Today, we can finally piece together who the top novice hurdler in Ireland is.

We have seven runners lining up, and you can only confidently rule out the bottom two in the betting.

Are we about to have the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle market blown wide open today?

Now, let’s review all seven runners with my runner-by-runner betting guide and see if we can get closer to determining the winner of the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Novice Hurdle.

Get all the best horse racing odds and offers right here.

Paddy Power Future Novice Hurdle runner by runner betting guide

Now it’s time to take an in-depth look into runners of the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet.

1 Blue De Vassy

• Age: 5
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 241-11
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Danny Gilligan
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Odds: 9/4

Blue De Vassy has surprised many with how well he has taken to hurdling and the ease with which he has been winning.

Having won his hurdle debut by 25 lengths (the third has won since), he followed that up with a comfortable win at the Grade 3 level at Navan, beating a last-time-out winner.

The way he travels throughout his races suggests that there is much more under the bonnet than we have seen.

He is an exciting horse and comes with a lot to like.

Faultless in his two hurdle wins
Grade 3 winner

Faces some strong opposition here

Star rating:

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6 Romeo Coolio

• Age: 5
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 125-12
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Sam Ewing
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Odds: 3/1

Last season’s Champion Bumper second made a perfect start to his hurdling career with an effortless win at Down Royal.

On the back of that, he was sent off a 1/2 favourite for the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle but put in a disappointing finishing effort to only take second place behind Tounsivator.

That was a very poor run from Romeo Coolio, considering the hype and expectation surrounding him since his bumper days.

He may bounce back from that run here, but I want to see that he can leave that run well behind before considering backing him at Grade 1 level.

He has to be taken on at the prices.

Has shown a high level of form

Need to bounce back from a poor run

Star rating:

Bet on Romeo Coolio with Sky Bet

5 Karniquet

• Age: 4
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 22-1
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Mr P Mullins
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Odds: 7/2

Karniquet made no mistake on his first start for Willie Mullins in a maiden hurdle at Tramore, a race that Willie won with Gaelic Warrior in the past.

It wasn’t much of a jumping test that day, with six hurdles omitted due to low sun, but when Paul Townend left him down for his effort, he pulled away like a very nice horse.

Paul was very complimentary of him after the race, and now that Karniquet is thrown into Grade 1 company on just his second start for Willie, I expect that he has come on a lot for that run.

He’s a horse that I took to on the back of his win at Tramore, and based on what I saw and the expectation that he will be a very strong stayer at this trip, he could bag yet another Grade 1 win for team Mullins.

Won well on debut for Willie Mullins
Picked up well when asked
Has plenty of hurdling experience

Not the choice of Danny Mullins

Star rating:

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4 Karafon

• Age: 4
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 35-1
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Daryl Jacob
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Odds: 6/1

One run last season for Karafon resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle at this festival behind Kala Conti, Kargese and the now Galway Hurdle winner Nurburgring.

That looks like a nice piece of form now.

Karafon has since won on his comeback when going off as the less fancied of the two Willie Mullins runners.

That was a nice win and should set him up for a bold showing today, but he might fall short.

He’s not out of it, but needs more.

A nice winner on his comeback
Jumps well

Others have stronger claims

Star rating:

Bet on Karafon with Midnite

7 Sea Of Sands

• Age: 6
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 13
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Danny Mullins
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Odds: 10/1

Sea Of Sands made a taking impression when bolting up on debut for Willie Mullins at Listowel (the second and third have won since).

But, Sea Of Sands hurdling career was put on hold as he was sent off favourite for the English Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket, where he could only manage a 12th place finish.

Back over hurdles, he was sent to the Royal Bond Hurdle, only finding Romeo Collio and Tounsivator too good in the end.

He didn’t jump with much fluency that day, but the way he finished suggests that a trip step up in trip will be on the cards sooner rather than later.

He may not be one for today, as we will likely see the best of him when he steps up in trip.

Will be coming home strong at the finish

Needs to jump better

Star rating:

Bet on Sea Of Sands with Betfred

Eastern Legend

• Age: 4
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: 85-422
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Keith Donoghue
• Trainer: Jim Bolger
• Odds: 50/1

Trained by the legendary flat trainer Jim Bolger, Eastern Legend will need to wish for a Christmas miracle to win here today.

He has yet to break his duck over hurdles in five tries against much lesser opposition, and he looks set to remain a maiden after today. However, his run behind Kargese at the Punchestown Festival would give him an outside chance of picking up place money.

Trained by Jim Bolger

Out of his depth

Star rating:

Bet on Eastern Legend with bet365

2 Court Of Appeal

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 12lb
• Form: –
• Rating: –
• Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe
• Trainer: Noel G Hynds
• Odds: 125/1

Noel Hynds couldn’t have picked a more challenging race for Court Of Appeal to make his hurdles debut this month.

He’s a 65-rated performer on the flat, and the switch to hurdling will need to turn him inside out if he is to be able to lay up with the market leaders.

Let’s hope he has an enjoyable experience and stays out of trouble.

No positives to not

His first start over hurdle
An average performer on the flat

Star rating:

Bet on Court Of Appeal with SBK

Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Novice Hurdle verdict

With five of the seven runners in with realistic chances, this should be a cracking novice hurdle, but I want to side with KARNIQUET.

He was an impressive winner at Tramore on his first start for Willie Mullins, and this well-related gelding brings bags of potential to the table.

Blue De Vassy can prove his main danger.

Current Betting: Blue De Vassy 9/4, Romeo Coolio 3/1, Karniquet 7/2, Karafon 6/1, Sea Of Sands 10/1, Eastern Legend 50/1, Court Of Appeal 125/1.

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