The Festival’s opening day was dominated by Willie Mullins-trained short-priced favourites, and that trend looks set to continue on day two when Ballyburn lines up for the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.
A two-time bumper winner a year ago, BALLYBURN had to give second-best to Firefox on his hurdling debut three months ago, but he quickly found his way, romping home by a combined 32 lengths in his two subsequent outings at Leopardstown.
The latter of those victories saw him ease seven lengths clear of Slade Steel, who franked that form by landing the Supreme Hurdle here in a memorable Festival curtain-raiser.
There have been whispers about the six-year-old becoming a future Champion Hurdler, and anything close to that level of performance here in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle should see him land the odds easily under Paul Townend.
Unless combined into a forecast, the favourite’s short price offers little betting value for the casual punter, but it does ensure that the remaining seven runners are available at a decent price, and as long as there are no withdrawals that means the minor places are up for grabs at decent each-way odds.
Four of those seven also hail from the ubiquitous Mullins yard, with ILE ATLANTIQUE expected to offer the sternest challenge, but we’re going to look for place value beyond the Master Of Closutton.
JINGKO BLUE won nicely at Sandown last month and should be even more useful in the hands of Nico De Boinville, but with doubts currently surrounding the current form of Nicky Henderson’s runners, we’re swerving him in favour of one of Ben Pauling’s charges.
Pauling is enjoying a successful campaign, and has eased HANDSTANDS into his first season with one outing a month since December, all of them culminating in a visit to the winning circles at Hereford, Newcastle and Huntingdon respectively.
