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Star Novices on Collision Course for Challow Hurdle at Newbury

The Berkshire venue of Newbury comes alive in the winter months. Hot on the heels of the excellent Coral Gold Cup meeting, Newbury does its bit to add to a thrilling festive period with the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle.

Taking place this Saturday, this 2m4½f contest counts future Grand National champ Bindaree, Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Denman, and King George winner Bravemansgame on an impressive roll of honour.

Always a race well worth tuning into as you get through the last of that Christmas turkey, 2024 looks set to provide a vintage renewal. The following quintet have all lit up the track so far this season; all are touted as Cheltenham Festival contenders, and all are potential Challow Novices’ Hurdle challengers.

Potters Charm

Successful with King’s Road (1998/99) and Bindaree (1999/00), Nigel Twiston Davies is now without a Challow win in the past 23 years. In Potters Charm, he may have the horse to put that right.

Snapped up for £105,000 following a promising second in an Irish Point-to-Point, this five-year-old has been flawless in four starts under rules. Bolting up by 11 lengths in his Bumper at Ffos Las in March, he is now a perfect three from three over hurdles. Impressing with easy wins at Worcester and Cheltenham, he hinted at his full potential when turning the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham into an 11-length rout.

Potters Charm has certainly impressed visually, and there appears to be some substance to his form. Valgrand, who finished 11 lengths adrift of Potters Charm last time, had previously hacked up by 17 lengths in the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle. In his previous outing, Potters Charm comfortably despatched Minella Sixo, who won at Thurles next time, and First Confession, who was a 12-length winner at Ascot on his next outing.

Potters Charm Formby Novices' Chase Betting

Potters Charm is currently leading the betting for the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day so it remains to be seen if he will be sent to Newbury this Saturday.

The New Lion

Trainer’s Championship leader Dan Skelton has yet to land the Challow Hurdle but will hope to change that with this son of Kayf Tara. Purchased for €45,000 in 2019, The New Lion is already looking like a bargain buy.

Raced only once last season, he easily claimed a Bumper at Market Rasen. Stepped up to around 2m4f in his two starts this term, he mastered a highly regarded Paul Nicholls runner at Chepstow before dispatching 15-length Kempton winner Califet En Vol by three lengths over the Challow course and distance in late November. Relatively unextended in each of those wins, it will be intriguing to see how much more he has under the bonnet.

Regent’s Stroll

A record-setting price tag of £660,000 will inevitably attract a fair share of attention. That was the fee shelled out by Paul Nicholls and a consortium of owners to retain the services of this Walk In The Park gelding following the Chris Giles sale over the summer.

The five-year-old has some way to go before recouping that outlay, but he has made a solid start. Three from three in his career to date, he didn’t always jump fluently on hurdle debut at this track in November but was still an easy nine-and-a-half lengths too good for his rivals. On paper, the form of that win is a little below that of Potters Charm and The New Lion, but we are unlikely to have seen anything like the best of him yet.

Quebecois

With six previous wins, Paul Nicholls is the most successful trainer in Challow history. If Regent’s Stroll heads elsewhere, the 14-time champion may call upon the services of this son of No Risk At All.

Barring a disappointing effort in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, this one showed promise in his debut season. Making his return in a Chepstow Maiden his trainer landed with Stage Star in 2021, Quebecois looked a natural over obstacles on his way to an effortless eight-length success. This race was mentioned in the immediate aftermath of that contest, and he looks the type to progress from his current rating of 140.

Mister Meggit

Jonjo O’Neill won the Challow for the only time with subsequent Cheltenham Festival scorer Wichita Lineman in 2006. Now training in partnership with his son AJ O’Neill, Jonjo may add to a quality field by sending this Hemmings Racing gelding in pursuit of the prize.

Connections are no doubt happy to have this six-year-old fit and well following a turbulent Bumper campaign. Highly impressive when picking up wins at Carlisle and Doncaster, he then disappointed as favourite in the big Grade 2 at the Grand National Meeting. However, having suffered a freak skull fracture in that flat event, it’s fair to say he had a reasonable excuse. Now back to full strength, he returned to winning ways on his hurdles debut in November. Those in behind haven’t done much to advertise the form since, but Mister Meggit couldn’t have done much more than win in effortless style.

Following the King George on Boxing Day and Coral Welsh National on the 27th of December, the Challow Hurdle looks set to keep the racing good times rolling over the festive period.