'We think the world of him' - Challow Hurdle quotes and big-race insight

Wednesday: 3.05 Newbury
MansionBet Challow Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m4½f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

This Grade 1 went through a lull in the middle of the last decade, but over the last three years we have seen Champ, Thyme Hill and Bravemansgame all win it before further top-level success and it's clear the Challow is now back among the best novice hurdles in Britain.

Paul Nicholls, who saddled Bravemansgame and has also had Enrilo and Getaway Trump placed in recent years, bids for back-to-back wins in the race with Stage Star. He will carry the same colours as Getaway Trump and has followed an identical route to Bravemansgame.

Stage Star landed the same novice hurdle over course and distance last month, which Bravemansgame had won the previous year, before his Challow win. How do they compare?

Bravemansgame achieved a Racing Post Rating of 151 for his course-and-distance success en route here, but Stage Star was awarded just 141 for his win in the same race last month and the average winning RPR for this contest is 150. So Stage Star needs to improve at least 9lb.

None of this field has reached the magic 150 yet, but Lossiemouth comes closest having been given an RPR of 146 for his easy victory in the Winter Novices' Hurdle at Sandown.

That race has been a good guide and in the last ten seasons the winners of the Winter Novices' Hurdle have recorded three wins, two seconds and two thirds in the Challow.

The worry has to be trainer Tom Lacey's record in Grade 1 contests. Lacey's runners are good when dominating inferior opposition, but regularly come up short at the top level.

Since the start of 2018, Lacey has saddled nine runners in Grade 1 races in Britain and Ireland and, not only were they all beaten, they beat just 30 per cent of their rivals home.

Lacey did have Kateson finish third of seven in this race in 2018, but recent history suggests he often pitches horses in above their pay grade. Will Lossiemouth prove an exception here?

Gordon Elliott certainly doesn't have that problem. He has saddled seven Grade 1 winners in Britain in that same three-year period and has sent out only one runner in this race in the last ten years. That was Baltazar D'Allier, who finished second to Messire Des Obeaux in 2016.

This race has eluded Ireland, but Charles Byrnes has already carried off two big novice prizes at Cheltenham with Blazing Khal this season and Elliott's runner here, Gringo D'Aubrelle, has won twice since finishing second behind Blazing Khal at Galway in October.

A win for Gringo D'Aubrelle could therefore spell trouble for the British novices on two counts. Not only would it pay compliment to Blazing Khal, but it's also likely Elliott, who had the first two in Tuesday's Grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown, has better at home.

Recent Ascot winner Party Business looks best of the rest. He achieved an RPR of 131 when scoring at the Berkshire venue 12 days ago and that is the third best figure on offer behind Lossiemouth and Stage Star.

Party Business bids to give trainer Ian Williams his second win in the race 17 years after his first. He last won it in 2004 with Brewster.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

'We'll know a lot more after the Challow'

Paul Nicholls is looking forward to testing Stage Star at the highest level as he bids to notch a record-equalling fourth Challow success.

The five-year-old, who was third in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree last season, remained unbeaten in two starts over hurdles when scoring by seven and a half lengths at Newbury in November.

It was the same novice hurdle won by Bravemansgame, who won the Challow by ten lengths on his next start before finishing third behind Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. He was last seen winning the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton.

Stage Star: bids to give Paul Nicholls back-to-back Challow winsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"He's A1 after a little spin this morning," said Nicholls, speaking on Tuesday and who needs one more victory to draw level with Jonjo O'Neill on four wins.

"He's taking the same route as Bravemansgame, winning a maiden hurdle, going to Newbury and then heading to the Challow. He was very good last time with a penalty. This is a Grade 1 and we'll know a lot more after this run but he deserves to take his chance."

What they say

Olly Murphy, trainer of Go Dante
We think the world of him and he had excuses for his run at Ascot last time. We're throwing him in at the deep end but he's schooled nicely and there's no reason why he can't run well at a price.

Warren Greatrex, trainer of High Stakes
He was only just ready to run when he was narrowly denied at Ayr last time but it was a promising performance. The track and ground, which I think will be quite testing, will suit so we're giving it a shot.

Tom Lacey, trainer of Lossiemouth
This race or the Tolworth were the two main targets after his victory at Sandown and the rain has come in time for us to have a go at this rather than dropping back to two miles. It's the right race for him.

Dan Skelton, trainer of West Balboa
It's a massive step up in grade but we like her a lot and she won very well on her debut at Warwick last time – I thought she would win. She also gets the 7lb fillies and mares' allowance at Newbury.
Reporting by Jonathan Harding

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