Can Captain Teague step up in trip and repel powerful Willie Mullins contingent in Grade 1 Albert Bartlett?

Punters bemoaning odds-on favourites in the Grade 1 races at the festival can find their happy place in the Albert Bartlett. With big fields and even bigger-priced winners frequently the order of play, this three-mile grind regularly throws up a surprise.

Of the ten winners this decade, only Monkfish returned at single-figure odds at 5-1. Lots of inexperienced horses combined with the highly charged occasion of Gold Cup day mean the Albert Bartlett demands plenty of its runners.

The opportunities for novice hurdlers to run over staying trips only begin to properly open up in the second half of the season. With most of these novices kept fresh with the Albert Bartlett in mind, there is scarce form at the distance available.

That is at least in races under rules. Since 2011 there have been eight Albert Bartlett winners who arrived with winning form over three miles in the point-to-point sphere. While that yield came from a sample size of 108, the returns have been golden.

Backing every three-mile point-to-point winner to £1 stakes in that timeframe would have earned you a profit of £74. Among those winners were 18-1 chance Stay Away Fay in 2023 and 33-1 shots Very Wood (2014) and Kilbricken Storm (2016). Three years after Kilbricken Storm it was Minella Indo who belied a 50-1 SP.

That group this season comprises Butcher Hollow, Dancing City, Dripsey Moon, High Class Hero, Johnnywho, Search For Glory, Stellar Story and The Jukebox Man. Crucially, it does not apply to many at the front end of the market as Readin Tommy Wrong, Gidleigh Park, Captain Teague and Lecky Watson lack that pre-rules experience.

Bonus points are granted to Search For Glory, who has also obliged in a three-mile novice hurdle since leaving the pointing ranks.

Paul Townend had two Grade 1 winners to pick from among the Willie Mullins challenge in Readin Tommy Wrong and Dancing City, while third string High Class Hero is evidently no slouch as he arrives unbeaten. The fact he has chosen to partner Readin Tommy Wrong for the first time over the other two, who he has ridden before, might be a tip in itself.

The three Mullins runners come out top on adjusted Racing Post Ratings with daylight back to Captain Teague and the remainder. Captain Teague grabbed his Grade 1 novice win in the Challow, a race which trainer Paul Nicholls usually uses as a springboard to the Gallagher.

Captain Teague does not fit the pointing trend in the Albert Bartlett. Yet given what the Challow taught us about his stamina reserves and how exceptional Ballyburn looked in the Gallagher, this is surely his rightful home.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Albert Bartlett

By Tom Park, audience editor

The Albert Bartlett has a history of producing big-priced winners with the average-winning SP over the past decade bigger than 25-1. As a result I am wanting each-way terms in my favour and once again Sky Bet come up trumps with five places. The two I will look to back with that concession are Lecky Watson and Chigorin, who both were doing their best work at the end of their last two starts and should relish this test.

• RP Recommends: Sky Bet

'Hopefully Gidleigh Park has the ideal blend of speed and stamina'

Gidleigh Park leads the British defence and arrives with an unblemished record after extending his unbeaten record to four on Trials day last time.

After beating the reopposing The Jukebox Man in a bumper last season, Gidleigh Park scored on his first two starts over hurdles at Exeter and Newbury. Going up in class, the six-year-old then denied Lucky Place by half a length in the Grade 2 SSS Super Alloys Novices' Hurdle last time.

He is stepping up to three miles for the first time after trainer Harry Fry decided against taking on Ballyburn in the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle.

"He won on the New course and it's the ideal track," said Fry. "I've been really happy with him since his last run and can't wait to see him take his chance in Grade 1 company. Lucky Place chased us home on Trials day so I was pleased to see him finish a staying-on fourth in the Coral Cup.

Gidleigh Park: bids to extend his unbeaten record to fiveCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He's done everything right. We were always leaning towards this race but were mindful of the conditions. He wouldn't want it too testing but we're not forecast significant rain. This is his distance and he'll be a three-mile chaser. Hopefully he's got the ideal blend of speed and stamina for this."

Readin Tommy Wrong bids to boost Ireland's novice record

The strength of Ireland's novice hurdlers has been on display this week and Willie Mullins bids to drive home the point with Readin Tommy Wrong.

The six-year-old is one of five runners in the Grade 1 for Ireland's champion trainer, who landed the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle with Ballyburn.

Readin Tommy Wrong landed the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle last timeCredit: Patrick McCann

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Readin Tommy Wrong took his record to 4-4 when narrowly winning the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle last time.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to the owners, said: “He’s trained okay coming into the race. He’s a Grade 1 winner and he deserves his chance, we’re all looking forward to seeing him run. Paul Townend has chosen him, which is a plus factor, but it looks the trickiest novice hurdle puzzle to work out.”

Mullins bids for a record-extending fourth victory in the race and also relies on Dancing City, High Class Hero, Lecky Watson and Spread Boss Ted. The market suggests Dancing City could be the main danger to the favourite after beating Predators Gold in a Leopardstown Grade 1 last time.

High Class Hero will line up with an unblemished record over hurdles after justifying odds-on favouritism in a novice hurdle at Thurles in January. Lecky Watson was third behind Readin Tommy Wrong in the Lawlor's of Naas, while Spread Boss Ted steps up to three miles for the first time.

Can Nicholls record back-to-back wins with Captain Teague?

Paul Nicholls landed the Albert Bartlett with 18-1 shot Stay Away Fay last season and sends out an interesting contender in Captain Teague.

The six-year-old finished third in the Champion Bumper and built on the promise of that performance when winning on his hurdles debut at Chepstow. He then chased home Minella Missile in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham before bouncing back in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury last time.

Captain Teague: Challow winner should be suited by step up in tripCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The form of last season's Champion Bumper has worked out well with the runner-up Fact To File winning the Brown Advisory on Wednesday and Nicholls said: "I've always thought he is one of our best chances of the week.

"The form from last year's Champion Bumper is red-hot and this season he has won a Grade 2 and Grade 1 from three runs. All he did in the Challow was stay and I think three miles will bring out the best in him."

What they say

Jonjo O'Neill, trainer of Johnnywho
This is competitive but he's in grand form and should be suited by this step up in trip.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Search For Glory and Stellar Story
They are staying chasers for the future, but have the potential to play a part here. They are big prices in an open race and it wouldn't surprise me to see them bang there turning for home. They won't be stopping either.

Ben Pauling, trainer of The Jukebox Man
He's done nothing wrong this year. We're aware it's going to be tough but we'll try to get him into a good rhythm and see where we are. He deserves his place in the race and this step up in trip will suit him.

Read more of Friday's previews: 

Willie Mullins saddles more than half the field but which is the stable first string? 

Can Dan Skelton land another County Hurdle? Key quotes for the big final day handicap 

Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double - but what does Willie Mullins make of his chances? 

'He's better and stronger now' - last year's runner-up Its On The Line bids to go one better in Hunter Chase 

Dinoblue has the stamp of a champion and sets a high bar in much-maligned Mares' Chase 

'We have a nice team for this' - Better Days Ahead leads Gordon Elliott's seven-strong squad in Martin Pipe  

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