West Wizard, ante-post favourite for
this season's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, could lay down an early Festival
marker in the £30,000 Grade Two Skybet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trial at
Cheltenham this Sunday, November 17.
The extended two-mile
contest is sponsored by Sky Bet for the first time this year as part of the
Leeds-based bookmaker's "Road To Cheltenham" that culminates
with the Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival on March 11.
Nicky Henderson's
four-year-old, an 8/1 chance for The Festival highlight with the sponsor, made
an impressive debut at Kempton in March when taking a bumper by six lengths. He
is Sky Bet's 6/4 favourite to make a winning season return on Sunday.
The 13 entries for the
Skybet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trial also features The Liquidator (9/2),
who captured a Grade One bumper at Punchestown in April for David Pipe and
easily won on his debut over hurdles at Carlisle on October 30.
Sea Lord (9/2), a Group Three
scorer on the Flat, has been successful on his latest six appearances over
hurdles for John Ferguson, while impressive winners Garde La Victoire (13/2)
and Lac Fontana (8/1) could line up for Philip Hobbs and Paul Nicholls
respectively.
Trainer Alex Hales is
looking forward to running Minellaforleisure (40/1) in the race. The
five-year-old made an eye-catching hurdling debut in a two-mile novices' hurdle
at Wincanton on October 27, quickening up smartly to score by seven lengths
under Paddy Brennan.
Hales reported: "At
the moment, the plan is to run Minellaforleisure at Cheltenham on Sunday.
"All has gone well
with him since his win at Wincanton and I am happy with him. He has been working
well so, providing the ground doesn't go soft, he will run.
"He quickened up
nicely at Wincanton and has always shown a lot of speed. I don't think he beat
a lot, but you had to like the style in which he did it.
"It's obviously a big
step up on Sunday, but we are keen to find out where we stand. Dodging Bullets
won this race last year, so you have got to be a horse with a fair engine to
win it.
"He is certainly the
nicest youngster we have had for a while and I would like to think he will run
a big race. He just struggled with a few problems last year and has come back a
bigger, better horse this season."
As well as Sunday's race,
Sky Bet will also be sponsoring the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Trial Hurdle at
Haydock on January 18 - a race won by subsequent Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner
Cinders And Ashes in 2012.
Skybet Supreme Novices'
Hurdle Trial - Sky Bet prices:
6/4 West Wizard, 9/2 The
Liquidator, Sea Lord, 13/2 Garde La Victoire, 8/1 Lac Fontana, 10/1 Irving,
12/1 Ballyalton, 16/1 Life And Soul, Josses Hill, 20/1 Horizontal Speed, 40/1
Minellaforleisure, 50/1 Money For Nothing, 100/1 Mystifiable
Each way 1/5 odds, 1-2-3
Sky Bet Supreme Novices'
Hurdle - Sky Bet prices:
8/1 West Wizard; 14/1
Briar Hill; 20/1 Moyle Park, Golantilla, Regal Encore, Tiger Cliff, First
Mohican; 25/1 Garde La Victoire, Union Dues, Arctic Fire, Noble Inn, Very Wood,
Faugheen, The Liquidator, Oscar Rock, Novirak, Minella Foru, Gone Too Far,
Volnay De Thaix; 28/1 Le Vent Dantan; 33/1 Sea Lord, Blackmail, Urubu Dirlande,
Hologram, Tistory, Lac Fontana, Alonso, Diamond King, Cariganog, Doctor Harper,
Vautour, Clean Sheet; 40/1 Milo Man, Call The Cops, Red Sherlock, 50/1
Turnandgo, Pure Science
Each Way 1/4 odds, 1-2-3
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