With the jumps season now underway, Matty Sutcliffe and GG are already looking forwards for value. After an outstanding opening bet to last year’s Cheltenham ante-post column in which he tipped The New Lion at 25/1 to win the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, Matty continues on that tried and tested route with his opening selection for the 2025/26 season.
Turners Novices’ Hurdle – Bud Fox 33/1 1pt EW 3 places
I thought our editors had lost their marbles when we began the Cheltenham ante-post series early last November, but any fears of insanity were allayed as the inaugural selection, The New Lion, reaped the rewards when tipped up at 25/1 to win the Gallaghers’ Novice Hurdle, justifying the eventual 3/1 and is now the early favourite for the Champion Hurdle.
I’ve been set the task of beginning the ante-post journey a little earlier here, but the tried and tested path will remain as we look towards the unbeaten BUD FOX to land the Turners Novices’ Hurdle for Gavin Cromwell.
Bud Fox won the first four year Irish Point-To-Point of the season when comfortably justifying favouritism at Belharbour for Derek O’Connor, and the second would likely have franked that form next time out had he not fell two out. The Walk In The Park gelding was next seen in a bumper at Punchestown and was well backed throughout the day on yard debut for Gavin Cromwell, who won the previous renewal with the subsequent Dawn Run second Sixandahalf and repeated the feat with Bud Fox.
He travelled strongly throughout under Derek O’Connor toward the inside rail, and barely broke sweat until just after the turn before comfortably putting the race to bed under largely hands and heels. It was a taking performance for several reasons, but mainly given how professional he looked in a twenty four runner field, unperturbed by any bumps by horses trying to squeeze a position and he certainly looked full of attitude when creating his own gap just off the turn. He displayed all the abilities to stand him in good stead over hurdles, and the form has also worked out very well.
The four-length second bolted up by nine lengths in a Listowel bumper next time out, the fourth has form figures of 211 in bumpers since posting RPR’s of 117 twice and the fifth has won twice since including over hurdles.
Despite his stamina laden pedigree, being by Walk In The Park out of a Flemensfirth mare, he displayed enough cruising speed and a turn of foot to fend of plenty subsequent winners over two miles to suggest he is quick enough to contend the sharper distances as opposed to going to the Albert Bartlett, which he is shorter in the market for than both the Supreme and the Turners.
Cromwell could hardly hide his admiration for Bud Fox after his Punchestown success and while he did say prior to the race that the speed he was showing at home would make him one for the two miles division, the way he shaped at Punchestown to me would suggest the intermediate Turners distance would suit him down to a tee, and bring into play the underlying stamina in his pedigree. The sire/dam-sire cross has generally thrown up horses over a trip, not least the Grand National winner Nick Rockett and last year’s Turners third and Punchestown Champion Novice winner Final Demand, so that further instils hope that the Turners will be his eventual race for Cheltenham provided he takes to hurdling this season, with the Royal Bond hopefully the main early aim for the festival season.
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