Dovecote Novices Hurdle

[Statto]

as a trial

The Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle was a terrific guide to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in the first half of the 1990s but has also lost its way since. Arctic Kinsman improved dramatically on his third placing here (beaten 17 lengths) to win the Supreme at 50/1 which followed Flown completing the Dovecote-Supreme double in 1992. The race’s greatest winner though was the subsequent Champion Hurdler, Granville Again, in 1991 who then finished second in the Supreme which was exactly the same scenario for the Nicky Henderson-trained Kimanicky in 1996 won had previously won the Dovecote.

[mayo]

http://www.fatjockey.com/festivals/racing_festivals.php?Dovecote-Novice-s-Hurdle-Winners-181

[mayo]

barry

My third of the day is FORGOTTEN VOICE (3.15) in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle over two miles which has a small but quite impressive-looking field.

He’s won twice and this will be my first sit in him in public but I’m sure the one thing he needs is good ground and he’s going to get that here.

It was soft when he was beaten in a handicap off 140 here last month and his two previous runs were wins on much faster ground.

I’m pretty sure you’ll see a different performance this time although he has to give 13lb to the four-year-old maiden Lac Fontana who chased home one of our premier league novice hurdlers Chatterbox at Newbury last time.

And I’d have respect for Nicky’s other runner, Black Spirit who makes his hurdle debut but was a group class performer on the Flat for Clive Cox. And there’s also the rapidly-improving Brick Red who’s landed a handicap hurdle hat-trick and drops back into novice grade.

Make no mistake; this is going to be a hard race to win.