The New Lion can defy gloomy Turners Novices' Hurdle history
Trainer Dan Skelton with The New Lion at Lodge Hill. Pic: Joe Giddens/PA Wire.
Challow Novices’ Hurdle winners have a deplorable record in the Grade One Turners Novices' Hurdle but The New Lion can defy that gloomy stat in the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
The last 20 Challow winners to line up in the Turners have all been beaten but that curse has to be broken at some point and The New Lion, a top-class prospect in the making, is fancied to be the horse to break it.
A bumper winner last season, the Dan Skelton-trained six-year-old is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles this season, the hat-trick completed by that Challow success at Newbury at Christmas.
He was visually spectacular that day, beating Wendigo, who won next time out, by four and three-quarter lengths without coming off the bridle.
A far stiffer test awaits in the Turners as the Willie Mullins-trained Final Demand will also bring an unbeaten record to Cheltenham having won at Limerick at Christmas before running out a 12-length winner of the Grade One Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He’s good, very good, but the sense is he’ll be even better over staying trips and he could be a Gold Cup horse down the line.
In contrast, The New Lion looks more of a Champion Hurdle horse in the making and if this turns into a speed test, he may have too many gears for his chief market rival.
Should Final Demand be turned over, his trainer probably won’t have to wait long for yet another visit to the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure as the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase shapes as a match between stablemates Ballyburn and Dancing City.
An admirable, consistent sort, Dancing City looks certain to run a big race but Ballyburn has the edge in the class department and that asset can see him home in front.
The feature is the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase and Jonbon is fancied to finally tick the Cheltenham Festival box.
A record of 17 wins from 20 career starts is a seriously impressive CV but, unfortunately for Jonbon all three of his defeats have come at Cheltenham, the place that ultimately defines National Hunt greatness, two in Festival contests.
However, he is unbeaten in seven starts – two at Cheltenham – when partnered by Nico de Boinville and has looked better than ever this season.
In what looks a weak renewal of the Champion Chase, the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old is fancied to bolt up.
Marine Nationale, victorious in the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle under the late Michael O’Sullivan, has improved from run to run this season and is fancied to win the race for second.
History suggests it's folly to look past Willie Mullins in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and Copacabana, an impressive winner on debut at Navan last month, can give his trainer a record-extending 14th win in the race, chiefly at the expense of Kalypso’chance.
Away from the Grade One action, Galvin can enhance Gordon Elliott’s fine record in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.
Elliott has saddled the winner of this marathon contest five times including 2023 when Galvin chased home stablemate Delta Work.
Fourth to I Am Maximus in last year’s Aintree Grand National, Galvin looks sure to run another massive race.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Busselton might be the one that gives him most to do.
On the handicap front, the Coral Cup looks a fiendishly difficult puzzle but Impose Toi could go well for the Seven Barrows team.
The selection has only run once since January of last year, a Newbury win last November.
A consistent sort, he could have more to give, especially if the application of headgear ekes out a little improvement.
Jimmy Du Seuil, a distant second to Ballyburn in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle last year, is an intriguing contender and could go well at a decent each-way price.
Gavin Cromwell is strongly represented in the Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase and The King Of Prs, winner of a Fairyhouse Grade Three when last seen in January, is narrowly preferred to stablemate My Mate Mozzie.
- 1.20: The New Lion (NB)
- 2.00: Ballyburn
- 2.40: Impose Toi
- 3.20: Galvin (Nap)
- 4.00: Jonbon
- 4.40: The King Of Prs
- 5.20: Copacabana
- 1.20: Final Demand
- 2.00: Dancing City
- 2.40: Jimmy Du Seuil
- 3.20: Busselton
- 4.00: Marine Nationale
- 4.40: My Mate Mozzie
- 5.20: Kalypso’chance
