Flogas Novice Chase Guide

Monkfish is the leading three mile novice hurdler in Ireland this season and so far during his elusive career has not done much wrong at all.

The Willie Mullins trained gelding was bought by Rich Ricci at Cheltenham in 2018 for £235,000 off the back of winning a point to point and since then they have not looked back with this horse.

In 2019 he was ran twice, once in a bumper and once over hurdles finishing second on both occasions behind smart horses in Diol Ker and Longhouse Poet.

Since then he has gone on to be a superstar being unbeaten in three hurdle event and on both his chase starts showing clear staying ability and this term a superb jumping temperament.

Having won at Fairyhouse and at Thurles last term over large distances, he went to the Cheltenham festival and managed to stay three miles the best of the runners to just get up in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Sent chasing by Mullins this term he landed his debut at Fairyhouse with ease and used that run to improve further when managing to see off Latest Exhibition in a Grade One Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Although dropping slightly in trip he should still be the one to beat in this race, but will have to be on top form renewing his rivalry with Latest Exhibition.

The gelding went from strength to strength last season over hurdles landing three out of his five contests, seeing off some of the best novices throughout the year including Andy Dufresne, Fury Road and Longhouse Poet.

The only horse to beat him last term came when when he was tried at two miles which showed that he was a stayer and not a pace merchant and he was outclassed by the Gordon Elliott trained Abacadabras who finished a narrow second in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

His win in the Grade One Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing festival saw him tackle his furthest trip over two and three-quarter miles and proved to bring the best out of him.

He was an unlucky runner up on his final start over hurdles when just being pipped on the line in the Grade One Albert Bartlett at the festival by the Willie Mullins trained Monkfish.

Now chasing, the seven year old made a very pleasing debut over course and distance at Punchestown, when jumping to a good standard and landing a Beginners Chase, but was underwhelming on next time out when second to Pencilfulloflead, who did subsequently finish second in a Grade One after that run.

Latest Exhibition got back to somewhere near his best last time out at Leopardstown over Christmas when taking Monkfish all the way in the Grade One over three miles and he will be looking to go close with the market rival again, but won't want it to soft.

Last season over hurdles he has shown a superb attitude, winning at Naas on his jumps debut seeing off a decent Gordon Elliott trained runner who has since franked the form.

From just the one run over flights he headed to the Dublin Racing festival at Leopardstown in the Grade One Pharma Novice Hurdle and caused a shock when taking the race.

He was then entered into the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and although going off as favourite for the event jumped way out to his right and had to settle for fourth, a long way behind the leaders.

Sent chasing by Mullins this term, things have not gone to plan and shipping him into this race looks more like a fact finding mission.

The gelding owned by the Donnely's made a pleasing debut at Punchestown when winning an 18 runner Beginners' Chase by six lengths, overcoming a big blunder.

Since then he has been pitched into two Grade One events at Limerick and

Andy Dufresne for Gordon Elliott has been a horse that has offered so much potential but has not quite fulfilled it all yet and could still do it this season.

The seven year old was a decent horse over hurdles last term, scoring on debut at Navan in an 18 runner event by 11 lengths looking like a superb talent.

Since that run he was hit and miss, finishing second next time out behind Latest Exhibition when an odds on favourite but bouncing back to form in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle on his first run for two miles.

He was then sent to Naas in another Grade Two event and flopped into third and from there the Cheltenham festival was ruled out for him.

Sent chasing by Elliott this term the gelding has landed both his events to date, taking a two mile event at Wexford on debut and then backing that up with a Grade Three at Navan.

In both those events, although winning he has been slightly underwhelming it was has looked to be weak events and will need much more stepping into this contest and up in distance.

Willie Mullins could field three in this event and Janidil is the outsider of his assault on the race but is actually a smart horse in his own right.

Last season the JP McManus owned gelding landed a hat-trick over hurdles in handicap events and then went into the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and finished a good fifth in what has turned out to be a special renewal of the race.

He was sent chasing this term and took to the fences like a duck to water, landing a good Beginners' Chase at Naas on debut.

Last time out he was sent to Limerick for the Grade One Faugheen Novice Chase over Christmas and although finishing third was a long way behind stablemate Colreevy and Pencilfulloflead and he needs to have come on a fair bit for that run in this event.

Coming towards the bigger priced runners in the field and Fils D'oudairies for Joseph O'Brien could outrun his odds if improving for his latest run behind Envoi Allen.

The six year old came over from France this term and was sent chasing straight away by O'Brien and unfortunately on debut was seen falling two out when looking to mount a challenge.

He put that behind him next time out over 2m4f at Navan winning a Novice Chase and last time out he stepped up to the Grade Three Killiney Novice Chase at Punchestown where he was a good second behind Envoi Allen.

That form does not read bad at all and he looks a progressive type that if handling the step up in trip might nab a place.

Assemble is Joseph O'Brien's second runner in the race and deserves to be as big as 33/1 for the way he has ran over fences this term.

Having been an average horse over hurdles, he was sent chasing in November and got off the mark at the first time of asking when landing a Beginners Chase.

He was then entered into the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase and was a long way second behind superstar Envoi Allen, with the winner and fourth since going on to win.

However, last time out at Limerick over Christmas in another Grade One he took a heavy fall when looking well beat and now stepping up in trip is a worry once more.

Conflated is the second Gigginstown runner in the field at 33/1 with the seven year old running fair races in defeat of some smart horses and again should be outclassed by the talent in the field.

The six year old made his chase debut at Punchestown over 2m1f and finished a nice third behind Champion Hurdle third Darver Star.

He then went to Punchestown and again bumped into one finishing six lengths behind Asterion Forlonge, but next time out finally got off the mark, seeing off The Big Getaway who franked the form next time out.

The gelding was then stepped up to three miles and was totally outclassed by the two market leaders in this race being 58 lengths behind the second.

Although the drop in trip might help, he has a lot to do to make up that sort of ground.

The big 100/1 outsider is the Denis Hogan trained Macgiloney that looks to be pitched into this race with more hope than expectation.

The eight year old son of Milan is one of the most exposed runners in the field and has already ran five times this term, winning on seasonal debut at Roscommon.

Since then it has been tough going with just one place in staying events and although the drop down in trip may help, he looks majorly outclassed on the best of his form.