Donn McClean: two tips for Friday after Boxing Day winners

Hello Neighbour has yet to run over hurdles, but he is bred for it, and he could be a high-class recruit to the juvenile hurdling scene. 

Gavin Cromwell’s horse stayed on well to win his maiden on the Flat on his racecourse debut at Navan in September, when he had Double Agent, Get and Soul Of Spain behind him in second, third and fourth places respectively.  Those three horses all won subsequently, with Get and Soul Of Spain earning ratings in the 90s. 

Hello Neighbour ran again on the Flat himself too, and looked good in winning a rated race at Roscommon in October over 10 and a half furlongs, a distance that was surely shorter than ideal for him.  He has a Flat rating now of 97, and that is after just two runs. 

A half-brother to A Wave Of The Sea, a high class juvenile hurdler himself and winner of the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle, albeit a little fortuitously, Cromwell obviously holds the Harzand gelding in high regard, and reports that his schooling has gone well. 

It will be interesting to see how he fares on his hurdling bow at Leopardstown, after which his odds for the Triumph Hurdle could be considerably lower than they are now.  

Better Days Ahead was a progressive novice hurdler last season, but it is likely that he will morph into an even better chaser. 

Gordon Elliott’s horse ran out a game winner of the Martin Pipe Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.  You wouldn't have called him as the most likely winner at the top of the home straight that day, but his stamina kicked in on the run-in, and he showed a good attitude to come away from Waterford Whispers and Quai De Bourbon in a strong-looking renewal of the race. 

He was very good too on his chasing debut at Navan last month.  Out in front from early in the two-and-a-half-mile contest, Jack Kennedy quickly had him settled into a nice racing and jumping rhythm, and it always looked like he was holding off the challenge of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Slade Steel.  

He should progress from his chasing debut, and improve again as he steps up in trip. He could take his place among the very best staying novice chasers this season. 

Looking beyond this week, we know that he goes well at Cheltenham so, if he does run well on Thursday, his odds for the Brown Advisory Chase at the Cheltenham Festival could contract significantly. 

It looks like the ground is going to be good to soft or better for this year’s King George, and that is a positive for Banbridge. 

As well as the ground, Joseph O’Brien’s horse has lots in his favour as a King George contender.  Winner of the Martin Pipe Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival as a novice hurdler, he was a top-class novice chaser, winning the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham and the Grade One Manifesto Chase at Aintree, and he progressed again last term, his season culminating in a last-gasp victory in the Champion Chase at Punchestown over an inadequate two miles. 

He was disappointing in the Fortria Chase at Navan on his return, but he put that run behind him with a big performance in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork, a race in which he was challenging Energumene at the final fence when he unseated his rider. 

He might not have beaten Energumene, but it is not certain that he wouldn't have - it probably would have been close between them either way - and Energumene finished 10 lengths clear of the high-class mare Dinoblue.  

It was a massive run by Ronnie Bartlett’s horse.  He was giving Energumene 10lb too, and two miles is almost certainly short of his best these days. 

He is not proven over three miles, but he stays two and a half miles well, and Martin Pipe Hurdle winners usually get further than the intermediate trip. 

Also, he won a novices’ hurdle over two miles and five furlongs, and there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree.  He is proven at Kempton, scooping the Grade Two Silviniaco Conti Chase there on his debut last season, and it looks like the King George has been the plan for a little while. 

It was mildly surprising that it took Bleu De Vassy four attempts before he landed his first bumper last season, but he looked good in winning that day at Clonmel in April, and he looked even better in winning his maiden hurdle on his first attempt over obstacles under Rules at Fairyhouse in October. 

It wasn’t a strong maiden hurdle, but his jumping was very good, and he lengthened away from his rivals over the final two flights, winning by 25 lengths and dipping under 13 seconds according to Race IQ for each of the last three furlongs, on a day on which no other winner went below 13 seconds for any furlong. 

Gordon Elliott’s horse was good, too, last time at Navan in winning the Grade Three For Auction Hurdle.  All his form last season was on soft ground, but it appears this season as if he is even better on better ground.  He jumps well for a novice, and he should be able to continue his upward trajectory. 

It looks like Panda Boy is set to have another crack at the Paddy Power Chase, and you can be sure that he will give it a good go. 

Again. 

Martin Brassil’s horse is a Leopardstown horse, a Leopardstown Christmas Festival horse.  He burst onto the scene there three years ago, when he ran out an impressive winner of the Pertemps qualifier at the 2021 Christmas Festival as a five-year-old. 

Third in the Paddy Power Chase the following year, beaten just three parts of a length by the winner Real Steel off a mark of 136, he went back there last year and, racing of a handicap rating of 140, kept on well to finish second behind Meetingofthewaters. 

And he ran a big race for good measure back at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival in February when he finished a close-up fourth behind Maxxum in the listed three-mile handicap hurdle. 

He was well beaten behind the aforementioned Real Steel in the Munster National on his debut this season, but that was a race in which Danny Mullins dictated a sedate pace from the front on the winner, and in which it was always going to be difficult for him to get involved from back in the field. 

That run should bring him forward nicely for Friday’s race, which his astute trainer has surely had in mind for him again for a little while.  He stays well but goes well on goodish ground.