurdle campaign.

[Spectre]

I want to see Hermes Allen jump a fence before I could be interested. I seem to recall when I looked at him at Cheltenham he was a bit of a pony, essentially lacking size and scope. Certainly for a horse that couldn't beat the best novice hurdlers of his generation, he wouldn't be an obvious improver for a fence, where as most of those he competed against probably should.

[Fouroverthrutwo]

I think Apple Away will be their BANC selection. She is already a grade 1 winner (So unlikely to drop in class for the grade 2 NHC) and she gets the 7lb allowance in the race. Also interesting to see she has already been entered up early to race in a 3m chase albeit that plan fell through I believe on account of the ground

Indeed she was. The meeting was abandoned due to waterlogging. I'm still undecided who will represent Lucinda but whoever she sends to the BANC will be a serious contender IMO.

[Kautostar]

Didn’t look good for I like to move it there. Jumped poorly and looked injured after the last and pulled up. Hope he’s ok

[darlojim]

Didn’t look good for I like to move it there. Jumped poorly and looked injured after the last and pulled up. Hope he’s ok

Sickening stuff, it looked like he'd never seen a fence before yet TD said he jumps brilliantly at home.

Some English trainers might have a rethink on whether to send some novice chasing now, that division is there for the taking.

[Kautostar]

Sickening stuff, it looked like he'd never seen a fence before yet TD said he jumps brilliantly at home.

Some English trainers might have a rethink on whether to send some novice chasing now, that division is there for the taking.

R.I.P confirmed on sky racing

[ComplyOrDie]

Sad sad news about I Like To Move It