THE Coral Challow Hurdle kind of creeps up on you a bit every year, just as you are starting to exhale following the Christmas festivals, in all their depth.

But it’s worth paying attention to it, Grade 1 race that it is, and won by Bravemansgame in 2020 and Thyme Hill in 2019 and Champ in 2018 and Barters Hill in 2015, when he beat Politologue.

Paul Nicholls has won the last two renewals of the Challow Hurdle, and he mentioned today’s race for Hermes Allen after the Poliglote gelding won the Grade 2 Hyde Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

It makes sense, and you can understand why he is favourite, he won well that day and he is a young horse on the up, and Paul Nicholls has that good record in the race, and he has his team in really good form.

But the form of the Cheltenham race is questionable. Music Drive, who finished second, is the only horse from the race who has run since, and he finished down the field in the Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown on Wednesday off a handicap rating of 129.

Also, the third horse in the Cheltenham race, Weveallbeencaught, was making his debut over hurdles having just won a bumper by a half a length from Collectors Item, who finished fifth in the Cheltenham race. Hermes Allen may well win, but he is very short.

Over-priced

Joyeux Machin is probably over-priced against him. Paul Nolan’s horse was a really promising bumper horse last season, he got to within six lengths of Facile Vega on his racecourse debut at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival last year, before going to Navan and winning his bumper, and he has made a really encouraging start to his career as a hurdler.

Third behind subsequent Grade 2 Navan Hurdle winner Inthepocket at Wexford in October on his hurdling bow, he stepped forward from that last time when he ran out an impressive winner of his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse.

He has never been beyond two miles under rules, but he was travelling well in his only point-to-point when he came down at the second last, and he stayed on well at Fairyhouse last time after losing momentum at the final flight, going away from Viva Devito in the end, with the pair of them clear. He shows a really willing attitude, and he could improve for the step up in trip today.

He wouldn’t want the ground to get too testing, but the forecast good to soft ground would be ideal. Paul Nolan had a nice winner of an auction maiden hurdle at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day in Ifiwerearichman, and it is a positive that Sean O’Keefe, who rode a double at Limerick on Wednesday with Allegorie De Vassy and Maskada, is going over for the one ride.

Handicap Hurdle

Earlier in the day, it could be worth taking a chance on Soaring Glory in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

Jonjo O’Neill’s horse has run just once this season, in a novices’ chase at Carlisle at the end of last month, when he was pulled up.

He had had entries in two chases before that, but it never really happened for him on that chasing debut, and it looks like a good decision to revert to hurdles with him, at least for now.

As long as his confidence hasn’t been affected by his brief encounter with fences, he has a big chance here, back over hurdles, because he is a high-class handicap hurdler and he goes well at Newbury.

He won the Betfair Hurdle there as a novice in 2021 off a handicap rating of 133, and he finished a close-up fifth in the race last year off a mark of 147, 2lb higher than today’s mark.

That race has worked out really well since. The winner Glory And Fortune finished fifth in the Champion Hurdle on his next run, the runner-up I Like To Move It won the Greatwood Hurdle last month, the third First Street finished second in the County Hurdle in March and won the Gerry Feilden Hurdle last month, and the sixth Knappers Hill has won his last four, including the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle.

Even the ninth, Boothill, has won three of his four chases this season, most recently the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Chase at Kempton on Tuesday, and he finished second to Jonbon in the other.

Soaring Glory’s record at Newbury reads 2145 and, while he wouldn’t mind a little more rain, good to soft ground should be ideal. And Jonjo O’Neill’s horses are in really good form. He has had seven winners from his last 28 runners, including a treble at Haydock yesterday.

The Fame And Glory gelding has to concede weight to all his rivals, but he could have the class to allow him do that.

Recommended

Soaring Glory, 1.50 Newbury, 11/1 (generally), 1pt win,

Joyeux Machin, 3.00 Newbury, 11/2 (generally), 1pt win,