An Capall Strikes again !

It's not on line.

By the way Granger has rumbled me. It's the only reason I hang around here. In fact Eddie T is the source of 37.64% of my ideas.
 
Hurdlers:

Note: It is not written for anoraks like all of you and it was filed about a week before it printed - so was already old.

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It’s hard to put a precise date on when exactly the National Hunt racing season properly start and then suddenly it’s November. The Breeder’s Cup is over; the Melbourne Cup is safely home in Kilkenny and the thrill of watching jumping’s returning warriors washes over you like a comfortable autumn mist. It’s time for the crystal ball again and here are ten hurdlers that should pay to follow all the way through to Punchestown in the spring.

Debuchet

Trained by Margaret Mullins, Debuchet is a prominent contender for the top novice hurdle races this year. Winner of two of his four starts his best race was in defeat when he was caught and passed by the late lamented Fayonagh in the Cheltenham Bumper. In a race notoriously difficult for four-year olds to win (only the great Cue Card has done it in twenty years) the grey gelding showed an electric turn of pace to lead from the home bend before he was cut down by Fayonagh’s ridiculous last furlong surge. He finished the season with a lucrative win at Limerick and looks nailed on for another productive campaign over jumps.

Recommended Ante Post Bet: Supreme Novice Hurdle 20-1

Augusta Kate Trainer: Willie Mullins
Owned by a celebrity syndicate that includes Alan Shearer, Lee Westwood and Ant & Dec, Augusta Kate attracts disproportionate attention when she runs and this is apt as she is a very useful mare. A tough and durable 6YO she had a successful bumper season and followed up last year with a Grade One win at Fairyhouse when she readily saw off her high profile stable companion, Let’s Dance. Mullin’s expressed his delight that she continued to mature and develop so well over the summer and is planning an aggressive campaign over hurdles, culminating in a crack at the Mare’s race at the festival. She needs to tidy up her jumping a little, but should make her mark.
OLBG Mares Hurdle 14-1


Claimantakinforgan Nicky Henderson

It would be a surprise this season if Claimantakinforgan can’t make a name for himself this season that’s a lot more inspirational than the one bestowed on the unfortunate beast. Bought for £110,000 after a staying victory in a point to point at Loughanmore he improved all through last season to finish a good third in the Champion Bumper. Henderson rates him as one of his better emerging prospects and a campaign in long distance novice hurdles should play to his strengths.

Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle 25-1

Defi Du Seuil Phillip Hobbs
Only three Triumph Hurdle winners have ever subsequently won a Champion Hurdle. The peerless Persian War in1967 was followed only by Kribensis (1988) and Kaatchit (2007), so history is stacked against last season’s juvenile champion, Defi Du Seuil. But this young horse could well be different gravy. Unbeaten in all seven starts under rules he seems to ground agnostic and looks to have a no nonsense professional racing style that will take him to the top. There are doubts surrounding many of his older challengers and there are few emerging novices that can hold a candle to him.

Champion Hurdle 8-1

Silver Streak Evan Williams
Officially rated at 122 Silver Streak shouldn’t be confused with a horse that will end up as a seasonal champion. He could however be one of those rare and lucrative gems, an improving hurdler, ahead of the handicapper and fit and ready to roll. Very moderate as a sprint handicapper on the flat, he improved markedly when sent hurdling and has won three and placed in two of his seven starts, including a solid win in his reappearance at Chepstow last month. This earned him an eight-pound raise which should be enough to get him into the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.

Greatwood Hurdle 25-1

Le Richebourg Joseph O’Brien

Before his career went into the stratosphere in sunny Melbourne on Tuesday morning, Joseph O’Brien’s unique selling point in his short career was his success in transitioning young hurdlers from flat careers. Le Richebourg is a talented young hurdler, he was successful in two summer novice hurdles at Killarney and cruised home at the Galway festival on yielding ground from subsequent Cheltenham winner, Twobeelucky. A half-brother to the top-class stayer, Grand Crus, he looks to have a lot more depth than a normal summer hurdler and could go to the top in the longer distance pattern hurdle races.
World Hurdle 20-1

Samcro Gordon Elliot

Four races, four victories, aggregate winning distance of over forty lengths. At a recent racing function in Cork Davy Russell described Gordon Elliot’s five-year old Samcro thus; “as good a horse as we’ll ever see, an exceptional horse. He made £335,000 and he was probably the cheapest horse that will ever be bought. I’ve only rode him at home but, my God, when you’re on about the feel, that’s the feel.” Hopefully horses don’t feel pressure. He seems to go on any ground, has a combination of speed and stamina in his pedigree and could dominate in staying novice hurdles. This could be a young horse on the cusp of greatness.

Ballymore Novice’s Hurdle 5-1

The World’s End Tom George

Probably the most open and unpredictable championship class this season will be the staying hurdling division. Following extended periods of dominance by the likes of Baracouda, Ingles Drever and Big Bucks there has followed a series of less exalted one-time winners and there are many hungry aspirants nibbling at the heels of defending champion, Nichols Canyon. The World’s End is one of these. A winner five times last season at two and half miles and up he was bang there in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham when he fell two before redeeming himself with a Grade One victory at Aintree. He opens his season at Newbury in a couple of weeks and should kick on strongly from there.

Stayers Hurdle 12-1

Espoir D’allen Gavin Patrick Cromwell

Predicting the winner of the Triumph Hurdle is hard enough on the morning of the race so trying to do it four months in advance is probably an act of folly. However, there is something eye catching about Espoir D’allen’s two recent victories that indicate that Cromwell’s French import could have the robustness to improve all the way to spring time. In his debut at Punchestown he won easily by four lengths from Masterstonemason and in his follow up at Down Royal’s festival last week he jumped well and won very easily from what looked a decent field of juveniles.

Triumph Hurdle 20-1

Crooks Peak Philip Hobbs

Finally, a pin sticker for next year’s Champion Bumper. The trend analysis of previous races suggest that the winner has yet to see a racecourse and that the favourite is still buried deep in the bowels of the Willie Mullins yard in Carlow. Despite this there was a lot to like about the debut of Crooks Peak at Newton Abbot last month. Trained by Philip Hobbs and stoutly bred by Arcadio out a Milan mare, he won easily and looks the sort that will strengthen and improve with time.

Champion Bumper 33-1
 
Crooks Peak Philip Hobbs

Finally, a pin sticker for next year’s Champion Bumper. The trend analysis of previous races suggest that the winner has yet to see a racecourse and that the favourite is still buried deep in the bowels of the Willie Mullins yard in Carlow. Despite this there was a lot to like about the debut of Crooks Peak at Newton Abbot last month. Trained by Philip Hobbs and stoutly bred by Arcadio out a Milan mare, he won easily and looks the sort that will strengthen and improve with time.
Ahem....
 
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