Supreme Novices Hurdle Tips : Simonsig Steps To Freedom for Cheltenham 2012
It doesn’t get much better, in terms of atmosphere, than being a part of the infamous Cheltenham roar which engulfs Prestbury Park as the runners and riders of the Supreme Novices Hurdle break the tape on the first day of the Festival.
It represents the beginning of the four day extravaganza, but also one of the toughest and most competitive races of the meeting. That roar is usually replaced at the finishing line by screams of joy coming from bookmaker pitches – in recent years, anyway.
Supposed good things such as Amaretto Rose (2007), Cousin Vinny (2009), Dunguib (2010) and Cue Card (2011) have all got punters off to a dreadful start to the Festival and you have to go back to 2004 and Brave Inca’s win for Colm Murphy to find the last favourite successful in the hotly anticipated curtain raiser.
The race is run over two miles and is open for horses aged four or above, although four-year-olds have a terrible record in the race – Hors La Loi III was the last winner for the juvenile generation in 1999.
That Martin Pipe trained winner is one of two horses that have followed up the next season in the Champion Hurdle, the other being the aforementioned Brave Inca.
Last year’s renewal was won by the Paul Nicholls-trained Al Ferof, who claimed the scalp of the seemingly unbeatable Cue Card, who couldn’t become the first horse since Montelado back in 1993 to complete the Champion Bumper/Supreme double in back-to-back years. The Patrick Flynn-trained horse still holds the unique feat of winning consecutive Festival races, landing the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 1992, the last race of that year’s meeting, and returning to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the next year, the first race 12 months later.
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the annual Festival curtain raiser and this year’s race is shaping up to be as competitive as ever.
Leading the ante-post market is the Jessica Harrington-trained Steps To Freedom, who will look to continue Ireland’s good record in the Festival opener. The Emerald Isle have landed the race eight times in the last 13 years.
It seems as though the six-year-old has the perfect combination of strong flat form added to good speed sprinkled with an eye-catching jumping technique of hurdles.
Additionally, he already has winning Cheltenham form in the book after a gutsy win in the Grade Two Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle in November, where he saw off Prospect Wells by a neck. That race hasn’t always worked out well in terms of the Supreme Novices. However, Harrington herself as a strong affinity with Prestbury Park as she saddled Moscow Flyer to win two Champion Chase’s and an Arkle between 2002 and 2005.
What also bodes well for the current ante-post favourite is that apart from Paul Nicholls, the past 10 runnings of the Supreme Novices Hurdle have all been won by different trainers and Harrington has yet to register a win in this race. The horse is likely to have a prep race on the all-weather at Dundalk as a sharpener before he jets across the Irish Sea in March.
The highly promising Darlan trained by Nicky Henderson also has attracted a lot of support in the market but punters must be wary that Henderson hasn’t tasted success in the race since Flown won in 1992 – he did however have the second (Spirit Son) and third (Sprinter Sacre) last season.
Like Steps For Freedom, Darlan has also won at Cheltenham this season but only beat the 121-rated High Storm by a nose and how much he finds off the bridle is questionable, especially at a stiff track like Prestbury Park. He may be best suited to perhaps Aintree, followed by Punchestown, rather than a trip to the Festival.
The longest-priced winner of the Festival opener was Arctic Kinsman at 50/1 in 1994 and although not quite in that price range, Montbazon could represent a bit of value for punters. Alan King has a fine record with juveniles and his stable is really thriving this season.
The five-year-old finished a strong second at Newbury behind Colour Squadron before winning a Plumpton maiden in the style of a world-beater. A stiff two-miles at Cheltenham should be right up his street and unlike other entries, you can almost guarantee his chosen Festival race is going to be the Supreme Novices.
