2023 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Betting Tips
Paul Nicholls is no stranger to success when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival and Hermes Allen is one of his liveliest chances for the 2023 meeting. The six-year-old has previously performed well at this racecourse, with the horse winning the November Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park, with the runner obliging by nine lengths.
This will be a stiffer assignment, although Hermes Allen obliged with another victory on 31 December when triumphing in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle. Sent off as the 11/10 favourite, the runner was able to prosper by nearly five lengths and there could be more to come from a horse who looks a difficult opponent to beat.
Impaire Et Passe is another runner who comes into this race with strong credentials. Since the five-year-old switched to the Mullins yard, there have been successive wins and the latest of these came in the Punchestown Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle. It was a facile win for the favourite who was sent off at big odds-on and that came after a Maiden Hurdle win at Naas.
Gaelic Warrior would have a good chance if the Rich Ricci-owned runner was diverted towards the Ballymore, with the horse able to land the spoils in the Festina Lente Charity Liffey Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown, with connections now wondering whether to go down this route which is five furlongs longer in distance and it all comes down to stamina.
2022 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Tips
The 2022 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle is set to be a typically entertaining affair, with many questions yet to be answered in terms of the leading horses who will be lining up. When you want Cheltenham betting tips for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, then you need to get an idea of whether the runners with multiple entries will compete in this clash or alternatively be rerouted to another encounter.
Sir Gerhard is an interesting contender and it’s maybe worth looking at Cheltenham NRNB bookies to make sure that you qualify for the Non-Runner, No Bet promotion that is available with the top Cheltenham betting sites. The Willie Mullins-trained horse could either run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Will Sir Gerhard Be Entered in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle?
Last year’s Champion Bumper winner at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival was only third at the Punchestown Festival a month later, although he’s really made an impression during the 2021-22 National Hunt season. The first victory of the campaign came in a Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown but Sir Gerhard really caught the eye at the Dublin Racing Festival.
In the Grade One Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, there were lots of horse racing betting tips for the horse considering he was an odds-on shot and it was a six-length win over Three Stripe Life, with Paul Townend steering the horse to a facile success despite the horse failing to jump fluently for much of the contest.
Dysart Dynamo Also Looks Like Leading Ballymore Contender
Mullins is certainly mob-handed when it comes to the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle betting odds, with Dysart Dynamo looking like a big contender although he’s another horse that is entered for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. This is a six-year-old who boasts an unbeaten record and the trainer needs to consider which Cheltenham race would suit him best.
It’s little wonder that Mullins is warm favourite when it comes to Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer betting odds, with Dysart Dynamo having most recently won the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle which was a Grade 2 encounter at Punchestown in mid-January. That was on soft ground and bodes well even if the horse has never run at Cheltenham.
Can Mullins Score With Appreciate It?
Willie Mullins has won with Yorkhill, Faugheen, Mikael d'Haguenet and Fiveforthree in this race and perhaps Appreciate It will be the fifth victory for the Irish handler, with the horse being sent off favourite for the 2020 Champion Bumper at last year’s Festival before finishing second to Ferny Hollow.
The horse was promising enough for punters to be excited about his prospects this season, with the same runner having shown up at Fairyhouse to win a Maiden Hurdle although it will be interesting to see how Mullins’ charge acts against better opposition.
Ferny Hollow was the winner of the 2020 Bumper and this is another horse that is part of the Mullins yard, although this horse lined up in the recent Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park and perhaps he will make more appeal at the prices.
Ballyadam Also Among Ballymore Favourites
Gordon Elliott has scored victories in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle with Samcro and Envoi Allen, with the trainer now bidding for a hat-trick and perhaps Ballyadam is the horse who will deliver the latest success. The horse has only exclusively run in Ireland thus far, although there have been lots of impressive performances.
This season, Ballyadam has obliged as favourite in two races at Down Royal and Fairyhouse respectively, with Bravemansgame and Bob Olinger among the other runners who could be in contention.
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle takes place on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival and the 2020 renewal will occur on Wednesday 11 March, with this race also known as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle.
The distance is two miles and five furlongs, with the race having been inaugurated in 1971 and it’s a real test of stamina, with the horses having to tackle the Cheltenham Old Course and this is an encounter which is open to four-year-olds and upwards.
Trainer Martin Brassil pulled off something of a coup when winning the 2019 Ballymore with City Island, with Gordon Elliott having won the race for the first time in 2018 with the highly-rated Samcro.
Previous winners include The New One, Faugheen and Yorkhill, with horses often going on to the Champion Hurdle after performing well in this encounter.
Envoi Allen is currently trading as the favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the same applies to the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, with some bookmakers going as short as 3/1 about the winner of last year’s Bumper.
Gordon Elliott might opt to re-route the horse for this encounter and the five-year-old has not been beaten over six races during his short career, with the latest impressive performance taking place at Down Royal when triumphing by over six lengths.
Naturally, Envoi Allen can’t run in every race and him switching to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle could open the door to Andy Dufresne who is named after the character in the Shawshank Redemption.
This is another Gordon Elliott-trained horse that comes from the JP McManus stable and there have been wins at Borris House, Down Royal and Navan, with the five-year-old open to further progression.
At this point in proceedings, it’s hard to work out the definite runners for the Ballymore and many horses will have multiple entries at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, with Thyme Hill likely to be among them and he’s quoted at a best price 14/1 to land the spoils.
The Philip Hobbs horse finished third in the Bumper at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival and has made a big impression already in the current season thanks to star performances at Chepstow and Cheltenham.
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