'Hugely talented' Hermes Allen dominates for red-hot Nicholls and Cobden

Friday: Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Cheltenham

It is pretty evident when you have seen a class horse in action and Hermes Allen certainly fit that category following a truly dominant front-running display in the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

A crack at top-level company could be next for the impressive five-year-old, with Nicholls nominating the MansionBet Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on December 31 as a possible next target – a race he has won with Bravemansgame and Stage Star in the last two years.

Nicholls spoke of a transformation in Hermes Allen’s work following his Stratford win on stable debut last month, describing the £350,000 purchase as “hugely talented”.

The red-hot winning trainer said: “That was class. I’m astonished as before he went to Stratford he showed us absolutely nothing at home. He didn’t jump great there but was brilliant today and he’s improved bundles.

“He’s taken such a big step forward in his work, it’s like looking at two different horses when comparing him from before Stratford to now. You can hardly stop him at the end of the gallop now and he’s hugely talented.

“The Challow is a race I love to win, we tend to run our best novice in it and it’s certainly an option for him. The owners would love to come back here in the spring with him so we’ll make a plan, and whatever he does this season, he’ll be an exciting chaser.”

Paddy Power cut Hermes Allen to 8-1 (from 20) for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and 14-1 (from 33) for the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Hermes Allen: dominant display under Harry CobdenCredit: John Grossick

Cobden is riding at an astonishing 64 per cent strike-rate this month and, one week on from a fine all-the-way win on Greaneteen in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, he executed the same tactics to beat the Gordon Elliott-trained Music Drive by nine lengths.

Cobden said: “He gave me a fantastic feel, he jumped very well and he was away and gone after two out. He shows you nothing at home but he’s clearly full of ability. This was one of the strongest novice hurdles so far this season and he put them to bed fairly nicely.”

Aiden Murphy bought Hermes Allen last December for owner John Hales, who has been joined in partnership by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason and John Diver. They have a very smart prospect.

Hales said: “It was a great performance in a race that was in a different league to Stratford. He took them apart and just pulled away off the bottom bend. I’ve had a lot of stick that we paid too much for him but he’s beaten quality horses there. We bought him for chasing and he jumps beautifully.”

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