Why this 20-1 shot is the right type at the right price for the Albert Bartlett

Bravemansgame earned high praise from Paul Nicholls in December. The man who trained Kauto Star, Denman, Master Minded and Big Buck’s to become some of the greatest horses this side of the millennium was excited he might have found another one.

It always pays to take trainer talk with a pinch of salt, but Nicholls isn’t known for over-egging the pudding and in this case he was obviously talking sense. When he won the Challow Hurdle, Bravemansgame looked absolutely monstrous.

He jumped brilliantly, covered ground effortlessly and found an extra couple of gears to power away in the straight. He posted an RPR of 157, which is the highest achieved by any novice hurdler this season and fully 5lb higher than any of his potential Ballymore rivals.