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Fantastic Entries for Festival Novice Hurdles 28/01/07

The Festival's four novice hurdles each have huge three-figure entries, which are revealed today, with a string of lightly-raced and exciting performers set to line up in the contests.

There are a record 53 Irish-trained entries among the 131 engaged in the Grade One Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Ante-post favourite De Valira, trained by Michael O'Brien, and Hide The Evidence, who was seventh in yesterday's AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, are among those who will bid to add to Ireland's five wins in the last eight runnings of the Festival pipe opener on Tuesday, March 13.

The impressive Nicky Henderson-trained mare Amaretto Rose and the James Fanshawe-trained Buster Hyvonen, a winner at Huntingdon last week, are among the home-trained team.

There are 137 entries for the Grade One Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle, run on Wednesday, March 14, and Aran Concerto, one of a record 59 entries from Ireland, heads ante-post lists after runaway victories on his last two starts for trainer Noel Meade. Wichita Lineman and Tidal Bay, first and second for Jonjo O'Neill and Howard Johnson respectively at Cheltenham on Saturday, the Henrietta Knight-trained Ringaroses, winner of both his hurdling starts, and Silverburn - whose brother Denman finished second in last year's contest - are other notable entries.

Last year's Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle winner Detroit City is favourite for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and there look to be many potential star performers in this year's line-up.

These include the Alan King-trained Katchit, who was successful again at Cheltenham on Saturday in the Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle from Good Bye Simon, representing French trainer Thierry Doumen, Pauillac from David Pipe's stable, the Paul Nicholls-trained Predateur and the Philip Hobbs-trained Pancake.

Mountain
© racing-images.co.uk

Smart Flat performer Mountain had been due to make his hurdling debut in the same race but missed it because of the heavy ground. Degas Art has been an impressive winner on both his starts for Howard Johnson, while a couple of intriguing entries are Ermine Sea, who finished third in the Group 3 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot and is now trained by Henrietta Knight, and Noddies Way, whose Flat debut came when a 500/1 outsider for the Vodafone Derby in June.

Purple Moon, at 440,000gns the record paid for a Flat horse to go jumping, is one of several expensive purchases in the field. The Venetia Williams-trained Lightning Strike and Warsaw Pact from Philip Hobbs' stable each cost 200,000gns while Gary Moore's pair King's Head and Mon Michel were bought for a combined total of 250,000gns. The Eoin Griffin-trained Lounaos, a good fourth in yesterday's AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, is among 34 Irish-trained entries in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Wichita Lineman, trained like last year's winner Black Jack Ketchum by Jonjo O'Neill, is among 116 entries in the Grade Two Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle, also run on Friday, March 16. Colin Tizzard's stable star Flight Leader, third in the Grade Two Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday, and the Eoin Griffin-trained Kazal, one of 40 entries from Ireland and winner of a Leopardstown Grade Three on Sunday, are others with excellent form.

Andy Clifton, Cheltenham's Communications Manager, said: "Two of last year's novice hurdle winners, Detroit City and Black Jack Ketchum, are now leading fancies for championship honours at this year's Festival and it will be fascinating to see which future stars emerge from this year’s four novice hurdles."

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2007
ANALYSIS OF ENTRIES

NUMBER OF ENTRIES
AIB SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
131, 113, 119, 106, 127, 156, 139, 122, 107, 130, 122, 106, 87, 75, 78

BALLYMORE PROPERTIES NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
137, 138, 147, 113, 128, 169, 160, 137, 120, 147, 150, 128, 114, 100, 90

JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
103, 116, 89, 125, 111, 103, 123, 89, 95, 100, 108, 107, 99, 81, 91

BRIT INSURANCE NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005
116, 114, 117, First run in 2005

IRISH-TRAINED ENTRIES
AIB SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
53, 45, 41, 30, 38, 46, 44, 28, 24, 31, 31, 29, 26, 14, 24

BALLYMORE PROPERTIES NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
59, 44, 51, 35, 39, 40, 38, 34, 23, 29, 31, 26, 25, 17, 17

JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
34, 34, 21, 38, 20, 21, 31, 20, 21, 20, 22, 20, 20, 14, 18

BRIT INSURANCE NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005
40, 36, 40, First run in 2005

FRENCH-TRAINED ENTRIES
AIB SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
2, 4, 2, 3, 3, 2, 4, 3, 1, 2, 1, 0, 0

BALLYMORE PROPERTIES NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
0, 3, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 2, 1, 3, 1, 0, 0

JCB TRIUMPH HURDLE
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
5, 8, 4, 7, 4, 4, 5, 3, 2, 0, 1, 0, 0

BRIT INSURANCE NOVICES’ HURDLE
2007 2006 2005
1, 4, 2, First run in 2005