Ndaawi
Ndaawi
31st-Jul-2025
The case for Ndaawi is fairly straightforward. He ran a big race to finish second in the race last year behind Nurburgring who, while he disappointed in the Plate yesterday, is now rated 13lb higher over hurdles than he was when he won the Hurdle.
Ndaawi has run just twice since this day last year. He was well beaten in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October on his next run, but he was very good last time in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. He went on with the winner Kargese on the run around the home turn and, while ultimately he couldn’t get to her, he kept on all the way to the line, he was the only one who could challenge her, and he finished a clear second.
He is up another 5lb for that, up to a mark of 145, 11lb higher than the mark off which he ran in the Hurdle last year, but he was only four last year, he should be better and stronger now and better able to cope with the rigours of a Galway Hurdle. The fact that he has course form is massive, and, a five-year-old who has raced just seven times over hurdles, he retains lots of scope for further progression.
Gordon Elliott has never won the Hurdle, but he has gone close on several occasions, he has fielded the runner-up four times, and you can be sure that he has had the race in mind for Ndaawi from a long way out. He skipped a shot at a prestigious prize at Royal Ascot in order to come here fresh. His horses are in good form, as we saw in the Plate yesterday, and Jack Kennedy is obviously a big asset. And Ndaawi proved in the County Hurdle that he can go well fresh.
NDAAWI WON (ADV 6/1, SP 13/2)
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