Barters Hill Set for October Chase Debut
Top Class novice hurdler Barters Hill is set to make his Chase debut at the back end of October in the latest news from the Ben Pauling yard. The impressive 6YO proved himself to be among the best staying novice hurdlers in training last term but connections have long thought of him as a chaser and big things are expected of him.
Barters Hill arrived at the Cheltenham Festival last March with a perfect record of seven wins from his seven starts and although that spotless record did come to an end, he did still run with credit at Prestbury Park. A fine and brave front running performance in the Albert Bartlett saw him fade into 4th place but in truth he lost very little in defeat that day and following more time to mature, he should be better again this winter.
The horse was the subject of a fitness scare in the lead up to the Albert Bartlett which also has to be taken into account and in truth he has looked every inch the chaser for some time now. Pauling has been quick to release his plans for the horse with a chase debut at Bangor or Huntingdon on his agenda at the back end of October.
The Kauto Star Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day is also an early season target for what could well turn out to be one of the best young staying novice chasers in training. Barters Hill has wins ahead of the likes of Bellshill and Buveur D'Air already on his CV with that form certainly franked since and we can expect him to be right towards the head of some of the ante post Cheltenham markets.
We are still weeks away from his chase debut but as it stands, Barters Hill can be backed at 20/1 for the RSA Chase and 25/1 for the JLT Novices Chase at this early stage. Given that the Feltham has already been mentioned as a possible target then you have to believe that the RSA Chase is likely to be the main aim with dreams of a Gold Cup campaign in 2018 likely to be in the back of connections minds.
