Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Winter Novices' Hurdle) 2011

1.55 Sandown

Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Winter Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2) (Class 1)  (4YO plus)

Winner £12,073

Advice: 1 pt win Fingal Bay (7/4 Boylesports)

Fingal Bay: Marked down as a hurdler to follow when taking home to win Exeter bumper by 22 lengths and backed that up when easing home to win Grade 2 at Chepstow by 6 lengths, hurdling fluently throughout; Repeat at Cheltenham even more impressive given concession of 3lbs to Barbatos (reopposes) after recovering well from mistakes.

Jump City: Bumped into Grade 1 placed Smad Place on hurdling debut and showed he’d put that to good use when running out a fairly easy winner of novice hurdle at Exeter on seasonal debut;  Should go well here despite steep step up in class.

 

Simonsig: A should be triple point winner but for falling who created a good impression when easily landing a strong Fairyhouse bumper for Ian Ferguson in April; Moved to Nicky Henderson since and didn’t break sweat when landing admittedly weak Ascot hurdle on debut; Should go well.

Sizing Symphony: Proved a little disappointing last year but unbeaten in three races this season, winning all three starts impressively (notably at Cheltenham on his latest start); This demands more but the fact that he’s sent here by now leading Irish connections speaks volumes. 

Barabatos: Took an age to bring some of his French form (only three lengths behind Spirit Son there) but took his time to get back to form; Kept up to work to win maiden hurdle at Aintree before good second to Fingal Bay latest, and a lot of work to do if he wants to make impact.

Coral Point: Second and winner in points but low class on flat and soundly beaten on both starts 

over hurdles. 

The Strawberry One: Only just denied for a ninth hurdle win when unable to give away the weight at Market Rasen in the summer (had come no worse than second in 6 summer jumping runs); This should prove too good for him.

VERDICT: Probably the best novice hurdle run in Britain so far this season, at any distance. The unbeaten record of FINGAL BAY looks under threat here but he still holds the strongest form here and the way he recovered from a major mistake augurs well for his attitude under pressure. Nicky Henderson’s Simonsig is greatly feared after his impressive win at Ascot, for all he’ll have to find much more here, while Paul Nicholls’s Jump City and Henry De Bromhead’s Sizing Symphony also command respect.