Newbury preview: Barters Hill can outclass Challow rivals

David Metcalf | December 29, 2015

Barters Hill looked an exciting prospect when making a winning debut over the obstacles, so can take the step up into Grade 1 company in his stride to land the Challow Hurdle at Newbury today (14.00).

The Ben Pauling trained gelding proved a revelation last season when winning all four of his starts in bumpers, and was particularly impressive in the last of those when making all and staying on gamely to beat the very highly regarded Bellshill by 1 3/4 lengths in a Grade 2 affair at Aintree.

It was a performance which suggested Barters Hill had the potential to make up into a very smart hurdler, and that view was confirmed when the five-year-old ran out a wide margin winner at Huntingdon last month.

Barters Hill made all and jumped well to slam North Hill Harvey by 14 lengths, and the pair pulled 21 lengths clear of the third home.

North Hill Harvey has since come out and scored in good style at Cheltenham to give the form a boost, and the manner of the success suggested that Barters Hill needed keeping firmly onside.

The son of Kay Tara, Barters Hill is currently 14/1 with Coral for the 2016 Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle, and can take this en route to better things, perhaps at the Cheltenham Festival.