Cheltenham hosts a key Albert Bartlett trial on Saturday, 15 December, so the Bristol Novices’ Hurdle betting tips on Horsebetting.com are ones to bear in mind going forward. Aye Aye Charlie is crying out for a stayers’ trip, so looks the one to be on in the 3m Grade 2 contest. Doux Pretender has plenty of admirers, but the proven stamina of Danny Whizzbang is preferred as the main danger. Supremely Lucky, meanwhile, looks an each-way bet for the Skelton brothers. Read all about this important Festival trial in our 2018 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle betting tips preview.Aye Aye Charlie the Bristol Novices’ Hurdle betCheltenham local Fergal O’Brien has been back among the winners this week and his Aye Aye Charlie should relish the step up in trip when tackling 3m for the first time in the Grade 2 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday (14:30). The six-year-old son of Midnight Legend has a stamina laden pedigree as he’s also by a Le Moss mare.
Aye Aye Charlie returns to Cheltenham for his fifth career run at the Cotswolds venue off the back of a win. He was a maiden last season having managed a dead-heat best in bumpers. After finishing a staying on third on his hurdles bow at Aintree last October, he then fell three out in the Grade 2 Hyde Novices’ Hurdle here.
An ease in grade saw Aye Aye Charlie again plug on as an eight-length fourth to Tikkanbar in a Listed 2m 4f contest on desperate ground on New Year’s Day. He was then a distant best of the rest behind Santini and Black Op in the Grade 2 Classic Novices’ Hurdle on Festival Trials Day.
Both the winner and runner-up went on to place at the Cheltenham Festival and then land Grade 1s at the Aintree Grand National meeting. Aye Aye Charlie was next seventh to Samcro in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and then a nearer 4 1/2 lengths fourth to Black Op on Merseyside.
Broken the maiden tag
Connections have kept him over hurdles this season and, although turned over on reappearance when rallying but touched off by a neck by Stoney Mountain at Aintree, the 2m 4f trip simply didn’t look far enough. While that one has since gone down a head to Doux Pretender, Aye Aye Charlie has finally won a race over an extended 2m 6f at Kelso.
You can question what he beat, but he did little wrong and landed the spoils by a cosy six lengths. This demands much more, but Aye Aye Charlie ought to be seen to best effect in a stamina test and is a value bet against Doux Pretender, who is favourite for this.
With Paddy Brennan, who has really ridden the course really well this season, once again on aboard, everything is in place for a huge run. Aye Aye Charlie is thus taken to land the spoils in our 2018 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle betting tips.Danny Whizzbang feared most with proven staminaThe form claims of aforementioned market leader Doux Pretender are obvious, but the trip takes some getting and he is passed over as the main danger in favour of Danny Whizzbang – who has won over further. Trained by Paul Nicholls, the five-year-old son of Getaway has an Irish point victory on his CV and is one of the least exposed in the line-up.
Danny Whizzbang was pulled up on his racecourse debut and not knocked about when he quickly weakened, but followed-up with victory next time out. A prominent display saw him beat Ask Ben by more than a couple of lengths and the runner-up has since belied massive odds of 50/1 to win on hurdles debut over 2m 6f on Fighting Fifth Day at Newcastle.
The form of this Irish point thus has a strong look to it as the front two pulled 30 lengths clear of the remainder, and Danny Whizzbang also landed his bow under rules at Hereford. That victory came in an extended 3m 1f maiden hurdle where he made most of the running in the hands of Harry Cobden and held on under pressure to score by three-quarters of a length.
All of the third, fourth and fifth horses home had landed points, so the stamina of Danny Whizzbang is in absolutely no doubt. Sean Bowen now takes the ride for in-form Ditcheat handler Nicholls and, with arguably even more scope for improvement than Doux Pretender, he’s the one that is feared most.Supremely Lucky one to consider each-wayPlenty have each-way claims in this official trial for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and Supremely Lucky is another with proven stamina to his credit. This Dan Skelton trained six-year-old was a diminishing head second in an Irish point who has since won a bumper and over hurdles at the trip.
Supremely Lucky is by Milan out of a Supreme Leader mare and beat subsequent Wetherby winner Kapgarry by a couple of lengths in a condition jockeys and amateur riders bumper at Chepstow in February. Although then a nine-length fourth to the re-opposing Rocco at the South Wales venue on reappearance, the 2m trip simply wasn’t far enough for him.
Connections saw Supremely Lucky win comfortably when stepped up to 3m at Southwell last time out. After being held-up he made headway from four out and moved into a close second two flights from home. Harry Skelton then produced him to lead before the last and he stayed on well, drawing clear up the run-in for a seven-length success.
This obviously demands more than that class 4 contest, but Team Skelton are operating at a better than 20 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight at the time of writing and that gives him Supremely Lucky claims of making the frame. He thus completes our 2018 Bristol Novices’ Hurdle betting tips as the each-way bet at the odds on offer.Your Next Bet
