Last season's novice hurdlers weren't a great bunch - and this Cheltenham winner is no value for a March repeat

It's too early to be sure but there is mounting evidence that last season's novice hurdlers weren't a great bunch, with the notable exception of Ballyburn, and I wonder if they're being overrated whatever type of race they run in.

Let's take the Supreme. The winner Slade Steel was hammered on his chase debut, runner-up Mystical Power was lapped in the Fighting Fifth and third-placed Firefox couldn't win a weak-looking Drinmore Novice Chase at the weekend.

At this stage it takes a pair of extremely rose-tinted glasses to see any of those three playing a leading role in any Cheltenham race in the spring, while everyone knew the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle at the festival was a bad race if you took out Ballyburn.