The Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle series gets underway at Cheltenham on Friday,
October 18, with the first of eight races throughout the season.
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies
captured the two mile, five furlong contest last season with The New One, who
went on to land the Grade One series finale at the Cheltenham Festival in March
and is now a leading contender for this season's Champion Hurdle.
The Gloucestershire
handler is responsible for two of the 18 entries, headed by Warwick bumper
winner Pure Science, who finished sixth behind Briar Hill in the Grade
One Weatherbys Champion Bumper at The Festival. The five-year-old, who runs in
the famous colours of Raymond Mould, failed to replicate that form when fifth
in a similar contest at Ayr in April.
Twiston-Davies said:
"Pure Science could run in either the Neptune Investment Management
Novices' Hurdle or the three-mile race on Saturday.
"I thought his
progress was good last season and he ran a very nice race at The Festival, so
that was good, but the ground was a bit too firm for him at Ayr.
"He has done well
over the summer and has been schooling and working nicely, so we will see how
he gets on at the weekend."
Welsh-based trainer Evan
Williams has three possible contenders including Irish import Minella Friend,
who annexed a point-to-point at Dromahane in April and a Sligo bumper by 11
lengths for John Nallen in May.
Williams reported:
"We will keep an eye on the ground for Minella Friend, but we want to
start him off soon as long as there is a bit of cut in the ground.
"He is a grand little
horse but we haven't done a lot with him - he has just been tipping away on the
all-weather - and hopefully we can get some more schools into him now we've had
a bit more rain.
"We haven't been able
to get him on the grass, but he has done a lot of steady work and it will be
nice to get a run into him because then we will know exactly where we are with
him."
Other notable entries
include the Paul Nicholls-trained pair of Southfield Theatre and Saint
Roque, recent Chepstow scorer Creepy from the local yard of Martin
Keighley and impressive Bangor bumper winner Cloud Brook, trained by
Rebecca Curtis.
About the series
The Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle series consists of eight races throughout the Jump
season, culminating with the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices'
Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
It has proved not only an
outstanding showcase for young hurdling talent but also a stepping stone to
those that go on to shine at the highest level in open company, whether over
hurdles or fences.
The Cheltenham Festival
winners under Neptune Investment Management's sponsorship are The New One
(2013), Simonsig (2012), First Lieutenant (2011) and Peddlers Cross (2010),
while winners of the series races include last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup
hero Bobs Worth.
Now one of the leading
corporate sponsors of British racing, Neptune has increased its sponsorship
portfolio to include four races on the Flat in the summer, including two of the
most prestigious trials for the Ladbrokes St Leger, the Gordon Stakes at
Goodwood and the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
2013/14 Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle Series
Friday, October 18, 2013 -
Cheltenham
Saturday, November 16,
2013 - Cheltenham
Friday, December 6, 2013 -
Sandown
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
- Cheltenham
Saturday, January 11, 2014
- Warwick
Saturday, January 25, 2014
- Cheltenham
Saturday, February 15,
2014 - Ascot
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
- Cheltenham Festival
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