Thursday, January 31, 2019 – Entries are revealed today for the three G1 championship novices’ hurdles at The Festival™ presented by Magners – the £125,000 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m, Champion Day,
Tuesday, March 12), the £125,000 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f, Ladies Day, Wednesday, March 13), and the £125,000 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m, Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 15), plus the £125,000 G1 JCB
Triumph Hurdle (2m 1f, Gold Cup Day, Friday, March 15) for four-year-olds.
There are a total of 403 entries across the four races, including a record 225 from Ireland. Britain’s champion Jump trainer Nicky Henderson holds a strong hand in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (98 entries), with Sky Bet’s 5/1 ante-post favourite Angels Breath and Mister Fisher among his four entries. Irish point-to-point graduate Angels Breath captured the G2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle on his Rules’ debut at Ascot in December, while Mister Fisher landed a corresponding contest at Haydock Park on January 19. Angels Breath is entered for the Sky Bet Supreme Scottish Trial Novices’ Hurdle at Musselburgh this Sunday, February 3. Henderson’s quartet also includes Champagne Platinum, who impressed in taking minor contests at Newcastle and Newbury in December, as the trainer chases his fourth Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle victory. Angels Breath’s part-owner Dai Walters has another leading contender in Al Dancer (Nigel Twiston-Davies), who made it three from three over hurdles with an impressive handicap success at The International at Cheltenham in December. Al Dancer is the hot favourite for next month’s Betfair Handicap Hurdle at Newbury, which has been a key trial for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in recent years. Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies reported: “Al Dancer has been in good form since Cheltenham and the plan is to run next in the Betfair Hurdle as it is a nice race to win.
“The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the long-term aim and the Betfair Hurdle will tell us more.”
A strong British challenge is bolstered further by G1 Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle victor Elixir De Nutz (Colin Tizzard), successful over the course and distance in the G2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle at The November Meeting.
Ireland’s champion trainer Willie Mullins has been the handler to follow in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with three of his five victories in the G1 race coming in the last six years. Mullins accounts for 23 of the 57 Irish-trained entries, with his string led by Aramon, a 10-length winner in G1 company at Leopardstown over Christmas, and promising maiden hurdle victor Klassical Dream.
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – Sky Bet prices (NRNB): 5/1 Angels Breath; 8/1 Battleoverdoyen, Mister Fisher; 10/1 Al Dancer, Elixir De Nutz, Fakir D’Oudairies, Vision d’Honneur; 12/1 Aramon, Champagne
Platinum, Getaway Trump, Klassical Dream, Tornado Flyer; 14/1 bar E/W 1-2-3
For more detail check out this Media Press Release.
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