Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices´ Hurdle Analysis

The £100,000 Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices' Hurdle always offers an exciting curtain raiser to The Festival and has received an entry of 119 for the 2005 renewal on Tuesday, March 15.

Currently heading the ante-post betting is Martin Pipe's Marcel, who has already landed an amazing nine races in Britain since his 125,000 euros purchase at Goffs France in July last year. He scored his most prestigious win to date last time out when taking the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown with Chilling Place in third, Wild Passion fourth, My Way Del Solzen fifth, and Phar Bleu sixth.

Pipe, seeking his third success in the race, has six others to choose from including Miss Academy, an impressive scorer on her British debut at Newcastle, and Royal Hector, who won five handicaps on the bounce before disappointing when favourite for the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton.

Alan King is the trainer with the highest number of entries, eight in total. King's octet are recent Warwick scorer Daryal, the promising Il Duce, Innocent Rebel, My Way De Solzen, North Lodge, Pretty Star, and recent Huntingdon victors Voy Por Ustedes and Penzance, who race respectively in the colours of Million In Mind and the Elite Racing Club.

There are no less than 41 entries from Ireland with three of these trained by one of the world's great dual-purpose handlers, Dermot Weld. The master of Rosewell House has made entries for Akshar, formerly a very useful handicapper on the Flat and a winner on his hurdling debut at Leopardstown, Loyal Focus, a maiden winner in two starts on the Flat but yet to start over hurdles, and Queen Astrid, a Listed scorer on the Flat and successful on her hurdling debut at Leopardstown.

Other leading Irish contenders include Feathard Lady, from the yard of last year's winning trainer Colm Murphy and undefeated in four starts, David Wachman's Master Albert, third in last season's Weatherbys Champion Bumper and a winner of his first two runs over hurdles before disappointing last time, the Tom Foley-trained Royal Paradise, a place behind Master Albert in the 2004 Weatherbys Champion Bumper and winner of three out of four runs over hurdles and Noel Meade's Wild Passion, triumphant in the Grade One Royal Bond Novices' Hurdle at Fairyhouse in November but only fourth behind Marcel last time out in the Tolworth Hurdle.

A brace of entries hail from France. Francois Rohaut has entered Sign Of The Wolf, a Group Three winner on the Flat but yet to start over hurdles. Ambobo comes from the yard of Arnaud Chaile-Chaile and is a winner of four of his five starts over hurdles in France, most recently in a Listed contest at Enghien on November 5. He was due to run at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The pick of the remainder includes Howard Johnson's Arcalis, successful in the John Smith's Cup at York in 2004 and a winner of two out of three over hurdles, and the James Fanshawe-trained duo of Pole Star, third in the 2003 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and undefeated in two runs over hurdles, and Prins Willem, impressive on his hurdling debut at Huntingdon but disappointing on his latest start at the same track when he was beaten by Voy Por Ustedes.

Scotland's hopes rest with Villon, trained by Len Lungo and undefeated in four starts. He was particularly impressive when winning last time out at Ayr while a very interesting recruit from the Flat could be the useful 10-furlong handicapper Dunaskin from the small but shrewd Northumberland yard of Don Eddy.

Olaso, a Group Two winner on the Flat in Germany, won his only hurdle for trainer Jonjo O'Neill and owner J P McManus, while Roman Ark has won his last three races.