Min heads a field of 14 for this year’s renewal of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Willie Mullins’ gelding the 7/4 favourite for the curtain-raiser, as connections bid to make history.
Mullins and Ruby Walsh have combined to win the last three renewals of the opening Group One contest, with Champagne Fever, Vautour and Douvan all entering the winners’ enclosure by their larger than life owner Rich Ricci.
Connections bid to secure a fourth consecutive success in the race with Min, a winner on both starts over hurdles since joining new connections, and hyped up before making his debut for the Mullins yard earlier in the campaign.
Trainer Willie Mullins (right) during a gallops session at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
He is respected but is on the skinny side for a horse that doesn’t look as good as either Douvan or Vautour, and is overlooked instead for the Nicky Henderson pair of Altior and Buveur D’Air. The latter lowered the colours of Wait for Me on his hurdles debut at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting in November and built on that further when following-up last month under a penalty at Huntingdon.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle prices from BetVictor: Min 7/4; Altior 7/2; Buveur D’Air 13/2; Belshill 10/1; Tombstone 10/1; 14/1 Bar
He may just lack the experience of stablemate Altior (1.30) however, who is given the nod under regular pilot Nico De Boinville.
The selection has been nothing short of progressive over timber, winning over course and distance at Cheltenham’s Open Meeting in November and bettering that when beating Mullins’ Open Eagle at Kempton on Boxing Day. He showed a tremendous turn of foot to pull away in the closing stages, despite hitting a flat spot on the turn for home, and can give his trainer Nicky Henderson a third Supreme Novices’ Hurdle success.
Henderson and De Boinville must go close with Vaniteux in the Racing Post Arkle, however last year’s Supreme winner Douvan (2.10) is unopposable at the prices and will likely secure back-to-back festival successes under Ruby Walsh.
The selection has impressed on all three starts over the larger obstacles, winning both starts in Group One company at Leopardstown by a collective 33 lengths, and should complete hat-trick of top-flight successes with the minimal of fuss.
BetVictor have Lengthen The Odds markets on all 28 races at the Festival and instead of backing the odds-on favourite for the Arkle at around 4/11, punters get better value at around even money to win by six or more lengths.
Connections are represented by Annie Power in the feature with Willie Mullins’ star mare heading the market as the 2/1 favourite to make amends for her mishap at last year’s festival.
The eight-year-old fell at the last when looking home and hosed in the Mares’ Hurdle last term and has been re-routed from the same race after reigning Champion Faugheen was ruled out of defending his Champion Hurdle crown last month.
She must go close in receipt of 7lb from the field but hasn’t run over the minimum trip in over two years and is opposed at the prices for The New One (3.20) for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies. The selection has finished third and fifth in the previous two renewals of the race but arrives with the yard in excellent form at present and no Faugheen in the way this time around.
The Mullins bandwagon moves onto the Mares’ Hurdle with the King of Clossuton bidding to win the race for an eighth successive year and he has Vroum Vroum Mag, the 11/10 favourite with BetVictor, as well as stablemate Gitane du Berlais.
Both bring top-level form, but at the prices a chance is taken on Polly Peachum (4.10) going one better than her narrow runner-up finish in the race last year. Nicky Henderson’s mare built on her seasonal reappearance at Kempton when winning last time out in listed company at Sandown and should relish this afternoon’s extra test of stamina and go close under David Bass.
Bass enjoyed a first Festival success aboard Kim Bailey’s Darna in last year’s Festival Plate and the pair combine with Twelve Roses (5.30) who must go close in the closing Novices’ Handicap Chase over two and a half miles.
The selection was fifth behind Faugheen in the 2014 Neptune Novices’ Hurdle but has proven even better over fences, beating Neil Mulholland’s Southfield Royale on his chase debut at Wetherby in October and has been far from disgraced thereafter.
The section disappointed on both starts stepped up to three miles, but looked back to his best over two and a half miles last time out at Kempton and from a 2lb lower mark looks well-treated to give a good account.
Whilst Twelve Roses disappointed once stepped up in trip Southfield Royale (4.50) has done nothing but improve winning his next two starts over three miles, before chasing home Tea For Two in the G1 Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton over Christmas. The well-bred son of Presenting looks like he will be even better over a trip and, with the excellent book of Nina Carberry in the plate, can reward each-way support at 8/1 with BetVictor in this afternoon’s National Hunt Chase over the marathon four-mile trip.
Holywell (2.50) landed the three-mile Festival Handicap two years ago and can likewise reward each-way support in this year’s renewal under regular partner Richie McClernon.
Jonjo O’Neill’s charge shares the burden of top-weight alongside Henry de Bromhead’s Shanahans Turn but is rated 10lb lower than this time last year when fourth in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, and can run well en-route to a tilt at next month’s Grand National at Aintree.
For all the latest odds head to BetVictor.com and follow @BetVictorRacing on Twitter - be lucky.
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