Timeform summary of the top-rated novice hurdlers in 2022/23
Irish domination was largely the theme of the novice hurdling ranks and, while there was nothing of Constitution Hill’s potential in the latest crop, they were headed by a pair of very promising Cheltenham Festival winners.
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner Impaire Et Passe (h162p) was the pick of the Mullins novices, the French import leading home a one-two-three for the stable in that contest (watch the replay below) ahead of Gaelic Warrior (h154) and Champ Kiely (h149), the latter a Grade 1 winner at Naas in January. Unbeaten in four starts over hurdles, including the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown beforehand, Impaire Et Passe was more workmanlike when landing very short odds at the Punchestown Festival, but he remains an exciting prospect who’ll be at least as effective back at two miles.
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Ballymore runner-up Gaelic Warrior was a second-season novice and won his four other starts, notably when stepping up to three miles for an impressive win in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. The Mullins stable’s other leading novice was the previous season’s Champion Bumper winner Facile Vega (h158). He was a Grade 1 winner in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in December and in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, both times chased home by stablemate Il Etait Temps (h149), a Grade 1 winner himself at the Dublin Racing Festival where Facile Vega underperformed.
Facile Vega’s other defeat came at Cheltenham when chasing home Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale (h159p) in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (replay below). Marine Nationale readily maintained his unbeaten record at the Festival on his first start since beating Irish Point (h150) in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December. Also runner-up to Champ Kiely at Naas, Irish Point skipped Cheltenham but won his last two starts, notably the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree with something in hand.
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Hermes Allen (h147) was only third in the Mersey having also disappointed when sent off favourite for the Ballymore, but he’d won his first three starts over hurdles, notably when making all in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in impressive fashion. He should be at least as good over fences for Paul Nicholls.
Like Marine Nationale, stablemate Good Land (h148) didn’t run after Cheltenham, where he was fourth in the Ballymore, but he was a Grade 1 winner at the Dublin Racing Festival beforehand and is another with potentially more to offer. Inthepocket (h150) was Henry de Bromhead’s best novice hurdler, finishing second to Il Etait Temps at Leopardstown and fourth in the Supreme before winning the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree without needing to improve.
The top juvenile hurdlers were the Mullins-trained fillies Lossiemouth (h150) and Gala Marceau (h149). Lossiemouth had excuses for her only defeat behind her stablemate in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown before beating her into second in the Triumph Hurdle and having her back in third in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown.
Gala Marceau later gained a second top-level success in the Prix Alain du Breil at Auteuil, while a third stablemate, Zarak The Brave (h154) was twice runner-up to Lossiemouth, including at Punchestown, and was third to Gala Marceau at Auteuil. He then showed improved form when beating older rivals in the Galway Hurdle during the summer.
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