Irish Pointers winners Hot To Go & Harry Lowes

Rarely have so many talented performers lined up on a Monday in mid November with Grade 1 winning novice hurdlers Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba making impressive starts to their chasing careers at Navan and Exeter respectively. The former, who won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last spring, took over at an early stage in the two miles one beginners chase and never saw another rival thereafter. A thirteen lengths scorer, he quickened away after the second last outclassing his ten opponents setting up a likely tilt at the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day. Already a short price ante-post favourite for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, he looked a natural on Monday. 

In all likelihood, his biggest danger on the first day of the Festival will be Lulamba who produced an equally taking display. The low sun meant the four fences down the backstraight, which was frustrating, but the four year old jumped the other eight obstacles cleanly and never came out of second gear to win hard held by ten lengths. Nicky Henderson suggested that the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown (6th December) could be next. He was a high-class juvenile hurdler last season and threatens to make an even better chaser. The runner-up Fingle Bridge made early mistakes at the third and fourth fences which resulted in Sean Bowen's mount being towards the rear of the field. At one stage it appeared the champion jockey had accepted the situation until he finally got after his mount in the homestraight - Olly Murphy's charge covered the last two furlongs quicker than Lulamba in 14.87 and 15.03 seconds, according to Race Iq. 

It is fair to say it was a lousy day for the Top 40 with two losses and a couple of poor efforts - the market beforehand suggested one wasn't a surprise, while the other found little once coming under pressure. Thankfully, Declan Phelan's Irish Pointers had a much more productive afternoon with Hot To Go (4/1) and Harry Lowes (1/2) scoring at Leicester and Exeter respectively. The two miles novice hurdle which opened the card at the latter has been won by subsequent Graded performers JPR One (2021) and Gidleigh Park (2023) in recent years and Harry Lowes was backed as though defeat was out of the question beforehand. The four year old had won the second of his two Irish points for Derek O'Connor before being transferred to Dan Skelton. Moving well throughout, the Walk In The Park gelding crept into contention along the rail before putting his seal on the race between the final two flights. A two lengths winner, he is another smashing prospect for Paul Nicholls' former assistant who is likely to be have a tilt at Graded company at some stage this winter.

Owned by J.P.McManus, the same patron was also responsible for the third Aguellid. Featured in the French Revolution section of OJA, the four year old was having his first run for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and returning from an absence of 429 days. Much too keen at the back of the field, the Goliath Du Berlais gelding still hadn't settled towards the end of the backstraight. Remarkably, he still managed to finish third - two and a half lengths behind Harry Lowes - and would have been closer without his mistake at the last. Provided he learns to relax, he looks yet another promising novice hurdler for the Minehead operation. He could be one for something like the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Festival in March - the ex-Daniela Mele trained gelding needs to have three more runs between now and March.