Novice Hurdlers who caught my eye over Christmas with a view to Cheltenham

The Christmas period between Leopardstown and Limerick Racecourse threw up several novice hurdlers who made a strong impression, and here I will focus on those performances.

Ballyfad

The first horse I want to highlight is Ballyfad, the winner of the opening race of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Jack Kennedy, Ballyfad was an emphatic nine-and-a-half length winner over Leader D'allier, and it was hard not to be taken by the manner of the performance.

A big, imposing four-year-old son of Tirwanako, Ballyfad had already shown plenty of ability in bumpers, winning twice at Down Royal before displaying real class when battling back to land a competitive contest at Punchestown.

As far as hurdling debuts go, this was close to flawless. Kennedy ensured it was a proper test, and what stood out most was that the further Ballyfad went, the better he looked.

He was foot-perfect at his hurdles and was really finding more from the last to the line. There was something of a Don Cossack-type look about him - a big, strong horse with a long, powerful stride - and he looks the type to improve significantly when stepped up in trip.

He could be an extremely useful horse for Gordon Elliott and the Gigginstown team as the season unfolds.

King Rasko Grey

The next performance that really caught the eye came at Limerick on December 28th, courtesy of King Rasko Grey.

A €250,000 purchase, he had been well fancied to win a bumper at Punchestown earlier in the season before bumping into a strong Emmet Mullins-trained rival. However, his maiden hurdle win over Christmas was about as impressive as you could ask for.

Ridden by Danny Mullins, King Rasko Grey travelled beautifully on testing ground and barely put a foot wrong at his hurdles. He wasn’t seriously asked to come off the bridle until approaching the last, where he made a slight mistake, but once Danny Mullins asked him to stretch, the race was put to bed very quickly.

Maiden hurdles were not easily won over Christmas, and this was a performance full of authority. He looks another high-class prospect for the Turley family, owners of Galopin Des Champs, and one with plenty of upside.

Starting Fifteen

Another novice who made a big impression was Starting Fifteen, who won at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day for Eric McNamara and Sean Flanagan. He beat a well-touted French recruit from Willie Mullins’ yard by four and a half lengths, and the form looks solid.

Starting Fifteen has been progressive from the outset. He began his career in a Limerick bumper, finishing second to Light Up The Dark, before running third in a Punchestown bumper behind Bud Fox.

He then made his hurdling debut on October 18th, where he finished second to Talk The Talk. He arguably should have won that day, making a clumsy mistake at the last which cost him valuable ground that he couldn’t quite recover.

His Christmas performance was particularly taking. He found himself shuffled back at times, appeared to meet traffic problems turning for home, yet managed to latch back onto the bridle before asserting impressively.

He won snugly in the end and looks a horse capable of progressing through the grades.

Talk The Talk

That naturally brings us to Talk The Talk, who very nearly capped a perfect Christmas period for Sam Ewing on December 27th. Trained by Joseph O’Brien, Talk The Talk had previously finished second in a Newbury bumper for Stuart Crawford before switching yards and winning his maiden hurdle by beating Starting Fifteen.

He then went to Fairyhouse and produced a dominant display in the Jack McInerney Memorial Hurdle, beating I’m Slippy by seven and a half lengths, with Murcia and Wendrock well held behind.

That performance earned him a shot at the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, where he looked set to play a major role before jumping the last too boldly and coming down.

Despite that disappointment, the regard in which he is held speaks volumes. It is not often you hear Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, suggest that a horse could be one of the best young prospects they’ve owned, yet that is exactly the noise surrounding Talk The Talk.

With reported interest from multiple potential buyers, he looks like a proper horse with the scope to be anything.