"The Neptune", as it is colloquially known, was established in 1971 and it was initially called the Aldsworth Hurdle. The insurance company Sun Alliance (later Royal & SunAlliance) began sponsoring the race in 1974, and it became known as the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle. This association continued until 2006, and for the following three years the event was backed by Ballymore Properties. Neptune Investment Management took sponsorship of the race in 2010. The registered (non-sponsored) title of the race is now the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle. This is in honour of Baring Bingham, a developer who purchased Prestbury Park in 1898, and organised the first Cheltenham Festival in 1902. The race has been won down the years by some true champions - Hardy Eustace and the immortal Istabraq going on to be Champion Hurdlers and multiple festival winners - as well as horses who have gone on to be very successful chasers - Simonsig, First Lieutenant, Fundamentalist and Sabin Du Loir as examples. Plus, of course, last year's winner The New One is joint favourite for the Champion Hurdle this time around. Key race trials are HERE and feature a series of races sponsored by Neptune alongside some of the more traditional contests like the Persian War, Monksfield and Challow Novice Hurdles. Latest prices from Oddschecker can be found HERE and here the market as Bet365 see it as of Jan 3rd 2014: Faugheen 6 The Tullow Tank 8 Captain Cutter, Briar Hill 10 Kings Palace 12 The Liquidator 14 16/1 Bar Again the ante post punter must also ponder which horse is likely to run where amongst the novices so waiting until the day is probably the safer option here.
Faugheen was my strong fancy. Now The Tullow Tank runs it's a harder race to judge. If Un Temp Pour Tout goes to post as well 8/1 and 16/1 will look huge. Especially the 16/1 for the Pipe horse that cost as much as a nice house. I still stick with Faugheen but it's not as cut and dry as I thought.
Apache Stronghold for me too. Backed at 16-1 and 21-1, but slight concern that he hasn't been out this year.
73 left in after the latest scratchings: ABBYSSIAL (IRE) ART OF PAYROLL (GER) ASHES HOUSE (IRE) BALLYALTON (IRE) BRIAR HILL (IRE) CAPTAIN CUTTER (IRE) CAROLE'S DESTRIER CHAMPAGNE WEST (IRE) COCKTAILS AT DAWN COGRY COLE HARDEN (IRE) COMPANY COMING (IRE) CREEPY (IRE) CUP FINAL (IRE) DEEP TROUBLE (IRE) DEPUTY DAN (IRE) DIAMOND KING (IRE) DON POLI (IRE) DOUBLE IRISH (IRE) FAUGHEEN (IRE) FENNELL BAY (IRE) FOURTH ACT (IRE) GILGAMBOA (IRE) GILT SHADOW (IRE) KILLALA QUAY KINGS PALACE (IRE) KNOCK HOUSE (IRE) LAC FONTANA (FR) LEGACY GOLD (IRE) LIEUTENANT COLONEL MADNESS LIGHT (FR) MIDNIGHT THUNDER (IRE) MINELLA FORU (IRE) MOONSHINE LAD (IRE) NOBLE ENDEAVOR (IRE) OSCAR HOOF (IRE) PINK HAT (IRE) PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE) PORT MELON (IRE) PRINCE SIEGFRIED (FR) PRINCE OF LOMBARDY (IRE) QUICKPICK VIC (IRE) RACING PULSE (IRE) RATHVINDEN (IRE) RED SHERLOCK REGAL DIAMOND (IRE) RENNETI (FR) RIVER OF TIME (IRE) ROLL IT OUT (IRE) ROYAL BOY (FR) ROYAL PLAYER ROYAL REGATTA (IRE) SEA LORD (IRE) SEEDLING SHANAHAN'S TURN (IRE) SKY KHAN SPIRIT OF SHANKLY SPLASH OF GINGE STELLAR NOTION (IRE) SURE REEF (IRE) TARA ROAD THE TULLOW TANK (IRE) THREE KINGDOMS (IRE) TIMESREMEMBERED (IRE) TWELVE ROSES UN ACE (FR) UN TEMPS POUR TOUT (IRE) UPAZO (FR) URANO (FR) URTICAIRE (FR) VALSEUR LIDO (FR) VAUTOUR (FR) VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR)
