Five key talking points for the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival

Entries for the Cheltenham Festival's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, JCB Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle came out on Thursday prompting a whole new batch of questions and talking points

Thyme for another Hobbs star?

The festival for Philip Hobbs might revolve around how his two-mile star Defi Du Seuil fares against Altior in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, but it will not be a one-horse team.

In Thyme Hill he has an unbeaten hurdler who produced his best performance in the Challow over Christmas.

The Ballymore is likely to be his race if conditions are desperate or at least on the easy side, but the Albert Bartlett is an option on a sounder surface.

Stablemate Sporting John, engaged in the Supreme and Ballymore, may also be of interest after impressing in his two appearances this season.

Mullins makes mega entry

The novice hurdle entries might be about quantity over quality for Willie Mullins, who has six Supreme successes and four Ballymore wins on his CV.

He has made 21 and 25 entries in those races, although some horses have multiple engagements, including in the Albert Bartlett for which the trainer has put in 19 horses.

'Only' four from the yard have made the Triumph, but the Mullins representation is by far the biggest from any stable across the four races.

He might not have a banker in the Douvan, Vautour or Faugheen mould, but there is a reason he has won more festival races than any other trainer and his runners always merit a second look.

Envoi Allen: Elliott inmate is a hot favourite for the BallymoreCredit: Patrick McCann

Envoi carries Elliott hopes

Gordon Elliott knows what it means to go into the Ballymore with a firm fancy after saddling the much-hyped Samcro to victory two years ago.

He is set for that scenario again as he prepares Envoi Allen, who has a flawless record, for the festival, where he won the Champion Bumper last year.

Already just 5-4 for the Ballymore, Envoi Allen would be of major interest if turning up in the Supreme, while he is also in the Unibet Champion Hurdle if connections are bold enough.

Either way, Elliott will look to him after not entering the promising Grade 2 winner Andy Dufresne in any of the races.

Shishkin (centre): Supreme hope came clear in style at NewburyCredit: Edward Whitaker racingpost.com/photos

Shishkin a leading Supreme player

Shishkin, the 4-1 market leader for the Supreme, is another horse with the Ballymore alternative, although Nicky Henderson must be favouring the festival opener, which he has won three times.

After the six-year-old's slick success at Newbury recently, Henderson mentioned the Ballymore, but that may have just been to cover his bases and it was conspicuous how impressed he was with the Sholokhov gelding's turn of foot.

That could be tested at , in next week's Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon, or in the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton, although the 17-day gap between that and the Supreme might not be big enough for Henderson.

Seemingly versatile with regards to ground, he looks a major Seven Barrows hope for March.

Hawke eyes Tiger repeat with Repetitio

There will always be a small chapter in the amazing Tiger Roll story on Nigel Hawke, the man who sourced the Grand National superstar from a Godolphin dispersal before selling him to Gigginstown House Stud.

Not long after, Tiger Roll landed the Triumph, which Hawke may have eyes on with Repetitio, who was well placed to win at Cheltenham against older horses before Christmas.

The trainer, who won the Grand National as a rider on Seagram in 1991, was complimentary that day about his four-year-old, who is by a Derby winner in Pour Moi, who shares his sire Montjeu with Authorized, father of the Aintree ace.

Hawke, who also has Guardia Top in the Triumph, will hope the similarities do not end there.

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