Kevin's Recommended Bet (scale 1-5 points):
ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICES' HURDLE (Friday 15th March)
1pt each-way DERRINROSS (20-1 bet365, 16-1 general)
3
14:50 Cheltenham 15 Mar 2019
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
Grade 1 | Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle | Class 1 | 4YO plus
Winner £73,506 - 20 ran
Position
Dist Btn
Horse
SP
Age / Wt
OR
Jockey / Trainer
1
raced freely and travelled well virtually throughout, jumped into lead 3 out, came toward stands side between last 2, ridden before last, stayed on well under pressure flat
2
2
in touch, dropped to mid-division 5th, headway on outside after 3 out, not fluent next, chased winner between last 2, ridden and edged left before last, kept on but always held flat
3
7
mid-division on outside, chased leaders and effort turning in, one pace in 3rd before last, kept on but no chance with clear pair flat
4
1¾
held up towards rear, headway under pressure after 2 out, ridden turning in, stayed on into 4th after last, no impression with leaders
5
5
towards rear, headway after 3 out, driven to chase leaders between last 2, no impression in 4th before last, ridden and weakened flat
6
7
made most to before 7th, with leader, led again 4 out to next, chased winner, ridden and weakened before last
7
¾
held up behind, smooth headway before 2 out, effort to challenge on inside turning in, soon driven and unable to go with leaders, weakened last
8
2
held up behind, struggling before 2 out, ridden and stayed on into mid-division before last, never pace to get involved
9
nk
tracked leaders, outpaced 2 out, soon ridden and lost place, weakened before last
10
nk
chased leaders on inside, driven after 2 out, soon ridden, never on terms, weakened before last
11
4
raced keenly, in touch, lost place before 2 out, weakened before last
12
hd
in touch on outside, lost place when ridden after 2 out, soon weakened
13
13
held up behind, outpaced 2 out, some headway into mid-division between last 2, never threatened leaders, weakened before last
14
7
with leader, led before 7th, headed 4 out, in touch, lost place 2 out, soon ridden, weakened before last
PU
mid-division, headway 3 out, chased leaders next, driven and unable to quicken turning in, weakened and pulled up before last
PU
tracked leaders, lost place 4 out, behind from next, tailed off when pulled up before last
PU
held up, always behind, lost touch 2 out, pulled up before last
PU
never better than mid-division, behind from halfway, eased and pulled up before 3 out
PU
tracked leaders, lost place when hit 7th, struggling 4 out, soon behind, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out
PU
mid-division, still there when blundered 2 out, not recover and soon weakened, behind when pulled up before last
Betting returns
| Type | Winnings |
|---|---|
| Betfair SP | £140.87 |
| CSF | £238.76 (14, 6) |
| Tricast | £1,857.72 (14, 6, 1) |
| Win | £129.50 (14) |
| Place | £21.40 (14), £2.20 (6), £3.50 (1) |
| Swinger | £7.90 (1, 6), £100.10 (1, 14), £76.50 (6, 14) |
| Exacta | £855.30 (14, 6) |
| Trifecta | £9,934.80 (14, 6, 1) |
Expert Analysis
Last year’s race
- Winner: Kilbricken Storm
- Jockey: H Cobden
- Trainer: C L Tizzard
- Owner: A Selway & P Wavish
- Age: 7 Weight: 11st 5lb
- Starting Price: 33/1
- Season Form Figures: 3113
- Previous Best: 1st - Bristol Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2), Cheltenham (Dec 2017)
The Albert Bartlett can be such a brutal examination of a novice’s stamina, and especially on soft ground like in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2018 which were slogs, so it can lead to surprise results like Kilbricken Storm’s 33/1 success last year.
Experience counts which is no better illustrated by the fact that although this is a race restricted to novices, six of the 14 winners had run over hurdles the previous season. The 2017 winner Penhill, didn’t fit that profile but he was vastly experienced from the flat where he ran 18 times so was battle hardened. He became only the second winner that had run on the flat and the other was in a non-thoroughbred race in France.
Experience counts which is no better illustrated by the fact that although this is a race restricted to novices, six of the 14 winners had run over hurdles the previous season.
The Hyde, Bristol and Classic Novice Hurdles, all Grade 2 events run at Cheltenham at the November, December and late-January Meetings respectively, have featured nine of the 14 Albert Bartlett winners between them so previous Cheltenham experience has been a notable factor so far, especially as there have been four Irish-trained winners and it is rare for the best novice hurdlers to travel over from Ireland before the Festival. The best record of those races belongs to the Classic Novices’ Hurdle won by Birchdale with four of the last 12 winners going on to win and not all winners from Trials Day would have ended up in the Albert Bartlett. Santini was third last season after he won the ‘Classic’.
It was the ‘Bristol’ that was the key guide from Cheltenham earlier in the season in 2017/18 as Kilbricken Storm won both races emulating Black Jack Ketchum, Nenuphar Collonges and Unowhatimeaharry. This season that Grade 2 in December was won by Rockpoint, though Lisnagar Oscar (3rd) comprehensively reversed placings at Haydock in February.
The most notable Irish guide so far has been the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown which last year was upgraded to a Grade 1 and bumped up in trip from 2m4f to 2m6f. This season’s winner, Commander Of Fleet, looks set to be the chief Gigginstown contender and they have won the Albert Bartlett twice and also supplied the close-up second and third in 2015 and looked set to supply the favourite last year, Cracking Smart, until he was injured. Willie Mullins had fired 25 bullets including three favourites and finally got his first Albert Bartlett winner two years ago with Penhill.
Martello Tower and Penhill won the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle over 3m at Limerick over Christmas en route to winning the Albert Bartlett which this season was won by Derrinross.
At a glance summary
- Positives
- Second-season hurdlers
- Owned by Gigginstown House Stud
- Previous quality novice hurdle form at Cheltenham
- Contested a race over at least three miles before
- Won a pattern race over hurdles
- Negatives
- Fewer than three runs over hurdles
Expert Analysis
Published 8th February
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is a race that rewards stamina and toughness. It regularly turns into a real slog and going into the race with plenty of experience and maturity has proven to be significant for many previous winners. While it is a race that can throw up some unexpected runners that are rerouted from the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle late in the day, one contender that has already been committed to it and makes plenty of appeal is the Philip Dempsey-trained DERRINROSS.
The lightly-raced eight-year-old clearly hasn’t been the easiest to train with him having had just seven starts on the racecourse to date, but he is clearly talented. Making his return from almost a year off the track, he got off the mark over hurdles in fine style when making most of the running to beat Sams Profile in a Grade 3 novice hurdle over three miles at Cork in December.
The son of Saddler Maker gives the strong impression that there is more left in his tank and that the extreme stamina test that the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle tends to represent will suit him very well.
He had never made the running prior to that and only went on as nothing else wanted to. With his ears pricked all the way and seeming to idle all the way down the straight, he gave the impression that he would be even better when getting a lead off something else.
Three weeks later he ran in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Limerick and again, nothing else wanted to go on, so he ended up making the running again. While he didn’t jump quite as fluently as he had at Cork, he still ran out the cosy winner by ¾-length from Defi Bleu having idled all the way down the straight, again.
The son of Saddler Maker gives the strong impression that there is more left in his tank and that the extreme stamina test that the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle tends to represent will suit him very well. There doesn’t tend to be a lack a pace in the race either, so he will finally get the chance to chase horses rather than lead them, which is likely to be a help to him.
The one note of caution is that he has a preference for soft ground and there will likely need to be juice in the terrain for him to take his chance. If that proves to the case, the increased emphasis that will be put on stamina on softer ground will only play even more to his strengths. He is a very interesting contender at a big price.
