January 27 / 16.10 Cheltenham

16.10

Good To Soft

SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £31322.5
  • 2m 4f 56y
  • Class 1
  • 7 runners
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SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race)

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

10/11 (Won)

  • Win: £1.84
  • Place: £1.30

Form: 1-11 D

Last run: 38 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 138

Form & Verdict
Has won his bumper and two novice hurdles without turning a hair and the horse he brushed aside at Newbury last time (2m4f, soft) had some smart bumper form on the board; that positive impression was backed up by an impressive RPR and he firmly falls into the "could be anything" category; as low as 7-1 for the 2m5f Grade 1 here in March.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

10th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

15:30 Aintree

Gidleigh Park

11st 10lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Made mistakes and pulled up in the Clarence House at Ascot in January when last seen; however, prior to that he reappeared with a good second to subsequent Gold Cup runner-up Jango Baie in the Grade 2 1965 Chase at Ascot (2m5f, good) and last season's best performance came when runner-up in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices' Chase over C&D (good to soft) in April; arrives fresh, whereas most of these ran at the Cheltenham Festival; interesting.

15/2

1

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

15:30 Ascot

Gidleigh Park

11st 10lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Lightly raced 8yo who won Grade 2s as a novice hurdler and novice chaser; ran as well as he's ever done when 9l second to top-class Jango Baie in Grade 2 chase here (2m5f, good; handles soft) in November; more needed today but the drop back in trip should not inconvenience him in the slightest.

7/1

2nd

4

3rd Apr 2025

Good To Soft

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

13:45 Aintree

Gidleigh Park

11st 7lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Harry Fry

Grade 2 novice hurdle winner (2m4f, good to soft) who was pulled up on chase debut in November (irregular heartbeat) but impressed in four-runner Grade 2 novice at Windsor (2m, soft) in January, when subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Caldwell Potter was 4l behind in second; unraced on good ground; the step back up in trip seems a likely plus; firmly in calculations.

5/1

14/1

  • Place: £2.70

Form: 2212 D

Last run: 19 days

W: 11st 5lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Bolted up at Doncaster (2m3f, good to soft) and conceded 14lb to the winner when going down narrowly at Taunton (soft); unwise to knock that effort when his conqueror ran second to the smart Dysart Enos in last season's Grade 2 bumper for mares at the Grand National meeting; needs a second look.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

2

25th Apr 2026

Good

2m 5f 110y

Class 1

16:02 Sandown

Lucky Place

11st 10lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Dual Grade 2 winner last term; finished third at the same level on penultimate start but was behind Kabral Du Mathan and stablemate Jingko Blue in that Cheltenham race; seems set for another bronze medal at best.

11/1

Form: 37-611 D

Last run: 49 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 129

Form & Verdict
Only sixth here in October and all his other runs have been at Chepstow; impressive in winning his last two (2m3f; soft/heavy), though the two horses who chased him home last time have since come up short in fairly ordinary maidens; chasing will be his game further down the line and others appeal as more likely winners of this.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

4

18th Apr 2026

Soft

3m 7f 176y

Class 1

15:35 Ayr

Isaac Des Obeaux

11st 8lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Paul Nicholls

Made a bad mistake on penultimate outing but he won starts either side and latest was the 4m2f Midlands National at Uttoxeter (soft) in which he was always prominent and asserted by 8l on run-in, with Git Maker in third; up 7lb but his only attempt at a marathon trip brought a clear career best.

9/1

1st

5

14th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

4m 2f 8y

Class 1

15:00 Uttoxeter

Isaac Des Obeaux

11st 8lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Paul Nicholls

Beat none other than Haiti Couleurs over hurdles; their respective careers have headed in very different directions and this 8yo is only 1-7 over fences, the win coming in a small field at Exeter two runs back (3m, heavy); since then he lost his position after a bad mistake at Wincanton (3m2f); may yet have more to offer over an extreme distance such as this but he certainly needs it.

11/1

Form: 1-14 D

Last run: 28 days

W: 11st 5lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 136

Form & Verdict
Tongue tied the last twice; point/bumper winner who tanked through the race before easing clear of Moon D'Orange on his hurdling debut at Carlisle; confirmed himself to be highly promising when holding his own in the Grade 1 Challow at Newbury (2m4f, soft) where he closed to within 2l of the highly regarded Captain Teague (third in last season's Champion Bumper); hard to knock, back down in grade.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

33

11th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

4m 2f 74y

Class 1

16:00 Aintree

Johnnywho

10st 4lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Fine over these fences in November; laboured from before three out when a well-beaten fifth to Haiti Couleurs in Irish National last April; that was in the mud, though, and his top efforts have been on good to soft; they include his neck second in the 3m2f Kim Muir at Cheltenham last March and, equipped with first-time cheekpieces after wind surgery, a 3m1f win from Jagwar at this year's Festival; able to race here off the same mark as last time (due to go up 6lb) and he wasn't stopping in either of those big races at Cheltenham; seriously considered.

12/1

1st

7

10th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 0y

Class 1

15:20 Cheltenham

Johnnywho

11st 3lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Neck second in the Kim Muir here (3m2f, good to soft) 12 months ago; promise in defeat on his first two runs this season; not quite at the top of his game at Haydock last time but wind op since and cheekpieces are added; remains one to be interested in, especially given his Festival form.

11/1

5th

2

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 125y

Class 1

14:00 Haydock

Johnnywho

11st 1lb

J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Beaten just a neck in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival (3m2f, good to soft) last March and finished strongly for close third in the Silver Cup at Ascot (3m, good to soft) last month; every chance he'll be bang there.

3/1

OUR TIP

Form: 32-121 D

Last run: 79 days

W: 11st 8lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Bumper winner who was all out to get off the mark over hurdles at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) last time but the front two were miles clear and the runner-up appeared strongly fancied for a novice handicap at Lingfield last week only to depart mid-race; still has a lot to find in this company and James Bowen (aboard last time) rides the yard's other one.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

10th Apr 2026

Good To Yielding

2m 3f 100y

18:03 Wexford

Choccabloc

10st 13lb

J: Josh Williamson

T: Andrew McNamara

128-rated hurdler for Nicky Henderson; remote second in 2m6f Fairyhouse novice his best run over fences for current yard, most recently pulled up after never travelling in 2m5f Fairyhouse handicap on Saturday; hard to fancy unless quicker ground brings serious improvement.

20/1

8

4th Apr 2026

Yielding To Soft

2m 5f 45y

15:15 Fairyhouse

Choccabloc

10st 13lb

J: Anna McGuinness

T: Andrew McNamara

Bumper winner and fair 128-rated hurdler for Nicky Henderson, stayed 2m5f; beaten 14l in second over C&D in January before being pulled up in a 3m event at Navan; suffered the same fate in a Limerick race won by Kings Hill; questions to answer.

16/1

3

12th Mar 2026

Soft To Heavy

2m 1f 185y

14:54 Limerick

Choccabloc

11st 11lb

J: Brian Hayes

T: Andrew McNamara

Bumper winner and fair 128-rated hurdler for Nicky Henderson, stayed 2m5f; ran well up to the point of his fall two out over C&D on his second Irish start; fair second at Fairyhouse before being pulled up in a 3m handicap at Navan; out of his depth in a 2m Grade event on latest.

10/1

Form: 8212 D BF

Last run: 91 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Has found steady improvement with each of his runs and the horse he pushed to a neck here in October (good to soft) has since returned to win a Class 2 handicap; that October race here was over 3m but he won his Irish maiden at this trip and one of two Festival entries is over 2m5f; now has tongue tied; each-way claims.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10

27th Sep 2025

Good To Yielding

2m 6f 0y

16:30 Listowel

Antrim Coast

11st 4lb

J: Darragh O’Keeffe

T: Henry De Bromhead

Two-time hurdles winner is 0-7 over fences; fine effort in the Blazers when a 1.5l second off 1lb lower on penultimate; left Henry De Bromhead after a 7.5l second in a Killarney beginners' (sweated up in prelims); not discounted on debut for new yard.

9/2

2nd

1

21st Aug 2025

Good

2m 7f 100y

18:07 Killarney

Antrim Coast

11st 12lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Gavin Cromwell

Dual hurdle winner who is 0-6 over fences but continues to threaten, having finished bang there in handicaps at Punchestown (2m4f) and Galway (2m6f) the last twice; every chance.

6/4

2nd

18

1st Aug 2025

Good

2m 6f 111y

18:00 Galway

Antrim Coast

10st 13lb

J: Conor Stone-Walsh

T: Gavin Cromwell

Dual hurdles winner has been unable to win a chase in five attempts; the best of those came on handicap debut last time at Punchestown (2m4f, good to yielding) when a 0.5l second; going in the right direction.

9/1

Form: 15U233

Last run: 42 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
Odds-on for his sole success to date in a 2m6f maiden at Cartmel and Johnnywho made light work of him at Carlisle in November (2m4f); appeared to find some improvement for cheekpieces when third in a 3m Grade 2 here last time (soft) but he lacks the star potential of some of these.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

15th

9

9th May 2026

Good

3m 0f 58y

Class 2

12:45 Haydock

Moon Dorange

10st 8lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: John C McConnell

Inconsistent chaser who's saved his best for Cheltenham in 2025 and 2026, including a win (his only handicap success) in January 2025 and third at the Festival this March; both were over an extended 2m4f and he's shown his form only once from seven attempts under rules over 3m+; not the percentage call.

16/1

7th

9

15th Apr 2026

Good

2m 3f 203y

Class 1

14:40 Haydock

Moon Dorange

10st 10lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: John C McConnell

9lb higher when beaten 3.5l by Riskintheground 12 months ago; 0-10 in the meantime but the new visor worked well when a never-nearer third in the Plate at Cheltenham last month and clear claims if he can back that up.

9/1

3rd

22

10th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 44y

Class 1

16:40 Cheltenham

Moon Dorange

10st 2lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: John C McConnell

Pulled up in the 2m4f novice handicap here last March but that was out of character as he had won over that C&D the time before and generally has a good track record; not much of a force this season, though, and he doesn't look in enough form to take advantage of a weights drop; often wears headgear, first-time visor today.

50/1

Non-runners

Lord Of Thunder, Moon DOrange

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £6.90
Straight Forecast £7.82
Tricast £61.12
Trifecta £35.10

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Gidleigh Park

The Times:

Antrim Coast

RP RATINGS:

Johnnywho

TOPSPEED:

Lucky Place

The Guardian:

Antrim Coast

Daily Mail:

Antrim Coast

D Express:

Antrim Coast

LAMBOURN:

Lucky Place

POSTDATA:

Gidleigh Park

WEST COUNTRY:

Gidleigh Park

Telegraph:

Gidleigh Park

The Star:

Gidleigh Park

Daily Record:

Gidleigh Park

Daily Mirror:

Johnnywho

The Sun:

Johnnywho