Cheltenham Festival Focus: 25/1 Henry's Albert Bartlett chance ticks plenty of boxes

• Is Brighterdaysahead a Champion Hurdle candidate?

• Port Joulain the weeks eye-catcher

• Back 25/126.00 Albert Bartlett chance

In week 11 of the Cheltenham Focus column, Daryl Carter rounds up the notable action relevant to the Cheltenham Festival from the last seven days. He dives into the performance of Brighterdaysahead and Daryl adds a 25/126.00 Albert Bartlett selection to his list.

The New Lion saga continues

I must touch on selling the Tuners Novice Hurdle favourite 5/23.50, The New Lion, to JP McManus. I am baffled, as I think he is the worst-priced ante-post favourite on the list. His Challow Hurdle victory was nothing of note on the clock, and the form is ordinary at best. Yes, he won as he pleased, but he was made to work very hard on his penultimate outing at the same venue. Darren Yates said on the Nick Luck podcast that The New Lion was primed for the Challow Hurdle, having already agreed to sell him prior. Grade 1 success inflates the price.

Ultimately, the conversation progressed to Yates getting a "kicker" should he win (at Cheltenham, I guess). I'd say "former" owner Yates has come out well on this sale, and if anything, this conversation should damper punters' enthusiasm about The New Lion.

At Leopardstown on December 29th, The Enabler was well-positioned to score. He is made for fences, and one suspects the best of him won't be seen until next year. There was a big eye-catcher in the race, and that was the third Port Joulain for Willie Mullins, who looks to be crying out for a move back to 2m following his effort petering out at the finish. He made a stylish move to get into contention, and an entry over 2m shortly would seriously make me consider him for a Supreme tilt at 50/151.00.

July Flower won the Mares Hurdle Grade 3 contest at Leopardstown last Sunday. She had the race set up for her, with the second, sixth and third going too hard from the off. She stays 3m but may have been flattered by this victory over Kala Conti, who was the one to take from the race. July Flower's 8/19.00 for the Mares Hurdle makes little appeal, but she is a slick jumper.

At Punchestown on December 31st, Sainte Lucie won the three-year-old Maiden Hurdle. She pulled for much of the race, wanting a stronger gallop. She jumped well in the main, if not out to her right at a couple of flights, and picked up the lead at the second last to win, going away effortlessly. I had this rated around 124. She beat little, but the time was okay for the grade, and she is a tempting 10/111.00 for the Triumph Hurdle.

At Cheltenham on Wednesday, January 1st, Kalif Dur Berlais ran out a convincing winner of a Limited Handicap Chase. This horse is screaming for a move up in the distance. A strong galloper that lacks a change of gear. He should not be considered for an Arkle but is a promising staying chaser for the future.

Diva Luna impresses at Cheltenham

Diva Luna won nicely at Cheltenham and defied a market drift to land the 2m4f Mares Maiden Hurdle. She was on the front end, made all, and finished her race powerfully despite setting a good gallop that compared favourably to Lucky Place's win in the Relkeel Hurdle later on the card. Diva Luna maintained a strong gallop from four out to the line, and the drop back to 2m for the Mares Novice Hurdle will suit her well. She holds strong bumper form and came on for her seasonal/hurdle debut at Lingfield. She is a player at 14/115.00 for the Mares Novice.

Mention of an Arkle for Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase winner Springwell Bay is pie-in-the-sky talk. There's no chance he would feature in an Arkle, but an Ultima Handicap where further improvement over 3m is forthcoming is something connections should consider.

Lucky Place won the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle, and all roads lead to the Stayers Hurdle for him 14/115.00. This was a good performance, but this wasn't a strong renewal, and the runner-up Gowel Road is a good yardstick for the form to rate this around 150 - we are looking for a 160-plus performance for the Stayers Hurdle. However, the winner is open to further improvement. Langer Dan backers fear not; we knew he would be beaten a couple of times before the spring! Confidence remains!

Embassy Gardens won the O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey New Year's Day Chase over Monty's Star. I wouldn't be falling for him. He has a good record first time out and this is miles off a Gold Cup [40/1] performance. At the same time, he will likely be rated closer to 160 for the Ultima Handicap and that's of no appeal.

At Fairyhouse, Allegorie De Vassy returned to winning ways in the Grade 3 Mares Chase. She ran around eight seconds quicker than Champ Kiely's beginners Chase win, which immediately followed. She is smart on her day, and another tilt at the Mares Chase 7/18.00 looks on the cards, and a repeat of this would see her hard to beat. She is none too reliable, though.

It was a good jumping performance from Champ Kiely, if not on the clock. He will likely come forward for this, and one shouldn't sleep on this talented nine-year-old for the Brown Advisory 14/115.00.

A very slowly run affair saw Paul Townend's tactical master class on Ile Atlantique, who took the best of the ground out wide to win the 2m Grade 2 Novice Chase at Naas on Sunday. This was a strange race and ride on Inthepocket, which was keen and restrained at the rear of the field. If anything, this looked like a handicapping ride from the JP McManus horse for the middle-distance Novice Handicap chase. If that's the case, those instructions would have come from the top, with McManus likely fancying Majborough's claims for the Arkle more. This is always the frustration with the green and gold runners as he separates his horses for festival targets. Ile Atlantique is now 8/19.00 for the Arkle, but that doesn't appeal with Sir Gino at the forefront.

Jasmin Des Vaux put in a lifeless performance in the Grade 1 Lawlors Of Naas, and his rider, Paul Townend, made little effort to get the maximum out of him, having jumped poorly throughout. Ground conditions were testing, and he was weak in the market until before the off when he was bet back into 5/42.25. Still, this was dross from the Champion Bumper winner, and the Yellow Clay ground out a victory. The winner looks more like an Albert Bartlett type and is now 6/17.00 favourite. Jasmin Des Vaux has a long way back from this performance to be considered a Turner's Novice Hurdle type - out to 20/121.00.

Is Brighterdayahead a genuine Champion Hurdle horse?

Instead of being in awe when 30 lengths win any race, one should first question it.

Wow

Brighterdaysahead wins the Neville Hotels Hurdle in splendid isolation! @gelliott_racing @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/JMIHlbkoR0

-- Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 29, 2024

Brighterdaysahead slammed her Grade 1 rivals at Leopardstown on December 29th by 30 lengths, with the 4/91.44 favourite State Man trailing in third. Was this too good to be true?

We start by analysing the form. State Man is a grand horse, but he has won most of his races in Ireland by dictating slow-run affairs and quickening off a steady gallop when he is well positioned. He was put to the sword at Cheltenham in the 2023 Champion Hurdle when faced with a strong gallop for the first time as Constitution Hill kicked a long way from home. In 2024, his Champion Hurdle victory in the absence of Constitution Hill saw a slower gallop on heavy ground, with four covered by less than two lengths arriving at the last flight. He ground out the finish over Irish Point and 140-rated Mare Luccia. His turn of foot was greater than his two rivals inside the final furlong, and he won by a narrow margin, but his form was well below a typical Champion Hurdle renewal.

On reflection and in hindsight, his Morgianna defeat at the hands of Brighterdaysahead saw him flattered following the winner's poor jumping that went out to the left. She lost plenty of ground. His odds-on price tag in the Nevils Hotel Grade 1 was a false price, and a true gallop beat him again - one he faced for the first time since the 2023 Champion Hurdle.

State Man is a good horse but not a great one, and he has not been at his best since the 2023 season. Even then, his top speed figure was only above 123 in defeat to Constitution Hill (Champion Hurdlers Top-Speed figures typically above 145). On the figures, his best-ever performance came at Leopardstown in the Nevil's Hotel race of 2023 when beating Impaire Et Passe, who is now a possibility for a 3m Novice Chase in the 2025 season.

Examining State Man's form, we see very little of note behind since 2023 - Bob Olinger, Echoes In Rain and Impaire Et Passe - none of which would be shorter than 50/151.00 for a Champion Hurdle.

State Man's run of wins was due to end at some point when faced with a strong and true pace, but Paul Townend has been excellent at controlling races on the inside rail around Leopardstown. This time, Gordon Elliott sprung the right tactics by using King Of Kingsfield as a pacemaker and not allowing the race to be dictated, enabling Brighterdaysahead to be seen to maximum effect.

Don't fall for State Man excuses

The excuse that State Man didn't "give his running" should not be ignored. Perhaps he wasn't at his past best, but on the balance of his recent form, this is as good as he is today - the Champion Hurdle form would concur with that thesis. An interesting angle is through his Sire, Doctor Dino. Doctor Dino's progeny saw to have a shelf life. Sharjah - possibly the best-known of his offspring - saw a decline in his form at the age of eight, and Sceau Royal, Dinoblue, La Bag Au Roi, and Fil Dor all saw a decline around this age slot. Still, State Man has plenty to prove now, considering this year's and last bare form.

That shouldn't take too much away from Brighterdaysahead, who devoured this field and enjoyed an extreme early pace. She latched on to the pacemaker and kept up the gallop to the line to record a strong (but not outstanding) time figure on the day. She also performed narrowly better than Sharjah in 2019, with my rating of 162.

If we consider Brighterdaysahead has run to 162, something will need to run close to 170 to beat her in a Champion Hurdle, providing she runs to the same level and gets the identical set-up. Lossiemouth, for example, has been running in the mid-150's, and Constitution Hill only ran to the same 162 (less the mares allowance) at Kempton. Based on this evidence, when considering the ratings and the sex allowance, Constitution Hill will need to improve his Kempton performance in the region of eight pounds to beat Brighterdaysahead in this effort.

Here lies the conundrum. Can Brighterdayshead repeat the feat at Cheltenham? She was poor in the Mares Novice Hurdle last season when outsped by Golden Ace. Perhaps the lack of pace in the race caught her out, or maybe she wasn't entirely at home on the Cheltenham track - all things to consider before having a bet.

The general feeling from the mares' connections is that they will head to the Mares Hurdle 6/42.50. However, that race has a habit of being a slowly run affair year after year. That's why many stepping up from 2m to 2m4f have little trouble getting the distance.

The only race Brighterdaysahead will get a strong gallop and be seen at her best is the 4/15.00 Champion Hurdle, but she was seen to maximum effect at Leopardstown, and she isn't as versatile as Constitution Hill.

This division revolves around Constitution Hill returning and bettering his Kempton performance. If he does, he will be very hard to beat, even considering Brighterdaysahead's performance.

Market Movers

Back Koktail Divin to win the Albert Bartlett @ 25/126.00 1pt

Taking a swing in the Albert Bartlett must be done, knowing the race can throw up big-priced winners on the day. Anything less than 20/121.00 may be left off an ante-post list.

However, Koktail Divin - 25/126.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - looks like one worth taking a chance with following his staying on debut maiden hurdle performance behind Kaid d'Authie. The five-year-old picked up firmly close home over 2m4f to get within 1/2 a length of the winner, who had the run of the race. The selection's performance was eye-catching from the depths of midfield. He is a lovely mover and a good jumper with abundant stamina. Here, he showed a bright turn of foot to get into contention, turning out of the back straight.

He's useful

Kaid d'Authie does it nicely at @LeopardstownR pic.twitter.com/61sxiaNRaV

-- Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2024

The first and second left the field well behind, passing the omitted last flight, and that looks like a good novice on paper despite the time figure not backing up the winner's performance. The selection will relish a stronger pace and has proven ground versatile, being a 2m winner on deep ground in France. He stayed 1m4f on the flat across the water, and he is likely to head for the Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle at Clonmel in February - a race Henry De Bromhead likes to his staying novice hurdlers.

That race was won by Monty's Star, Allaho (Minella Indo second) and Shantreusse. He is a promising horse and one worth getting in your book.

Now Read: More Horse Racing Tips Here.