The first Grade 1 hurdle in Ireland takes place on Sunday. The Morgiana Hurdle features five entries and we break down each horse’s chance alongside an exclusive offer from William Hill where if you bet £10 you get £30 in free bets.
ABACADABRAS 5/1
ABACADABRAS is certainly one of the most talented hurdlers in training, but not without his quirks. Having narrowly missed out to Shishkin in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2020, he didn’t quite scale the highest heights last year.
He still dined handsomely at the top table though, winning this prize a year ago, as well as the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting. On both occasions, he idled significantly upon hitting the front and has never been the smoothest hurdler. Eventually, it was inevitable that a price would be paid and he fell in the Champion Hurdle.
He might not have been a match for Honeysuckle in the championship races at Leopardstown and Punchestown either side of that, but he is a three-time Grade 1 winner. If he’s fit for the occasion, he’s likely to travel into the home straight looking like the winner. It’s whether he delivers that’s the question.
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DARASSO 16/1
It’s rare that a jumps horse runs as much as Darasso has in the last 12 months. In that span, he’s appeared 13 times, winning three of those, including an impressive victory in the Lismullen Hurdle at the weekend.
Joseph O’Brien clearly wants to maintain that momentum. That said, this versatile horse is almost certainly better over further and has not won over the minimum trip since March 2019. It’s hard to envisage him having the speed to match the best of these, especially after a hard race on Sunday.
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SHARJAH 3/1
SHARJAH put in his most consistent season in 2020/21, but there was still one blip. A distant third in the Irish Champion Hurdle was the anomaly in a season that included his third straight success in the Matheson Hurdle over Christmas and his second runner-up finish in the Champion Hurdle.
He also came as close as anyone to beating Honeyscukle in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. If he maintains that, he’ll be the one to beat in this race.
And yet…the only time he’s won his opening start to the season were on his debut and when winning that Matheson last season, a race he clearly loves. When he ran in this first time out two years ago, he was well-defeated by Saldier. He remains slightly enigmatic, but his best form is clear for all to see.
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ZANAHIYR 6/1
ZANAHIYR had pundits purring around this time last year when Fairyhouse’s Grade 3 Juvenile Hurdle. It was a quick time and a devastating performance against useful opposition.
He followed up in Grade 2 company at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, but was disappointing behind Quilixios at Cheltenham and then outbattled by Jeff Kidder at Punchestown.
That said, he beat his only meaningful opposition, Cask Mate, comprehensively on his comeback in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal. The suspicion is that he is still the most exciting of last season’s juveniles and his best efforts came last autumn/winter. He could step up.
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ECHOES IN RAIN Evs
If asked to name the second-favourite for the Champion Hurdle (excluding those going chasing), you wouldn’t immediately guess ECHOES IN RAIN. However, currently 12/1 with William Hill, that’s where Willie Mullins’ mare sits behind Honeysuckle.
With so many of last season’s talented novice hurdlers embarking on chasing campaigns, Echoes In Rain is one of the few who will remain over timber. Her improvement in the spring was significant, easily beating subsequent Grade 1 winner Belfast Banter at Naas, before a 15-length pummelling of a grade 2 field at Fairyhouse.
She stepped up to Grade 1 company herself at Punchestown, winning the Champion Novice Hurdle in good style. Willie Mullins thinks she can serve it up to Honeysuckle. Who are we to disagree with the master of Closutton?
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BIG RACE VERDICT
This is a high-class contest for this early in the season. Slight preference is for ECHOES IN RAIN as mares have done so well in this division in recent years and trainer Willie Mullins has been talking up her qualities in the build-up. The one to chase her home might be Abacadabras who won this last year and for whom it might be a bigger target than Sharjah.
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