2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Ante-Post Preview – Stripe Up Your Life With Three At 33/1
Gordon Elliot will hope to land this prize for the second time since Labaik in 2017.
2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Ante-Post Preview
Our expert has delved through the current state of play in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle betting market, identifying a selection available at odds of 33/1 with William Hill. Check out their thoughts below, and why not also check out our Stayers’ Hurdle ante-post article.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Tuesday 15th March 2022)
There have only been three British trained winners of this opening day’s contest since 2013, two of those were represented by trainer Nicky Henderson with Altior in 2016 and Shishkin who saw off the challenge of Abacadabras in 2020.
The team at Seven Barrows will be hoping for more success in the race as Jonbon currently heads the market for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2022.
The JP McManus owned five-year-old has created a big impression since joining the yard from the Irish point-to-point scene for £570,000. He looked a horse right out of the top drawer when routing his rivals on hurdling debut at Newbury in November.
Jonbon is a full brother to Douvan who tasted success in this feature contest back in 2015 for Willie Mullins in the famous Ricci silks. There is every reason to believe Jonbon will follow in his footsteps but this is a race in recent years where the Irish have dominated.
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The main market rival to Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten charge is Kilcruit for Wille Mullins who was unlucky not to win the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at last years festival when finishing behind stablemate Sir Gerhard.
The six-year-old made no mistake when the pair met once again at Punchestown in April and there is a strong feeling from connections that Kilcruit is their leading Novice hurdle prospect for this campaign.
We are yet to see Kilcruit over hurdles as of yet, however, trainer and owner took last season’s Supreme with Appreciate It and it appears Kilcruit will campaign identically. Trainer Willie Mullins will be hoping his star six-year-old can provide him with an eighth win in this race.
The only question marks will be in regards to the trip as there’s reason to believe he could be better over further than 2miles and a lack of a hurdle run at this stage tempers enthusiasm at the current odds.
Willie Mullins has a host of entries that feature prominently in the betting including a trio for Cheveley Park Stud with Sir Gerhard, Classic Getaway and Grangeclare West but all are yet to make their hurdling debuts.
Trainer Gordon Elliot has only tasted success once before in this race with the unruly and quirky grey gelding Labaik in 2017, but the trainer almost registered another victory in 2020 when Abacadabras was narrowly denied by Shishkin, despite looking the most likely winner as they turned for home and battled up the famous hill.
He will be looking to double his tally in this opening showpiece and there is a hope that THREE STRIPE LIFE will be his best chance of doing just that.
The five-year-old was fourth behind Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper last year but that effort can be upgraded as he was not beaten far after being fractious in the preliminaries and raced very keen throughout.
Three Stripe Life returned in November this season and made light work of the field on hurdling debut at Fairyhouse. Gordon Elliot’s runner jumped impeccably and showed a nice turn of foot in the closing stages to score readily at cramped odds.
Connections had entered him up in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle over course and distance off the back of that performance but ultimately was withdrawn after being a springer in the market due to ground conditions.
Three Stripe Life appears to be a strong-staying 2miler and fits exactly the right type of profile to win a race such as this. If continuing to impress over the festive period in his future engagements then the current odds of 33/1 will not be around for long.