DAWN COMING
McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2.40 Tuesday)
Sometimes this race is won by fancied horses who have decent form on the Flat, or winning form in France. Other times it’s won by bigger priced horses who have remained under the radar, quietly gaining experience as they go. Dawn Coming is the latter. This is a juvenile whose had four eye-catching runs without troubling the judge. Each run he’s been given plenty of room and plenty of time as though his future lies in handicaps. His penultimate start was particularly pertinent when he was second to a 105-rated ex-Flat horse called The Reverend who might have played a part in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown if he hadn’t unseated approaching the last. Charles Byrnes is as master at producing horses for big handicaps and this novice looks to me to be no exception.
ECHOING SILENCE
Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (1.20 Thursday)
With plenty of chat about Bambino Fever and Oldschool Outlaw, and rightly so, Henry de Bromhead and owner Kenny Alexander’s representative in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle has I think somewhat been overlooked. Echoing Silence is a 410,000 euros point winner, bumper winner, novice hurdle and Listed hurdle winner. She may not be flashy but she’s very accurate, assured and straightforward. Her connections are no strangers to winning this race and though she may not be up to toppling former Festival winner Bambino Fever, I think she won’t be very far away.
DOCTOR STEINBERG
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3.20 Friday) or Turners Novices' Hurdle (1.20 Wednesday)
Wherever Doctor Steinberg runs he is a serious player. A bumper winner last spring, he’s gone on to win three novice hurdles, including a Grade 2 and then last time a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival. I loved the way he moved through the race at Leopardstown, slick over his obstacles and travelled with consummate ease. Whilst he is a shorter price for the Albert Bartlett, it wouldn’t surprise me if Willie Mullins ran him the Turners, he certainly has the pace to win over that trip as we saw at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’ll play a big part in whichever race he goes for, and I think he could be a very smart horse indeed!
KOPEK DES BORDES
Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase (2.00 Tuesday)
Has always promised to be an even better chaser than hurdler and all eyes were on the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero at Navan on 17th November when he made his chase debut at Navan. The son of No Risk At All was given an educational ride by Paul Townend, making him wait and shorten into his fences before unleashing him 2 out and letting him fly to the point he could barely pull him up. I think he’s hugely exciting over fences and has the right man on board in the Arkle to settle him for the first three fences or so, presumably behind Romeo Coolio before letting him hit top gear. If it was any other trainer than Willie Mullins, I would be concerned about the lack of a recent run for Kopek Des Bordes but what we’re seeing time and time again from Willie, is Champions successfully being produced for the big day without a prep run and this looks like being no exception.
MEETMEBYTHESEA
Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (2.00 Thursday)
This race has clearly been the target for this horse all season, and the Jack Richards is his only entry at the Festival which is quite unusual for a JP McManus-owned horse. The Ben Pauling-trained gelding won at Wetherby and Ayr by very short margins, just doing enough over two miles. Then last time out he had no business running in the Game Spirit Chase, again over an inadequate trip. This horse very nearly won an EBF Final over 2m 4f when a novice hurdler, so he’ll definitely improve going back over that trip and hails from a stable bang in form.