The Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 Hurdle run over two-miles and eight hurdles at Kempton. It is considered a trial for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and, though last year’s winner River Wylde went onto finish third at Cheltenham, the last horse to do the double was Flown in 1992. The most famous recent winners are Sire de Grugy, Grumeti, and Irving, though the three achieved their fame in very different ways. Sire de Grugy went onto win the Champion Chase, Grumeti the Cesarewitch on the flat, whilst Irving won two Fighting Fifth Hurdles.
Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle 10-Year-Trends
- Four 5-year-olds, three 4-year-olds, two 6-year-olds, and one 8-year-old have been successful
- 4 of the last 6 favourites have won
- SP’s have ranged between 4/6 and 16/1
- Nicky Henderson has trained 3 of the last 5 winners
- Alan King has trained 3 of the last 9 winners
- Paul Nicholls has trained 2 of the last 8 winners
- Barry Geraghty has ridden 3 of the last 5 winners
Dovecote Hurdle 2018 Main Contenders
Mont Des Avaloirs
Paul Nicholls trained 5-year-old who has won two of his five races and is the top-rated hurdler in the field. Only third last time in a Grade 1 Hurdle, but the second has since won the Betfair Hurdle by a wide-margin, whilst the fourth has also run well. Every chance but could be vulnerable if one of the unraced horses is a star in the making.
Scarlet Dragon
High-class flat recruit who last won a race in October 2016 off a mark of 103 and, though he didn’t win last season, his performances in top-class handicaps and group races earned him a mark of 108. This will be his first run for new trainer Alan King, who has an excellent record in the race, and has the potential to outclass these if taking to hurdles at the first time of asking.
Michael’s Mount
5-year-old trained by Ian Williams who won his penultimate start on the flat off a mark of 81, which saw him raised to a mark of 86. That means he’s rated over 20lb inferior to Scarlet Dragon in that discipline but at least proved he can jump hurdles when successful on his hurdling debut when relatively unfancied at 14/1.
Destrier
Beaten 50-lengths on his racecourse debut in a Kempton bumper in March but has since won both his hurdle races in decent style. This a big step-up in class though and probably needs to find plenty of improvement to win.
Global Citizen
Point-to-point and bumper winner who got off the mark at the third time of asking over hurdles. His stable is in flying form at the moment but he’s another who probably needs to improve to win.
Humphrey Bogart
Another high-class flat recruit who was rated 101 when last seen on a racecourse in 2016, a year in which he won a Listed Race and was fifth in the Derby. Has moved from Richard Hannon to Nicky Henderson to start his hurdling career and definitely of interest if there’s money for him after a lay-off, with his stable winning 3 of the last 5 renewals.
Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle 2018 Preview and Tip
The previous hurdle winners in the field don’t look out of the top drawer and, though Mont Des Avaloirs is respected, he looks vulnerable to one of the high-class flat recruits if they take to hurdling. Humphrey Bogart needs watching in the market for Nicky Henderson but it’s Scarlet Dragon who makes the most appeal. Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle 2018 Tip: Scarlet Dragon