Supreme Novices Hurdle Form

The Supreme Novices Hurdle form is one of the toughest races to work out. Especially as the leading contenders are the winners of the previous years winner and placed horses of the Champion Bumper. 

Last year’s runaway Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Dunguib is currently a red-hot antepost favourite. Philip Fenton’s stable star, looks to have only a few main contenders for the race including the Philip Hobbs-trained Menorah, who beat Bellvano by 12 lengths in a Kempton novices’ hurdle on Boxing Day, and the Nicky Henderson-trained Oscar Whisky, a dual bumper winner who made a sparkling start to his hurdling career at Newbury in December and followed up at Sandown last time out. Willie Mullins seems happy to be taking on Dunguib with Blackstairmountain.

Supreme Novices 2010 Form Guide

The horse on everyone's lips is Dunguib, last years winner of the 2009 Champion Bumper, successful in all his novice hurdles to date including the Deloitte novices on Hennessy day. He will start odds on for the opener at the festival. He has done everything on the bridle so far and he looks exceptional and it maybe worth getting an antepost price for the 2011 Champion Hurdle.

The Nicky Henderson trained Oscar Whisky blew away his rivals on his Hurdling debut at Newbury just before Xmas, he was an unbeaten Bumper horse and he jumps very quickly and may emerge as a real contender for this race come March. This view was supported by his easy win in the Kylmar Novices Hurdle at Sandown on the 19th February.

On Christmas day at Kempton Menorah beat the much touted Nicky Henderson Bellvano and this has seen changes in the ante post Supreme Novices betting. The race was run at a steady pace and this did suit the winner who won very well and this paid a very nice boost to Bobby Ewing who beat Menorah at Doncaster. Nicky Henderson got his own back when Menorah was beaten in his Supreme Warm Up race at Ascot in the Lomax Novice Hurdle by Lush Life and this puts a real dent in his credentials for the opener on the 16th March.

Paul Nicholls is never far off the mark in either the chasing or hurdling events and he may have an improver in Ghizao who won in a hack canter at Taunton at the end of January, the question here is what did he beat, but he is sidestepping this race.

Rite of Passage made a successful debut over hurdles at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Hurdle day and will now run in the Neptune Novices Hurdle.

It is always useful to keep an eye out for a good Pipe novice and we may have just seen one at Doncaster on the 6th February as on his debut Dan Breen hacked up in a competitive heat and has entered the betting at an interesting each way price.

More

• Supreme Novices Hurdle Race Information
• Supreme Novices Hurdle Odds
• Supreme Novices Hurdle Tips
• Supreme Novices Hurdle Form
• Supreme Novices Hurdle Results