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| Elementary - Red Sherlock is fancied to land the Neptune |
This year’s race looks set to unearth yet another superstar as a talented list of entries remain in the novice contest but with a hot ante-post favourite from Willie Mullins, the horse that appeals to me as the most likely winner still sits at a decent price in spite of his recent contraction.
My original ante-post pick Clondaw Court is not dead in the water yet and I do hope he runs here but with the favourite Faugheen in the same ownership it looks unlikely, and if a Cheltenham run is in Clondaw Court’s future it is more than likely going to be in the Albert Bartlett.
Therefore the unbeaten Red Sherlock is now my selection for the race as things stand, his recent battling win at Cheltenham in which he and Rathvinden (not far off being one of Mullins’ best novice hurdlers) pulled well clear of a decent field cementing that sentiment.
He was an excellent winner of two Bumpers last season, including beating the subsequently good hurdler The Skyfarmer in the second. He then took in a Cheltenham Bumper at the start of this season on Open weekend and was just as impressive.
David Pipe’s charge then recorded two facile victories at odds on over hurdles before truly being tested over obstacles for the first time on trials day – a test he passed with flying colours.
Red Sherlock travelled well through the race and showed a good attitude to stay on well up the hill and hold off the Mullins pursuer. Pipe has a strong team of novice hurdlers this season but with Kings Palace almost certain to go for the Albert Bartlett, although the novice races can be a minefield at this time of year until NRNB is introduced, Red Sherlock looks a good bet for this race, especially given Bet Victor’s NRFB concession.
Red Sherlock has speed but is a strong stayer and looks the perfect sort for the Neptune, with many at the head of the market more likely to defect he looks a fair price for a race he looks to hold a very good chance in.
In Faugheen though he looks set to face a rival that has been every bit as impressive in remaining unbeaten and represents the all-conquering Mullins-Walsh connection.
Faugheen’s 22l demolition of subsequent Tolworth second Josses Hill now looks all the more impressive than it did then and he’s been just as good in notching up a sequence of three wins over timber.
For me though he doesn’t quite have the same level of form in the book as Red Sherlock and I am sometimes reluctant to get suckered in by these Mullins hotpots at Cheltenham no matter how impressive they’ve looked.
That said he is clearly a very talented animal and will take some beating. For me though Red Sherlock has been every bit as impressive thus far and these two horses look well ahead of the remainder of the likely protagonists in this race at present.
Tolworth winner Royal Boy is next in the betting, but as a second season novice hurdler with an aborted attempt at a chase career to his name he doesn’t really appeal as a Neptune winner, in spite of the good attitude he showed to hold off his aforementioned stable mate Josses Hill in the rearranged Grade 1.
The Tullow Tank, though looking more of a stayer to me, looks set to take in the shorter Supreme – though if running here he would certainly be feared.
While Apache Stronghold, though mightily impressive earlier in the season, needs to show his well-being following a setback for me and with the remainder of those prominent in the betting looking wholly more likely to compete elsewhere during festival week, or looking held on the form thus far by some of the aforementioned contenders it looks a race that shouldn’t take that much winning in reality.
Red Sherlock has gone from strength to strength so far and done so in eye-catching fashion, in a year with many an exciting novice he looks more than capable of winning a race renowned for creating stars; and what more poignant way to remember the late David Johnson than by having his colours carried in by a Cheltenham Festival winner.
Recommendation:
Red Sherlock 1pt win @ 6/1 (Bet Victor) [NRFB]
Already Advised:
Clondaw Court 0.25pt e/w @ 25/1
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