Over the years, the Grade 2 Sky Bet Hurdle has been a starting point for some future Grade 1 winners, and they don’t get much bigger than Altior, who took the prize back in 2015.
Although there may only be six runners in this year’s race, it looks tight, even given that we have a short-priced favourite.
Here, I will share my thoughts on all six runners and who I believe will win.
If you want to bet on the Grade 2 Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle, look no further than the top list of the best online horse racing bookmakers.
Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle: Runner by runner guide
Now it’s time to take a in-dept looking into runners of the Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet.
🏇 (6) Gale Mahler
- Age: 5
- Form: 111111
- Rating: 135
- Jockey: Henry Brooke
- Trainer: Adrian Keatley
- Odds: 4/5
This has been a rise to fame like no other over the summer.
Having started her summer campaign with a win in a mares-only bumper at Southwell, Gale Mahler has improved beyond belief.
Four back-to-back wins followed over hurdles, but her ten-length win in a Listed Hurdle at the Galway Festival had everyone talking.
That form has already gotten a boost, with the fourth Gaucher winning the Grade 3 BoyleSports Novice Hurdle.
She is now rated 135, but there is every chance that we still have yet to see the best of her. If she continues her improvement, then she will be hard to beat.
✅ Has won her last six races
✅ Easy winner of a listed hurdle
❌ Could this be one race too many this year
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Gale Mahler with talkSPORT BET 🐎
🏇 (3) Valgrand
- Age: 5
- Form: /24-11
- Rating: 118
- Jockey: Harry Skelton
- Trainer: Dan Skelton
- Odds: 11/2
This Grade 2 bumper fourth has made a perfect start to life over hurdles, winning at Uttoxeter and Bangor-on-Dee in May.
That form doesn’t amount too much in context to what he will face today. But based on his ability to run fourth in the Aintree bumper, he will surely be better than his current rating.
He is one not to judge on what he has done in his two starts to date but on what he can become this season. His trainer, Dan Skelton, is not shy about getting one ready the first time up, so you can be sure that Valgrand will be primed for this.
Overall, he is a fascinating runner based on his fourth in a Grade 2 bumper and can show massive improvement on its seasonal debut.
✅ Has shown clear ability in a Grade 2 bumper
✅ Two from two over hurdles
❌ May come on for the run
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Valgrand with BetMGM 🐎
🏇 (4) Brave Knight
- Age: 4
- Form: 111
- Rating: 127
- Jockey: Harry Cobden
- Trainer: Paul Nicholls
- Odds: 6/1
Brave Knight, another who has had a faultless start to his hurdling career, comes with bags of potential. But the cloud hanging over the form of his trainer, Paul Nicholls, is the big talking point so far this season.
From his last 23 runners, Paul Nicholls has only managed to bag three wins, with all seven favourites being turned over. This is an apparent concern for anyone considering backing Brave Knight here.
Given the clear struggles that the Paul Nicholls runners are having first time up, it may be worth avoiding Brave Knight today in the hopes that he will come on for the run.
✅ Unbeaten over hurdles
❌ Paul Nicholls’s horses seem to need their first run-back
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Brace Knight with Spreadex 🐎
🏇 (1) Imaginarium
- Age: 5
- Form: 1
- Rating: –
- Jockey: Sean Bowen
- Trainer: Olly Murphy
- Odds: 16/1
A Curragh maiden winner when trained on the flat by Ger Lyons, Imaginarium made a perfect start to life over hurdles for then-trainer Lucinda Russell when taking a maiden hurdle at Perth.
Having been switched to the Olly Murphy yard since that win, he has wasted no time in setting their sights on graded glory.
If we go back to his win at Peth, it was more impressive than the winning margin would suggest, as it was only hands and heels to the line after the last.
This is an obvious big step up from what he has already done, but given his flat rating, he may be able to find the necessary improvement to match some of his shorter-priced rivals.
✅ A good winner on hurdle debut
❌ Needs to find a big jolt of improvement
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Imaginarium with VBET 🐎
🏇 (5) Dancing In Paris
- Age: 4
- Form: –
- Rating: –
- Jockey: Charlie Todd
- Trainer: Ian Williams
- Odds: 25/1
Trainer Ian William made a brave move by starting Dancing In Paris in a Grade 2 hurdle on his first start over jumps.
It’s highly unlikely that Dancing In Paris will win, but given his flat exploits, it wouldn’t be a shock if he ran them close if his jumping was up to scratch.
He has run 12 times this year alone, winning three and placing four times. It will be interesting to see how he gets on because he has the build of a horse who will enjoy his jumping.
Very much an interesting runner going forward.
✅ Has been competing in high-level handicaps on the flat.
❌ A massive ask on his first hurdle start
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Dancing in Paris with Copybet 🐎
🏇 (2) Strong Foundations
- Age: 5
- Form: /454-1
- Rating: –
- Jockey: Robert Dunne
- Trainer: Samuel Drinkwater
- Odds: 25/1
Strong Foundations is another who made a winning start to his hurdling career by taking a novice hurdle at the beginning of the month at Warwick.
That form is nothing out of the ordinary, but he did run well to finish fourth in the bumper on last year’s corresponding card, which at least shows that he acts around Cheltenham.
That bumper form would give him a squeak to sneak a top 3 finish.
✅ Ran well at Cheltenham last season
❌ Needs a significant improvement on his last run
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Strong Foundations with SBK 🐎
Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle verdict
This is not the strongest Grade 2 novice hurdle we will see this season, and even so, Gale Mahler should win. However, I think she is now too short in the betting market.
Valgrand has already shown that he can mix it at this level at a big festival, and with two wins under his belt already over hurdles, there is every reason to think he can take a big step forward on his seasonal return.
About the author
Andrew Halligan
My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.
You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).
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