Aintree Festival 2013 - Top Novices' Hurdle

2.00 Aintree

Rose Appeal Supports Alder Hey Top Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) (Class 1)  (4YO plus)

Winner £34,170

Advice: 10 pts double My Tent Or Yours, 2.00 Aintree & Sprinter Sacre, 3.05 Aintree (1.96 Sportingbet)

Art Of Logistics: Has shown significant potential in all three wins, although disappointed in stiffest test when well behind Un Atout but plenty of potential when winning well at Fairyhouse latest despite mistake at last; Interesting to see what he does on better ground.

Brick Red: Found new lease of life over hurdles for front running since the turn of the year, winning well at Ludlow, Wincanton and Museelbrugh, but beaten the moment that Forgotten Voice got going and not weighted to reverse that form; This will suit better than 2m2f but hard to see him playing major role.

Forgotten Voice: Group standard on the flat, clear cut winner of Royal Hunt Cup and Group placed on multiple occasions, class which shone through when winning first two starts at Bangor and Market Rasen; Didn’t enjoy soft ground in when fourth in Kempton handicap but much better when outpacing Brick Red there on Dovecote Hurdle; This a natural followup but shouldn’t be able to touch stablemate.

My Tent Or Yours: One of the outstanding novice hurdlers of the season (smart bumper horse who was second only to the New One here last year), winning Betfair Hurdle with ease not seen for some years off mark of 149 before just going down in epic renewal of Supreme Novice Hurdle; This far easier assignment on track that will suit far more and will win well if not bottomed out by long season.

Zuider Zee: One of the smartest flat horses in the field, third in the Henry II Stakes and then fourth at Royal Ascot; First run for some months when second on hurdling debut and impressive winner dropped back to 2m at Ayr latest; Interesting to see what he can do here.

VERDICT: This is a lot less testing than the Supreme Novice Hurdle MY TENT OR YOURS nearly won at the Festival, and unless he’s severely overcooked from a long season, he should win easily here and looks well worth doubling with stablemate Sprinter Sacre in the Melling. Forgotten Voice should be second best around a very similar track to the one where he beat Brick Red so easily in the Dovecote Novice Hurdle, while Zuider Zee is also an interesting contender.