Hyde Novices’ Hurdle Tips & Betting Preview

Race Time: 2.15pm Meeting: Cheltenham Day: Friday 13th November
Distance: 2m 5f 26yds Full Race Name: Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Hyde Novices’ Hurdle) Grade Two Class One

A disappointing four runners are set to go to post for this valuable event, headed in our view by Penglai Pavilion (11/8) who hasn’t done a lot wrong since switching codes for John Ferguson, with three wins from three attempts, at Hexham, Stratford, and when stepped up to this trip here last time out. Although his hurdling could do with a bit of polishing on the schooling grounds, he has impressed on each and every occasion, and as a son of Monsun won’t mind any further rain between now and race time, while the yard continue in good form which also needs to be included in our calculations for the only course and distance winner in the field as the stable look to follow up last year’s win with Parlour Games.

Sadly, Paul Nicholls sends Alcala (9/1) here (we had hoped he would run elsewhere), and he would be just about the biggest danger to our selection. It may have taken him a while for the penny to drop but he could hardly have been any more impressive at Worcester when hacking round in a canter to win by sixteen lengths erased down, and although the bare form isn’t quite there just yet, anyone could see the room he has for further improvement, even with their eyes closed. The form has been let down by runner up Captain McGinley who was beaten almost five times as far at Warwick over three and a quarter miles but may not have stayed the trip and was eased when beaten, while the third and fifth have both failed dramatically, which was easily enough to tip the balance in our selection’s favour.

Up and coming trainer Neil Mulholland has never made much of a secret of his high regard for Shantou Village (9/2), an excitingly named son of Shantou out of Village Queen (give someone an award for original thinking), but who remains unbeaten after the holy trio of point to point at Loughanmore, bumper at Wetherby, and novice hurdle at Carlisle, the last named over this sort of trip and by nineteen lengths in mid October. The form of that race isn’t too bad considering, with the runner up winning next time out, and the third a previous winner, and although he needs to step up again to take on anything or everything the Mullins yard send over, he looks as though he may have a pretty rosy future and we won’t be discounting his chances quite as quickly as some others might.

Finding an outsider has proved impossible in such a superb renewal, so we will round things off with the David Pipe trained Champers On Ice (5/2), another to win last time out, and another in with a chance if he improves as expected. After winning an Irish point to point he was all out to take his bumper over two and a quarter miles at Punchestown back in April, but is expected to appreciate the step up in trip, softer going, and hurdles this afternoon, and should be on the scene close home with Tom Scudamore in the saddle as expected.