cheltenham 2013
by Andrew Gibson
14:10 Haydock Sat 18 February
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Prestige Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2) (Class 1) (4YO plus)
Heavy
Winner £12,073 - 9 ran
Result
- 1st
(3)
Brindisi Breeze
(IRE)
9/2 CFav
- - Miss Lucinda V Russell
- - C I Gillies
- 2nd (4) Harry Topper 9/2 CFav
- 3rd (5) Meister Eckhart (IRE) 11/1
9 ran
- Weighed In
CFav:
2nd Harry Topper 9/2, 4th Real Milan 9/2, 6th Thehillofuisneach 9/2
| CSF: | £23.77 |
|---|---|
| Tote Win: | £4.00 |
| Tote Place: | £1.60 |
| Tote Swinger: | £3.30 |
| Tote Exacta: | £28.20 |
| Tote Trifecta: | £244.40 |
RACE ANALYSIS
BRINDISI BREEZE made it three from three after a super impressive-looking all-the-way success on desperate ground at Haydock. Although the nature of this win was particularly pleasing to the eye the actual substance to the form is less clear. As impressive as this looked the winning distances may well have a lot to do with most of his rivals failing to get home in the conditions. Whether or not Brindisi Breeze would be as effective on the quicker ground he is likely to encounter at Cheltenham in March is highly debatable at best. He was beaten in a minor bumper contest at Musselburgh on the only occasion he has raced on good going; moreover, the horse that beat him that day started at 80/1 and went on to finish a well-beaten fourth in a similar event over the same course and distance.
Brindisi Breeze is not without a chance in the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at the festival, but the percentage call is for him to continue to perform to his best when racing on testing ground. Therefore, although he is undoubtedly a really exciting horse to look forward to, at his current odds of 12/1and given doubts about the suitability of the probable ground, there should be at least a couple of horses taking him on with profiles more suited to the demands of that contest.