Greatwood Hurdle 2023 Ante-Post Tips: Classy Henderson raider to sparkle at Cheltenham
Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, which takes place at Cheltenham on Sunday 19th November and looks a hugely competitive betting heat for punters to work out. One of the highlights of the November meeting, the Greatwood Hurdle can sometimes throw up a potential Champion Hurdle contender and our man Steve Chambers previews the race here and picks out his selection in the ante-post betting...
With names like Rooster Booster, Sizing Europe and The Shunter on the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle roll of honour, the Cheltenham November contest run over two miles has sometimes been a stepping stone for horses to go on to bigger and better things and the class of 2023 will be eager to try and use the 2023 renewal on November 19 as a launchpad.
Bookmakers have priced up the contest and the ante-post betting is extremely wide open with a whole plethora of potential contenders that could start favourite on the day. One of those to catch the eye immediately is Kerry Lee's Nemean Lion, who ended last season with a fine Grade 2 win in the Premier Novices' Hurdle at Kelso, while the gelding started this season with a fine win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las. There's no doubting this is a huge step up in class, but Lee knows how to win these big Cheltenham handicaps as she saddled Happy Diva to victory in the 2019 Paddy Power Gold Cup, and this progressive six-year-old should certainly run well.
Nicky Henderson already has the star name in the hurdling division in Constitution Hill, who is a hot favourite for the Champion Hurdle, but the master of Seven Barrows could unleash a strong team in the Greatwood on the final day of the November meeting. His primary shot could well be the classy mare Luccia, who was touted for big things last season and was sent off 6/4 favourite for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, but she could only finish fourth. Third in the Grade 1 Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, she is a real class act, but whether the hustle and bustle of this contest could see her at her best that's up for question. Henderson will not only have that well-fancied mare, but four-year-old Under Control was last seen beating stablemate Iberico Lord in a competitive Sandown contest and that pair could step up in class for this contest. Both are sure to improve this season, but could find this a little too tough so early in the season.
Another Henderson runner that could line up is FIRST STREET, who will be at the head of the weights for this event, if taking his chance, but on his day he is a real classy performer. Class can often rise to the top in this event and First Street was once a one-and-a-quarter length second to State Man in the 2022 County Hurdle at Cheltenham, so a repeat of that would see him go close. He was third at Kempton on his reappearance run in October and he's 5lbs higher than his County Hurdle second, but he showed that day that a quick two miles sees him at his best and while he was 11th in the 2023 County he's now 5lbs lower, so has to be respected at big odds.
Paul Nicholls last won this race back in 2015 with Old Guard, but the master of Ditcheat could have a leading player in the shape of Blueking D'oroux, who was a decent winner of the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham's Showcase Meeting in October and looks another four-year-old that can progress over timber this season. Travelling sweetly that day, Blueking D'oroux quickened well to beat a moderate field and will now step into handicap company for this event and with race fitness on his side is certainly one that could be regarded a solid each-way play.
Gary Moore's Hansard is another competitor stepping out of the novice hurdling world to have a crack against the more experienced runners this season and having finished fifth in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton, the five-year-old then went and finished fourth in the Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree. Just behind Luccia that day, Hansard is another with huge potential to improve this season and with this sure to be his next outing on the track then will appeal to some punters.
Second in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival in March, the Charles Byrnes-trained Byker could return to Prestbury Park to try and go one better and get his head in front, while the likes of Punctuation, last year's beaten favourite Gin Coco and Magical Zoe add huge depth to the list of entries, but it's Henderson that could be the man to follow in a wide open renewal on November 19.
