November Update second @ 16/1

Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers article in OJA has already unearthed some promising types including Hermes Allen (9/4) who made it two out of two since joining Paul Nicholls. Purchased for £350,000 in December, the Poliglote gelding was a wide margin winner at Stratford last month on his Rules debut and he made a seamless transition to Pattern company when taking the Grade 2 novice hurdle on the first day of Cheltenham's November meeting. Making all and jumping impeccably, the five year old powered away to win by nine lengths and set up a tilt at the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury (31st December) next month. You get what you pay for.

The November Update highlighted Tommy Dan (advised @ 16/1) in the two and a half miles handicap hurdle which rounded off Southwell's card on Friday. Jennie Candlish's ex-Irish gelding was patiently ridden by Sean Quinlan before creeping into contention on the final circuit. While his head carriage didn't impress, the seven year old stayed on well after the last and was only denied by three parts of a length. With a longer run-in, he would have prevailed. 

Due to the unseasonably warm temperatures, the ground is drying out all the time at Cheltenham which means some of the selections in the Update haven't been declared on Sunday, plus Monmiral has already been withdrawn from his intended chasing debut on Saturday. I am working at Wetherby on Saturday for Racing TV and will therefore update the Diary on Sunday.