Ballymore Novices' Hurdle 2022 Entries 95 Entered in the Mid-Distance Event
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle is always a well contested affair, and this year is no different with 95 entered in the 2m5f Novices’ Hurdle…
The Novices’ Hurdle division is red hot with a hat full of newcomers shining on the big stage, and the mid-distance Ballymore has been penciled in as an option for most of these stars.
Sir Gerhard (4/1) has been the favourite for this race for quite a while so it’s no shock to see the 2021 Champion Bumper winner amongst the contenders. Dysart Dynamo (8/1) is another for Willie Mullins who is well fancied, though he’s been entered in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as well, a race he is considerably shorter for.
Gordan Elliott is responsible for three of the 95 entries, with Ginto (7/1), the main pick of the bunch - the current second-priced favourite - though Mighty Potter (14/1) can’t be ignored as a last time out Grade 1 winner in the Leopardstown Future Champions Novice Hurdle, a race in which he beat stablemate and the final Elliott entry Three Stripe Life (25/1) by one-and-a-half lengths.
An Irish dominated race at this stage, Journey With Me (8/1) Represents trainer Henry de Bromhead and owner Robocur, who had success in this race last year with Bob Olinger, though he is also entered in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and is currently a shooter price (6/1) for that event. They also have another arrow in Grand Jury (20/1), who looks an eye-catching price after a good second to Ginto last time out.
The first of the British challengers in the Paul Nicholls trained Stage Star (8/1), an impressive winner of the Tolworth Hurdle at Newbury over the Festive period. He’s only entered in this race so there will no uncertainty over where he’s headed, though the same can’t be said for Constitution Hill (16/1), who has been entered for this race but almost certainly will go for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, or Jonbon (16/1) who will likely be going there also.
While Nicky Henderson may already have one hand on the trophy in that race, his main hope of success comes in the form of Walking On Air (10/1), who like Stage Star, is only entered in this mid-distance event. He’s also responsible for a whopping six others, meaning he is responsible for 9.8% of the 95 entries. They are, Balco Coastal (25/1), I Am Maximus (33/1), Balkeo (50/1), Broomfield Burg (66/1), Russian Ruler (66/1), Surrey Quest (66/1).
Hillcrest (16/1) was an eye-catching winner over course & distance in the Listed trial for this race last time out, and will almost certainly shorten in price if he wins this weekend again over course & distance, which would take his form to an eye-catching five-in-a-row
From there on out, the entries is very open with most of the horses also pencilled in elsewhere. El Fabiolo (25/1) is one of these, as is stablemate Kilcruit (33/1), both of whom hold entries in the Supreme.
The case is similar with Hollow Games (25/1), who looks like a main protagonist in the Albert Bartlett, and Elliott stablemate Three Stripe Life (25/1), who could likely go to the supreme.