Neptune Novices' Hurdle 2016 - Festival Focus

King of the Hill - Yorkhill should be Neptune bound and would be a danger if he was.

The Grade 1 races I’m yet to cover for this year’s Festival Focus have all been absent thus far as they all have short-priced favourites that I can’t really see beyond, but couldn’t put up at the price they are.

Douvan in the Arkle, Vroum Vroum Mag in the Mares, Un De Sceaux in the Champion Chase and Yanworth here in the Neptune are all the most likely winners but are currently priced as such.

However in opposition to Yanworth could potentially be a horse I like very much, though if market vibes are anything to go by he’s actually more likely to go for the Supreme a day earlier which I think is a mistake, but what do I know!?

On the off chance that sense wins out in the end though I’m going to tentatively, and likely completely pointlessly, put up Yorkhill for the Neptune as with NRNB widely available now nothing is lost, other than the time writing this, if he does in fact take in the shorter option, and in my opinion the option he’s less likely to place in, twenty four hours earlier.

If plans change and he does in fact line up though he surely goes off clear second favourite.

A typically good Bumper performer for Mullins last season, he’s still unbeaten under rules having capped off last season with a commanding win at Punchestown slamming stable mate Up For Review, amongst others, by 17l.

He was mightily impressive in a minor event on hurdling debut this season, the form of which is working out well with the second and third both winning since and running good races in defeat in decent company.

He was duly sent off a very short price for the Tolworth on these shores and obliged on atrocious ground in good style.

The vanquished horses that day have too franked the form including Agrapart running away with the Betfair Hurdle and even the pulled up Cyrus Moriviere winning by 19l next time out.

Although the Tolworth is the same distance as the Supreme the ground it was run on suggests Yorkhill’s stamina is no problem, the issue lies with the other horses connections have and with Up For Review assured to go for the Albert Bartlett that leaves Yorkhill and Bellshill to argue over who goes for the Supreme and who goes for the Neptune.

The feeling always seems to have been that Bellshill was the favoured of the two and Yorkhill would just slot in wherever they elected not to run his similarly named stable mate.

I’ve been much more impressed with Yorkhill this season though and feel he could genuinely put it up to Yanworth, unlike Bellshill, whereas I think he’d struggle in a truly run Supreme on quick ground against the likes of Min, Altior and Buveur D’Air.

There’s no chance Ruby doesn’t ride Min in the Supreme so he instantly becomes the second string in that race, and call me cynical but will likely be ridden accordingly.

It seems a huge waste of talent to not run him in the race he could legitimately win and for that reason I’m taking a chance that common sense prevails between now and the start of the festival next week.

Recommendation:

Yorkhill 0.5pt each way @ 6/1 (Sky Bet, Stan James) [NRNB]