← Honest Record · Pick Winner · Mr Fox
Seamus Mulvaney Bookmaker Novice Hurdle
Mr Fox’s call
Columbus
SPECULATIVE Advised 11/8 Est. 38%
Mr Fox says
Columbus (SR:157, 11/8) is the highest-rated horse in the field by 6 points over Beir Bua and carries a manageable 11-7, which is only 2lb above Bartholomew and Golden Handshake. His form of '21' in hurdles is compact but shows immediate competence — a win last time out — and both DistFit:+ and GoingFit:+ confirm he handles today's conditions. Mullins/Townend is the premier trainer-jockey combination in Irish National Hunt racing, Townend's 38% career strike rate being exceptional, and that pairing alone narrows the field significantly. The 8% drift from opening is a minor concern worth noting, but in a five-runner novice at a small prize level, market moves can reflect tactical factors rather than genuine negatives, and the fundamental case — top SR, best connections, proven conditions — remains intact. Each-way alternative: Golden Handshake. Main danger: Golden Handshake — Golden Handshake (SR:149, 6/1) has shortened 8% in the market, carries a light 11-5, and a form line of 'U1' — a win last time out after an unseating — suggests an improving 4-year-old whose connections have identified a winnable opportunity; William Durkan's 14% strike rate is respectable and the market move is the most credible in the field alongside his price.
Full result
Winner: Golden Handshake (GB) at SP 2/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.
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1
Golden Handshake Fox #2 9/4
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2
Beir Bua Fox #4 6/1
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3
Cosmos d'Ainay 7/1
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Columbus Fox #1 evn
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Bartholomew Fox #3 13/8
Top 4 — how each finished
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