Montbazon won at Plumpton yesterday (beating trees some might say) and remains at 16/1 with William Hill for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. Dildar runs in the 2.10 at Taunton today and was 14/1 for the Triumph Hurdle with William Hill on Saturday (is now 10/1). Paul Nicholls won the Triumph in 2011 with Zarkandar and Dildar is also ex French where he finished 4th at Saint Cloud to Derby winner Pour Moi in a Group 2. Anyone backed either horse ante-post?
Nope - wouldn't touch Montbazon with a barge pole (I find Tetlami much more attractive at the same price). Dildar will be judged on the style of his win today any may well shorten but I will wait to see him in the Adonis against real horses
I wasn't impressed with Dildar today, jumped sketchily including the last two flights and he won't get away with this in the Triumph. As for Montbazon, well he was beaten on his hurdling debut by Colour Squadron and the latter should've won the Tolworth - guess lots of people have backed Colour Squadron - well I have E/W.
Montbazon is truly the ‘hope of the county’ and as my regular readers are aware I’ve been ‘banging his drum’ for the past 12 months (in fact if you look to the left you can see his picture). Has the potential to touch the stars and could be a potential superstar in fact. I would certainly not want to look anywhere else for the winner of the old Festival commencer. Haven’t got any firm opinions re the Triumph Hurdle and to date the current intake show the indications of being a sub-standard juvenile division. That diagnosis could change by the end of the month though people as don’t forget that in the previous 2 terms the winner of the old Triumph hadn’t run in the UK over timber until the Adonis Hurdle.
I'm not sure I'd be backing either to be honest. Dildar looked ok today but as you say, I'll be more interested after the Adonis. Montbazon was comfortably held by Colour Squadron earlier in the season. The price has gone somewhat but I like the look of Pearl Swan for the Triumph - in both runs he's made up ground beautifully in the last few furlongs, and that turn of pace always bodes well in my opinion. As for the supreme, it's a wide open one, but at the prices I think the best odds are there for Cinders and Ashes. I should say I haven't actually taken anything for the triumph yet, and backed Cinders and Ashes at decent odds a little while back, but only for very small stakes.
Montbazon is the next mille chief. I hope we'll be seeing the triumph winner on the 12th feb at leopardstown, minsk.
