29th-Dec-2019

The drying ground should suit Sharjah well, and he is over-priced in my book for the Matheson Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ horse has always been a classy performer.  He would have won the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle at this meeting two years ago had he not fallen at the final flight, and he won the Galway Hurdle the following year.  Then last season, he won the Morgiana Hurdle and he followed up by winning this race last year, showing a really good turn of foot on the run to the last.

He was beaten in the Morgiana Hurdle on his debut this season, so you have to allow him that, but that obviously wasn’t his true running, and a lot of the Willie Mullins horses come on for their seasonal debuts.  Klassical Dream was beaten in that Morgiana Hurdle too.

Klassical Dream was a really exciting novice hurdler last season, he was impressive in winning the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he was probably even more impressive in following up at Punchestown.  But he is short and, like Sharjah, he has to bounce back from that defeat in the Morgiana Hurdle.

It is not at all surprising that Paul Townend has chosen to ride Klassical Dream, but Patrick Mullins is a top class rider, and he knows Sharjah well.  He rode him to victory in the Galway Hurdle and in this race last year.

Coeur Sublime was impressive at Down Royal but, last season’s Triumph Hurdle runner-up, he has to prove that he can mix it now with the older horses at this level.  Petit Mouchoir could out-run his odds, but Sharjah is the bet.

SHARJAH WON (ADV 5/1 [R4], SP 9/2)