Fergal O’Brien is one of the local trainers targeting the Greatwood Hurdle in 2024 with his mare Dysart Enos. The feature Premier Handicap on the third and final day of the Cheltenham November Meeting worth £100,000 comes at a time when the two-mile hurdling division needs new stars.
For some time now, this discipline has simply looked weak in the UK. In Dysart Enos, O’Brien has a six-year-old daughter of Malinas who he had big plans for last season. A first-ever Cheltenham Festival winner eluded the trainer, however, because of setbacks with her.
Dysart Enos won a Grade 2 bumper during the 2023 Aintree Grand National Festival, then three minor hurdle races at odds-on last term. She now runs in a handicap for the first time, and horse racing betting sites greatly fear her. Dysart Enos is only 3/1 best in a place at the time of writing, four days before the Greatwood Hurdle takes place.
It’s possible that she is chucked in to the race off an opening mark of 131. This is because of the exploits of Golden Ace in the absence of Dysart Enos. Jeremy Scott’s mare won the Grade 2 Dawn Run during the Cheltenham Festival and then a Listed event, earning an official rating of 143.
Dysart Enos routed Golden Ace at Aintree by some nine lengths easing down. It creates the impression of an extremely well-treated mare who could plunder this valuable pot before finally stepping up in trip and tackling the Mares’ Hurdle in 2025. Is Dysart Enos the one to be on? Our experts assess the competition lining up on Sunday, 17 November.
Will Burdett Road be Under Control in Greatwood Hurdle 2024?
Four four-year-olds tackle their elders here headed by the next best in the ante post market, Burdett Road. Horses in this age bracket can often have a difficult time stepping out of juvenile hurdle company, because there’s no allowance for their relative youth against the field.
Burdett Road won a Grade 2 at this meeting 12 months ago for dual-purpose trainer James Owen. He has proved useful in both codes with previous Royal Ascot success in 2023 and an impressive Listed victory at Newmarket this autumn.
As Burdett Road made all unchallenged, the vibe is that he has further improvement in him over obstacles. Now with a 109 rating on the Flat, his hurdling mark of 133 – just 2lb higher than Dysart Enos – could definitely have some juice in it.
Go Dante is a standing dish in these valuable two-mile handicap hurdles throughout the campaign. With a run under his belt behind re-opposing Welsh Champion Hurdle hero Lump Sum, Olly Murphy’s runner could better his Greatwood Hurdle sixth of 12 months earlier despite an 8lb high rating.
Nicky Henderson and JP McManus combined to land this last term with Iberico Lord. The same connections lie behind Dysart Enos’ fellow mare Under Control. Now a five-year-old, she found it difficult to kick on from an impressive spring campaign in 2023, where she won three times, throughout the subsequent season.
Under Control wasn’t totally disgraced when sixth in the Galway Hurdle over the summer, however, and this looks easier. An unchanged mark of 137 from conceding weight to the now 150-rated Nurburgring brings her into calculations for some.
Punters Should Be Aware of Lurking Emmet Mullins Pair
Dan Skelton often targets the Greatwood Hurdle and could run two in this edition. Be Aware is the pick of brother and stable jockey Harry Skelton. Placed second three times after landing a Newbury maiden on racecourse debut, the five-year-old grey receives 1lb from Dysart Enos.
Williethebuilder is the yard’s other entrant. He finished fourth and fifth in two Cheltenham runs over this trip last term, and recently scored around Wetherby. Williethebuilder runs off the same rating as stable companion Be Aware here, but online bookmakers prefer the latter.
Lower down the Greatwood Hurdle weights, meanwhile, are a couple representing Emmet Mullins. Jacovec Cavern and Toll Stone have both had Flat campaigns of late, so have race fitness on their side.
Whether the hurdling form of either is good enough to get in amongst the market principals remains to be seen. Donagh Meyeler is jocked-up on Jacovec Cavern, while Adam Wedge rides Toll Stone.
Paul Nicholls has won this race with a four-year-old before in Old Guard and could unleash Liari in an open handicap for the first time. He should strip fitter for his reappearance fourth at Chepstow if heading to Cheltenham.
Aforementioned Welsh raider Lump Sum has topweight after his Ffos Las victory. Trained by Sam Thomas, Dylan Johnston again takes the ride but only 3lb off with his reduced claim.
Fiercely Proud Northern Horses Up Against it
Ben Pauling seeks Greatwood Hurdle success and some compensation for Fiercely Proud following a luckless autumn. He got loose before a conditional jockeys’ race and intended reappearance during The Showcase here last month. Fiercely Proud then fell two out in second in an Ascot handicap hurdle.
Provided he is no worse for that tumble, the five-year-old who has twice run behind Lump Sum off level weights, could go well if ready for this intended target. Anyharminasking was last of nine to get round 12 months ago, so you suspect only a 2lb drop in the weights won’t be enough for Jonjo O’Neill and son.
Nicky Richards has already saddled four winners in November, so Hexham winner Florida Dreams could be a lively outsider. It is a matter of replicating his form away from the yard’s Greystoke base near Penrith that the bookies query.
Morebattle Hurdle hero Cracking Rhapsody also has an entry, but Cheltenham is a long way south of the Scottish Borders where Ewan Whillans trains. If the northern horses aren’t fancied, the likes of Black Poppy, who is no stranger to Cheltenham, and Royal Way, fourth at the Showcase, are even bigger outsiders.
The former, trained in Herefordshire by Kerry Lee, isn’t that much higher in the weights than when landing the 2023 Swinton Handicap Hurdle from Teddy Blue at Haydock. Royal Way is the last of the four-year-olds, represents Gary & Josh Moore, and could come on for his reappearance here.
Greatwood Hurdle 2024 Verdict
It’s true that Dysart Enos could be well ahead of the assessor, but her price reflects that. Five-year-olds have the best recent record, which means Be Aware, Fiercely Proud and Under Control all merit consideration.
Most of the four-year-olds have claims too with Liari and BURDETT ROAD notables. The latter has Flat speed and class with the return to a sounder surface (if rain stays away) suitable.
Big runs from relative veterans Go Dante and Black Poppy are also very possible. Lump Sum has more on his plate here than in the Welsh Champion Hurdle, while northern raiders Florida Dreams and Cracking Rhapsody must prove they can reproduce their best away from home.
