Options open for top novices L'Homme and Galopin - plus 2pt Saturday selection

Happy New Year to you all. After a break over the festive period I'm back and so is the column, albeit in a new format.

Going forward my notebook will mostly take the shape of two pieces, one reflecting on the week's action and the other looking forward, either to the weekend or to targets further on the horizon. If you're after my thoughts on topical issues the place to go will be the Racing Post, in which I write a monthly column.

There's no better place to start than with two of the best novice chasers in Britain and Ireland and I think we saw them both over Christmas in L'Homme Presse and Galopin Des Champs.

Bravemansgame is officially 3lb superior to L'Homme Presse on Racing Post Ratings and put in another exhibition performance at Kempton on Boxing Day, but we know he's found things too hot at the top table before and to me he looked like more of a stayer than a speed horse in the Kauto Star. Paul Nicholls seems to be leaning in that direction, and therefore towards the Festival Novices' Chase (formerly the RSA), too.

L'Homme Presse: could prove better than BravemansgameCredit: Edward Whitaker

L'Homme Presse is also unbeaten in three runs over fences, winning a handicap, graduation and then novice chase. He gave the 142-rated The Glancing Queen 5lb and ten lengths on Saturday, and RPRs confirm my suspicion it may have been a career-best from her.

As I noted in the expert jury, he completed the course a second quicker than feature handicap winner Vienna Court carrying 11lb more. His jumping improved as the race went on and the way he accelerated after the last is something you seldom see on a racecourse.

What I find most interesting about this particular batch of novices is how the lines are so blurred when it comes to their targets at the Cheltenham Festival.

In his column in the Racing Post on Monday, Patrick Mullins said he initially thought Galopin Des Champs reminded him of fellow Martin Pipe winners Sir Des Champs and Don Poli and to me, as a Grade 1 winner over three miles, the Festival Novices' Chase looked the place to work back from at the start of the season.

However, he blew his rivals away with speed and accurate jumping at Leopardstown – I stand by what I said about it being the best chasing debut I've ever seen – and I'd see no reason to go the Don Poli (Festival) route when they could do a Sir Des Champs (Turners).

I was Bob Olinger's biggest fan last year but if Galopin Des Champs was a confirmed rival then I'd bite your hand off for 7-1.

Galopin Des Champs: has the speed for the 2m4f novice race at the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

So where does L'Homme Presse fit in? The way he sprinted up the run-in on Saturday told me he wasn't a slow horse either, but 10-1 for the Turners is about where I'd put him against the two proven Grade 1 horses from Ireland.

I therefore wonder if Venetia Williams could be tempted to run him elsewhere? I did think the Ryanair could be a target – stablemate Royal Pagaille ran in the Gold Cup last season – but he wasn't among the entries.

Boy can turn into a man at Sandown

Shallwehaveonemore
2.25 Sandown
1pt win at 10-1 with Paddy Power

Hermes Boy
3.35 Sandown
2pts win at 11-4 generally

Constitution Hill will be the headline name at Sandown on Saturday where he will bid to become Nicky Henderson's sixth winner of the Tolworth (2.25).

Like everyone else, I was deeply impressed by the way he beat the Might I over the course and distance last month. He didn't appear to have any chinks in his armour then and will be tough to oppose.

However, he's 1-2 at the time of writing and the horse who I thought would be second favourite is languishing further down the market at a double-figure price.

Constitution Hill (right): short-priced favourite for the TolworthCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mr Glass, Might I and Datsalrightgino all deserve respect but I'd wager Shallwehaveonemore eclipses all of them when it comes to latent ability.

He beat the well-regarded Walking On Air in a bumper on debut at Kempton last year and his second on hurdling debut at Ascot doesn't tell the full story.

He pulled ferociously for the first half of the race and still looked to have matters in hand coming to the last but his early exertions told in the final strides. I have no doubt he is far superior to the winner Kandoo Kid.

The form was boosted when Peking Rose (third) won an introductory hurdle at Newbury by 11 lengths on Saturday and Fine Casting (sixth) has also won since.

That race should have taken the freshness out of Shallwehaveonemore, who relaxed beautifully in his only other previous start and looked to hurdle more fluently than stablemate Goshen, with whom he shares both his owner and sire.

He's entered in a maiden hurdle at Wincanton on the same day, but such is his reputation I wouldn't be surprised if the Moores went for Grade 1 glory instead and a price of 10-1 underestimates him.

The best bet on Saturday comes in the concluding 2m handicap hurdle (3.35), where I suspect many will be testing the waters ahead of an Imperial Cup bid.

Hermes Boy can take the Monsieur Lecoq (pictured) route at SandownCredit: Mark Cranham

Jane Williams won the race with Monsieur Lecoq prior to his second in the Grade 3 in 2019 and this year she is represented by Hermes Boy, who has been mentioned in this column before and will surely have valuable handicap hurdles on his agenda.

A hugely eyecatching second to subsequent Grade 2 winner I Like To Move it on hurdling debut at Worcester, he was again keen and hung in the closing stages behind Richmond Lake at Bangor – he has gone on to finish third in a hot novice at Aintree and justify odds of 1-7 at Sedgefield.

Hermes Boy put it all together to win at Exeter last time and starts life off in handicaps off just 2lb higher than Monsieur Lecoq, which I'm convinced will also look lenient in time.

The third from his last race, Dubrovnik Harry, is another smart prospect and won on New Year's Day, and he rates a confident selection in a race which could lack depth.

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