runner-up a massive improver probably mid 140 horse based on todays run. They were giving the 3rd home 7 lbs which is rated 125, finished 9 lengths in front of him. No obvious dangers in the market if he turns up in good order, so anything above 2/1 is looking good value for me.

Just a shame he is being aimed at the 3 miler, today was possibly his worst performance of his hurdling career. I know he needs to jump better but he would be as equally at home over 2m5f.

exactly @Swardean, thats why the hard race comment. UFR was given an easy time after he looked beaten but BH jockey asked for everything in the long home straight. He's underestimated in the market because he looked too workmanlike for what bookies and maybe what some punters want, but he doesn't have to be flashy to win races over staying trips.

I know what you are saying Swardean, but he has a decent cruising speed and the earlier parts of his races are good, he could go for it off the bend if in the position to do so, the 3 mile race will be torture if today was anything to go by.

I'm not so sure BH isn't just plain lazy and actually may not take so much out of himself as it appears, having said that, you'd just be worried that there'll be one he can't get rid of and will do him up the run in.

Agree with the comment about shantou village bud, think yesterday's race confirms the AB the right race for him can't see them wanting to take on yanworth again in the Neptune and will potentially improve for the step up to 3 miles on better ground. He didn't look comfortable on the softer ground yesterday so think he ran a good race and is the main danger to Barters Hill in my opinion

Clearly has a big engine and a massive heart but I'd still be concerned about his lack of Cheltenham form and his jumping is very sketchy which will be much more of an issue in a big field.
If they aim Shantou Village at the AB, and they surely won't want to take Yanworth on again, I'd make him clear favourite ahead of BH.
Both horses have the double entry so even with the doubt about their targets I can't resist the 10/1 on SV.

You would think Mullins or JP, with their legions of horses, would run a "spoiler" to pester him up front.

True, Heavy ground & slow pace could had flattered  Yarnworth, well worth taking on again on better ground.

Ben Pauling's stable star stepped up to three miles for the first time in the Albert Bartlett trial on Town Moor and while main market rival and Willie Mullins-trained Irish raider Up For Review seemingly ran below par, Barters Hill showed his trademark grit to stretch his unbeaten record to seven.

Pauling is still not ruling out dropping back in distance for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March, but admits he was impressed with the Alan King-trained Yanworth in the Neptune trial at Cheltenham over the weekend and he is unlikely to let Barters Hill take him on unless conditions are extremely testing.

"He didn't race lazily and didn't hit his flat spot that he can do (at Doncaster). That was probably because the Mullins team decided the way to beat him was to take him on for the lead, and it actually kept him very honest the whole way," Pauling told At The Races.

"If I told you a 100-1 shot (Ami Desbois, third) was going to beat Up For Review, you'd tell me it was a muddling race and I think because they've gone so hard so early, it ended up being a funny result.

"The front two have almost cut each others throats a little bit and given the others a tow into the race, but Barters Hill found what's necessary to win whereas Up For Review has fallen by the wayside.

"I'm definitely in the camp that it's much more likely he's going to go three miles (at Cheltenham). I've entered him in both races because I'm still determined that if it does come up ridiculously soft at Cheltenham, two-mile-five in the Neptune would be far enough.

"The Albert Bartlett is just under three miles and the Neptune is just over two-five, so we're talking about a difference of a furlong and a half. It's really not that much of a difference.

"I was very impressed by Yanworth at the weekend - he was effortless. He looks to me like he might be that champion hurdler lurking in the Neptune.

"I think we would be vulnerable to a horse like that."

Deffinately goes this race, but he has a hell of alot more opposition than looked likely a few weeks ago. Mullins has thrown in 3 or 4 quality speed horses.

Barters Hill will relish decent ground and 3 miles, think its his ideal.

Mullins can throw as many speed horses as he likes, I doubt they will have much speed left by the time they have finished battling with him,if indeed they aint been broken by then.
Shantou will be his main threat imo.

Think about it a bit more as re Mullins horses......Gangster looks the ideal horse for this race,and i can see him running best out of his horses and on soft ground would have a real good chance imo. But then hes always had this race in mind for him i would think, not sure the others were.

I'd say Barters Hill is easily the most vulnerable of the three favourites in the novice hurdles - not much bigger than Min, and if I had to choose to back one or the other, I'd choose Min every day.

As Scooby says, Mullins has put a lot of his "B Team" in this, so opposition looks much tougher than a few weeks ago.  Long Dog and Bleu et Rouge have both been over shorter trips this year, but both shape at stayers and have solid G1 form in heavy ground in Ireland.

Tombstone ties in closely with these two, so a good run from him in the Supreme will be very favourable to both of them.

I think this could be the only race for Barters, I would never have considered the Neptune for him.  He reminds me of a hurdling Don Poli, slighlty lazy, clever, just does enough and gets the job done; but as with Don Poli, this will be by far his toughest test, and I expect something a little classier to get ahead of him.

To be fair to Barters Hill though, he is probably one of the best bumper horses we have seen in the last couple of years, so he is not short of class.  Like No More Heroes in the Albert Bartlett, we'll see Barters at his best in something like the RSA, so I think this year is a stepping stone to bigger things as he'll be a monster in staying chases.

Yeh,think hes a real good thing as long as its not too soft.
Those afterthoughts of Mullins wont know whats hit them when asked to start battling after near on 3 miles.
Hes as solid fav as you can get next week imo.

Chief
Not sure why you would think the Neptune would not suit?, especially on soft ground, form book looks pretty good at shorter distances.

This isn't a 2 mile bumper though Lewisham; a 3m hurdle race at Cheltenham is completely different, so whilst I have said he was an excellent bumper horse, I don't think those races will have any bearing on this at all.  None of the lineup in the AB never faced him as a bumper horse, so the fact he beat Altior, Beuvair D'air means nothing in relation to the Bartlett.

Judging him on his hurdle form, of which this is, I think he'll get outpaced at some point.  Whether something will be good enough to go passed him, I don't know, but I wouldn't want to back at 5/2 - 11/4 knowing he might get done for speed, and is vulnerable for something fast finishing.

He almost got done by Ballydine last time (rated 132) and you can bet he will be facing higher class horses in this.

Also, the Bartlett being traditionally the weakest race, that doesn't really mean anything as you have to judge each race and each renewal on it's merits.  He will be facing Gangster, Shantou Village, Long Dog and Bleu et Rouge - very tough opposition if you ask me.

you can't say it has no bearing well chief.

if he's beating altoir and beauvair dair (and bellshill as well, supposedly one of mullins better ones)

are long dog etc any classier than those?

it's just his battling qualities that impress me. these are the sort of horses you want on your side at cheltenham. you know they'll get carried out on their sword even if they do get beat.

rather have barters than one of these bridle ponces that empty up the hill. and it's an 11-4 shot we're talking about here, not a 6-4 shot

also if you backed him in every race you'd be £47 quid up to a level stake, which points to horse that has been consistently underestimated by the market, who tend to prefer flashier types.

I'm already on barters from ages ago. But now at the prices there is no way I'd play,
Just my opinion.
When a horse like BELLO CONTI is 33/1 and bleu et rouge been 40s. (Now well supported) long dog nrnb at 16s if he did line up.
There are now huge unknowns open to masses of improvement going up in trip, that imo Are now far better value bets.

Budd, I don't think he'll have the speed for a Neptune - especially if Yanworth and Yorkhill both run.  If Barters ran in the Neptune, he'd remind me of Reve De Sivola, when you could tell he was always a stayer, and he ran well for a long way, but eventually got done on the run in by Peddlers, who had the speed to go past him.

Soft ground changes everything though, and as Barters has won over 3m and is tough, he will be difficult to beat.  Good ground and I think he is vulnerable from something in behind.

Yes, I get we're not talking about a 6/4 shot, but all I'm saying is at around the same price, if you gave me £20, I'd back Min in the Supreme each time.

He maybe a bit deceptive to you Chief? Soft ground Neptune would suit him perfectly imo,looking at his form.
Not saying he would beat the two y's,but he would certainly make sure they knew they had a race!!