2.50 2m. 7f. 213yds. 20 Declared. Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1 ) of £135,000.00 5-y-o plus
1st - €75,964.00 2nd - €28,620.00 3rd - €14,324.00 4th - €7,155.00 5th - €3,591.00 6th - €1,796.00 7th - €891.00 8th - €459.00
Formscan - There was an awful lot to like about the manner in which CORBETTS CROSS handled a drop back to the minimum trip and a step up in class when getting the better of Found A Fifty at Naas. Bought since by JP McManus, his versatility makes him stand out from the rest of the field and the return to 3m won't inconvenience him. Three Card Brag has been popular for this since his defeat of Spanish Harlem at Fairyhouse, with the promise of even more improvement for stepping up in distance. Conditions have come right for him and he warrants the utmost respect. Embassy Gardens was an easy winner at Thurles, but that race appeared to fall apart and whether he is tough enough for a test of this nature remains to be seen. Hiddenvalley Lake (second) was behind his stable companion Monty's Star at Clonmel but he made his own running on that occasion and should be better suited by a stronger pace and the application of a tongue-tie. Others worth considering include Shanbally Kid, who shapes as though stamina will be his forte, Sandor Clegane, following his third at the Dublin Racing Festival behind Good Land, and Favori De Champdou.