Festival Novice Hurdle Entries Revealed

ENTRIES FOR FESTIVAL NOVICE HURDLES REVEALED

Entries are revealed today for the four Grade One novice hurdles at The Festival ? the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Tuesday, March 10), the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle (Wednesday, March 11), the JCB Triumph Hurdle (Friday, March 13) and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Friday, March 13).

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle always provides a thrilling curtain-raiser to The Festival and this year's contest looks as competitive as ever with 112 entries, including 38 from Ireland. Leading contenders include last year's Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Cousin Vinny and the hugely exciting Hurricane Fly, who are two of seven entries from Willie Mullins' yard, while Nicky Henderson's Mad Max, unbeaten in four starts, looks one of the strongest contenders from the home-trained contingent.

Few horses so far this season have created such a favourable impression as Diamond Harry, who is now unbeaten in six starts and one of 125 entries for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle. Two of his victories have come at Cheltenham, most recently in the Grade Two Racecourse Of The Year Classic Novices' Hurdle on Festival Trials Day, January 24. There are 46 entries from Ireland while Francois Doumen supplies the two contenders from France.

Always one of the most competitive contests at The Festival, the JCB Triumph Hurdle has attracted 83 entries in 2009, including 20 from Ireland and two from France. There are several unbeaten four-year-olds engaged, including Zaynar from the Nicky Henderson stable and Starluck, who could aim to give Alan Fleming a Festival winner in his first season as a trainer. Alan King won the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2005 with Penzance and with subsequent Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle victor Katchit in 2007. This year he has another strong contender in Walkon, who advertised his credentials with success in the Grade Two Wragge & Co Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day.

The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, run over three miles, has received 102 entries, including 37 from Ireland and three from France. Paul Nicholls has nominated the contest as a likely target for Pride Of Dulcote.

TURNELL BACK ON FESTIVAL TRAIL WITH MICHEAL FLIPS

Wiltshire-based trainer Andrew Turnell has recorded four successes at The Festival, most notably with Katabatic in the 1991 Queen Mother Champion Chase, and has another live contender for glory this year in the shape of Micheal Flips, a #200,000 purchase from the Brightwells Sale held at the racecourse in April, 2008. The five-year-old, a winning Irish point-to-pointer, has won three of his four starts over hurdles. His latest victory came at Kempton on Boxing Day, when he scored by an impressive seven lengths.

Turnell said today: "We have given Michael Flips entries in both the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle and he will almost certainly go for the two-mile race at the moment.

"He's come out of his win at Kempton in good form and we will be going straight to The Festival with him now because he goes well fresh. He made a very bad blunder at the penultimate flight when he was second to Show Winner at the same course in November, and cut his knee open.

"He would appear to be more effective on a faster surface but he won a point to point at Lismore last March on yielding ground so I'm hopeful that he's quite versatile in terms of ground.

"I would be optimistic that he's improved since Boxing Day and he's only five so we've still got plenty to look forward to with him. We bought him as a potential chaser and he'll go over the larger obstacles next season so anything that he does this season is a bonus."

THE SUPREME NOVICES' HURDLE

Class 1, Grade 1, Total Prize Fund #120,000, 1.30pm Tuesday, March 10, 2009, two miles and about half a furlong, for novice four-year-olds and upwards. Weights 4-y-o 10st 13lb, 5-y-o and upwards 11st 7lb, fillies and mares allowance 7lb. Entries closed January 27, 2009 (112 entries), entries released, January 29, forfeit stage February 17. Six-day confirmation stage, March 4, final declaration stage 10.00am, March 9. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including Wednesday, January 28, 2009. May not include some overseas form.

Analysis

The Grade One Supreme Novices' Hurdle, run over an extended two miles, provides a thrilling commencement to four days of breathtaking sport at The Festival. The championship contest has attracted a 112-strong entry, with 38 of those being trained in Ireland.

County Carlow trainer Willie Mullins won this race with Tourist Attraction (1995) and Ebaziyan (2007) and leads the Irish assault with two of the current market leaders. Hurricane Fly has won four of five starts for Mullins since arriving from France last year, including a brace of Grade Ones this season. He defeated Donnas Palm and stablemate Cousin Vinny in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November before seeing off Go Native and Zarinava to win the paddypower.com Future Champion Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 27. Last season's Grade One Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Cousin Vinny has won both his starts since that reversal. The Mullins-trained Mikael D'Haguenet landed the Grade One Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Navan in December and added a Grade Two at Naas on January 4.

Numerically, Mullins' seven-strong entry does not match that of compatriot Noel Meade who numbers Donnas Palm and Go Native among 10 entries. Edward O'Grady saddled Back In Front to win the race in 2003 following on from Golden Cygnet in 1978. He has five horses engaged, notably Leopardstown maiden hurdle victor Alexander Severus, as well as fellow former Ballydoyle inmate Acapulco, who contested the Derby and St Leger in 2007.

Colm Murphy saddled subsequent Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle hero Brave Inca to win this race in 2004 and he has entered Voler La Vedette alongside Zaarito, third in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at The Festival in 2008 and successful over hurdles at Punchestown on January 12.

It is 17 years since Flown landed the spoils for Nicky Henderson, also successful with River Ceiriog in 1986, but the trainer leads a strong home defence with six entries topped by the unbeaten Mad Max, successful over hurdles at Ascot and Newbury this term, and Ainama, who made an impressive winning debut at Kempton on January 26. The Seven Barrows contingent also includes classy Flat racer Eradicate, a comfortable winner on debut at Taunton on January 15.

Alan King's 10 entries include Karabak, second to Mad Max before winning novice events at Cheltenham and Ascot, Grade Two Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle winner Medermit, the hat-trick seeking Cosmea and Doncaster winner Enfant De Lune.

The giant Quwetwo, an easy winner at Doncaster on January 23, could bid to give County Durham trainer Howard Johnson a second victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle following Arcalis in 2005. The trainer also has classy Flat recruit Red Moloney among eight entries. Andy Turnell rode Beacon Light to victory in 1976 for his trainer father Bob and could saddle Micheal Flips after the five-year-old registered a seven-length triumph at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has five entries, the pick being Conflictofinterest, who could bid to follow the trainer's Noland (2006) to victory in the race. Fellow West Country handler Philip Hobbs has entered a quartet that includes Copper Bleu and The Ladbroke runner-up Belcantista, while Golan Way, a course and distance winner at The Open in the Grade Two Sharp Novices' Hurdle, could represent trainer Sheena West.

David Pipe has entered 10 horses including Master Of Arts, a prolific winner on the Flat for Sir Mark Prescott, and the former Ger Lyons-trained Dundalk winner Nice Style, a well as Ronaldo Des Mottes and Torphichen.

Grade Two Blue Square Novices' Hurdle runner-up Son Of Flicka and third-placed McMurrough could represent trainers Donald McCain and Malcolm Jefferson, respectively.