BALLY’S SUPREME
NIGEL Twiston-Davies has decided to target Cheltenham Festival’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Ballyandy.
The six-year-old, who won the Champion Bumper at the Festival last March, had previously caused his handler major concerns with three disappointing performances prior to his victory in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month.
But after a fluent win Twiston-Davies is of the view the gelding has turned a corner for Cheltenham.
“He cantered to the last in the Betfair Hurdle and quickened away nicely,” he said. “We have always thought an awful lot of him and I cannot understand why he didn’t do better in his first three races over hurdles, but he managed to handicap himself nicely. “Maybe, with time, he has got better.” Twiston-Davies, who has won 17 races at the Festival, has a particularly strong hand on the opening day this year on March 14. Flying Angel, last year’s Imperial Cup winner, put in a fine effort to win the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick, and is entered in both the Racing Post Arkle Trophy and the JLT Novices’ Chase.
“He was very good at Warwick in the Kingmaker so what do we do?” said Twiston-Davies.
“Should we take on the supposedly unbeatable Altior or do we go for what could be an easier task in the JLT?
“But you should not be frightened of one horse.”
The New One is set to run in the Stan James Champion Hurdle for the fourth time.
The nine-year-old finished third in 2014 and the trainer believes he can go close again.
“The race is not as hot it has been in the past,” said TwistonDavies.
“There is no Faugheen this year and, if you look at the ratings, The New One should be right there at the finish.”