Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Form

Throughout the season we will look at the various trials for this race. One of the key races to look at is the Albert Bartlett hurdle in December at Cheltenham. Another route that can be taken is the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Trials meeting in January which is the route that the 2007 winner Wichita Lineman took and he successfully stepped up in trip for the festival.

Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Latest Form and Race Card 2012

One of the first Albert Barlett contenders to emerge this season is the exciting Ongenstown Lad who simply hacked up at Cheltenham to win the AP McCoy Autobiography Novices Hurdle at the start of October. He looks to be a highly progressive sort for trainer Gillian Callaghan and is worth keeping an eye on through the winter.

We have seen another potential Albert Bartlett runner emerge in the form of the impressive Fingal Bay who looks a class act for Philip Hobbs. He made his seasonal debut in October and duly hosed up at Chepstow to win the Persian War Novices Hurdle over 2m 4f under a cool ride from Richard Johnson. He looked a class act that day and has followed up with another win at Cheltenham in the Open Meeting, he made one jumping mistake but was still too good for a decent field to enhance his reputation still further. His latest win came on New Years Eve as he won the Challow Novices Hurdle in good style and he remains unbeaten heading towards Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson is likely to aim Simonsig at the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle after he won the Redstone Novices Hurdle at Ascot first time out. It is a race that has been won by some nice types over the years and Simonsig looks a good horse. He has followed that up with a good second place behind Fingal Bay at Sandown, the two battled all the way to the line and both looked class acts with Fingal Bay just too good on the day.

• Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Form Guide 2011

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