Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Betting Tips, Trainer Quotes

Paddy Aspell

March 2nd, 2021

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Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Tips

• Back Barbados Bucks to win at 10/1 with Betvictor

The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is the warm up for the blue riband event and Irish trained horses appear to have a real strong hand in this event often associated with some great staying chasers further down the line. The race sponsors will be keen to win having been runners up in 2016 and have the current favourite in Stattler. A well-run race looks exactly what this horse wants, he was placed in Grade one company last time and sets a good standard. The Paul Nicholls trained Barbados Bucks is dour staying type whos on the improve who's looking to improve his poor strike rate in the race. It's worth noting that Six year olds have a fantastic record in this particular event.

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Details

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is a three mile Grade 1 hurdle race, which pitches the seasons future Stayers Hurdle candidates against one another. Its sponsored by a potato company, Albert Bartlett, whose owner, Ronnie Bartlett has been a prolific supporter of horse racing, responsible for dual Cheltenham Festival winner Simonsig and Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Zemsky.

The winning connections receive a first prize of £52,753 and features as a preliminary event on Gold Cup day.

When & Where To Watch Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

14.30 Friday, March 19 - LIVE ON: ITV Racing, RTE Racing, Racing TV

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Betting Tips

The Bartletts will of course be keen to win their own race, but it has to be a worry that the Stattler has only won one hurdle race and the form of it has been underwhelming. Mouse Morris has sounded negative about Gentlemansgame taking his chance at the festival which is disappointing for his supporters.

I can't help but think that the master of Dicheat has a live chance in Barbados Bucks for this years Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, who has gone about his business quietly but is definitely progressing. He’s rated 139, a six year old and stamina looks assured on his last performance. On the whole this is a wide-open market for a novice event so there will be value to be found.

A likely outsider worth a mention is Tom Lacys Adrimel, who although his only defeat came in the festival bumper last year (Aggressively ridden), but has looked better this year and was extremely tough in winning a competitive Grade 2 in first time cheekpieces at Warwick recently.

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Horse-By-Horse Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Guide

Stattlers form worthy?

I can't help thinking the favourite could be slightly tripless and its possible to say his form is ordinary considering his price, but he’s in great hands so impossible to write off.

Fakieras Experience Could Count

Experience could really be the difference in winning and losing here. Gordons's charge is very tough and with plenty of form going left-handed, he hit the line strong enough at Leopardstown in first time headgear to suggest a real test like this won't bother him too much.

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Barbados Collect The Bucks?

He might not be a very obvious winner of this Grade 1 to many punters, but I imagine Paul Nicholls would be keen to improve his record in this race (Najaf 2nd 2010). His connections said he was too big and weak to win a bumper and since tackling hurdles he hasn’t stopped improving and will surely make up into a fine staying chaser in the future.

Lacys improver up to it?

Adrimel is another candidate who visually doesn’t always blow you away, but there's no doubting his engine. He won his point to point impressively and has a very respectable rating of 142. At Warwick in a Grade 2 recently he looked sure to be run down all the way up the straight but showed great resilience despite missing the last hurdle.

The Verdict

Trainers both sides of the Irish Sea have shared success pretty evenly in this co main event. I think it’s the UKs turn this year, so I have sided with Barbados Bucks to get his trainer off the mark in one of the few remaining races at the festival that continues to evade him.

Tom Lacy is making great progress up the training ranks, but is still seeking to get his name on the winner's rota at Cheltenham, in Adrimel however this is surely his strongest chance to date. As previously mentioned, he did disappoint here in the bumper last year but there were excuses and he is on an upward curve.

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 2020 Result Prediction

1. Barbados Bucks
2. Adrimel
3. Fakiera