Cheltenham hero Marine skips Punchestown date
The unbeaten six-year-old justified the confidence of trainer Barry Connell with a stunning display at the Cheltenham Festival when winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
He was expected to try to extend his unbeaten run in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday, but his name was not among the eight confirmations.
“We’ve decided we’re going to let him out now, he’s been on the go for the past 12 months and he didn’t get a summer at grass last year,” said Connell.
“It would have been nice to go to Punchestown, but he’s done a lot. He’s run five times and won five times, so we’ll let him out and look forward to having him for either the Champion Hurdle or possibly a novice chasing campaign which we’ll discuss in the summer.
“His form was boosted at Aintree last week with Inthepocket and Strong Leader coming from the Supreme and Ashroe Diamond from the Royal Bond.
“This time last year he hadn’t had a run and we ended up having a summer campaign which was really unusual, so weighing it all up, we think giving him the break is for the best.”
Looking ahead to next season, Connell added: “I would say the Champion Hurdle route is more likely but he has a lot of schooling done over fences and jumps brilliant, so it is an option.
“He’s only run three times over hurdles and while his jumping was very good at Cheltenham, Michael (O’Sullivan) felt there was room for improvement, he was still hanging in the air a bit which Champion Hurdle horses don’t do. That will come with experience.
“Assuming Constitution Hill goes chasing, there’s probably a vacancy. There’s no Hurricane Fly or Annie Power around in the Champion Hurdle, so that is probably the way we are leaning.
“Good Land (Dublin Festival Grade One winner) will go chasing for sure, though. He ran OK at Cheltenham, if a bit flat, but he’ll be exciting over fences."
Facile Vega, Diverge and High Definition – all behind Marine Nationale at Cheltenham – are among the eight contenders for the, along with impressive Ballymore winner Impaire Et Passe.
There are seven in the William Hill Champion Chase over two miles with Energumene, Gentleman De Mee, Blue Lord and Chacun Pour Soi all possible for Willie Mullins.
In the Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase, Mullins has five of the seven confirmations, which include Sir Gerhard and Appreciate It.
Timeform's top-rated novice hurdlers this season
Impaire et Passe (162p)
Impaire et Passe posted a hugely impressive victory in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, showing bags of pace to take control of the race on the turn for home before scooting six and a half lengths clear of stablemate Gaelic Warrior with Champ Kiely, also representing Willie Mullins, a length back in third. That high-class performance was right up there with the best performances in the Ballymore this century, with only 2012 winner Simonsig running to a similar level. Impaire et Passe had impressed when winning the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle over two miles at Punchestown on his previous outing and will prove at least as effective back at that trip.
Marine Nationale (159p)
The runners in this year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle had an impossible act to follow after Constitution Hill had put up the best performance by a novice in Timeform's history when bolting up in 2022. However, Marine Nationale still produced a very smart effort at last month's Festival to extend his unbeaten record, quickening three and a quarter lengths clear of Facile Vega after impressing with how smoothly he travelled. That earned him a rating just 1 lb shy of what Appreciate It had achieved for his wide-margin victory in 2021, while the only other winners who posted a higher figure in the race this century are Al Ferof, Champagne Fever, Douvan, Altior and Constitution Hill.
Facile Vega (156)
Last year's Champion Bumper winner Facile Vega was no match for Marine Nationale in the Supreme but he still posted his best effort yet over hurdles, quickly putting a disappointing display at the Dublin Racing Festival behind him. The level he ran to in the Supreme would have been good enough to have won plenty of editions of the race. The form was boosted at Aintree by the victories of fourth-placed Inthepocket in the Grade 1 Top Novices' Hurdle and by 11th-placed Fennor Cross in a competitive handicap hurdle.
Additional commentary by Tony McFadden
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