Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices Hurdle Day, Huntingdon Racecourse - Thursday 6th February 2020

I can't see any water in the stands yet....

Good morning from a bright and sunny Huntingdon Racecourse, for what looks on paper an informative and exciting day's racing!

Current going is Good To Soft all round, with the Chase course reading 5.1 on the GoingStick, with the Hurdles reading 5.5.

The highlight of which is undoubtedly the Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices Hurdle, which throws up this year a mouthwatering clash of 5 good novices, the main focus of which is the Nicky Henderson trained Shishkin, the current favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival. He steps up to Listed and 2m 3f for the first time today, but judging by the way he flew home and breezed away from his rivals on his recent start at Newbury, he may well be the worthy favourite and up to the challenge today.

Facing him are 4 rivals who by now means are completely out of it, and the one he may have to fear most is the Dan Skelton trained Shan Blue, third in the Grade 2 Ballymore ( registered as the Leamington ) Novices Hurdle at Warwick last month. He was ridden aggressively by Harry that day and just failed to see the trip out, being collared by Decor Irlandais and eventual winner Mossy Fen after just shy of 2m 4f, but given this is a flat course with no undulations, if improving for the run he may well see the trip out and proves the biggest threat to the favourite, especially as he has Graded form. Pacify for Jamie Snowden, Emma Lavelle's Hang In There and Richard Rowe's Up The Straight all provide tough opposition for the favourite, so it will be interesting to see how the race plays out.

Elsewhere on the card, the following race to the above, the Betway Handicap Hurdle, sees a return to Messire Des Obeaux, after an absence of nearly 3 years. A classy novice, winning the Challow Hurdle at Newbury and finishing third behind the ill-fated Finian's Oscar at Aintree in the April. It transpired after the race he had suffered a serious injury, possibly a tendon, and it was feared he may never race again. Thankfully, he is okay and it will remain to be seen if he still has the enthusiasm for the game. Virgilio, Didtheyleaveuoutto and Tea Clipper prove very tough opposition, so it won't be easy for him on the back of a break.

The first of two races over the larger obstacles features an interesting contest, the Betway Novices Handicap Steeplechase, where Midnight Moss from Oliver Greenall, Master Card, Just So Cool, Telson Barley and Footloose all make chasing debuts. On the form of their hurdles runs, Midnight Moss would be the pick of these, but he faces off against Jet Set for Charlie Longsdon and Caroline Bailey's Thomas Shelby, who have experience over the larger obstacles and will prove hard to beat if using that experience.

An exciting day to behold, one that should prove fruitful and useful in later months!