Another star? Exciting Minella Drama bids to emulate Shishkin in Sidney Banks

Ballymore Sidney Banks Novices’ Hurdle (Listed Race) | 2m4½f | ITV4/RTV

The last two runnings of this race at Huntingdon were won by Vinndication and Shishkin.

It’s probably fanciful to think we might see another Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner because Shishkin is obviously exceptional, but he went into last year’s race with a best Racing Post Rating of 141 and Minella Drama is only 2lb behind that this season.

Minella Drama has recorded RPRs of 139 on both of his last two starts and is unlucky not to be coming here a Grade 2 winner. He traded at 1.03 in running on Betfair to land the Rossington Main at Haydock last time but was agonisingly caught in the last strides.

The one note of caution is the half-mile longer trip as it looks far from certain to suit.

Minella Drama was second in two three-mile Irish points, but his strength is the enthusiasm with which he travels and Donald McCain fits a hood in a bid to temper that exuberance.

However, the trainer doesn’t have a great record when applying this headgear. Since the start of 2016, McCain has fitted only 15 runners with a first-time hood and just two of those won.

Here Comes Johny, Stoner’s Choice and Optimise Prime are the other three with realistic chances, but jockey claims muddy the waters when it comes to assessing their recent form.

All three were partnered by claimers last time. Here Comes Johny’s latest RPR of 134 at Plumpton was assisted by Lewis Stones' 7lb claim, Stoner’s Choice’s 134 at this course in November came with the help of Max Kendrick’s 3lb allowance, while Optimise Prime was partnered by 7lb claimer Luca Morgan when recording 125 at Hereford in December.

To what extent the claims affected the relative merits of those performances is open to question, but all three need to improve to trouble Minella Drama without those allowances.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say:

Olly Murphy, trainer of Here Comes Johny
He's in good form and I'm looking forward to running him. He was a cheapish buy who's done well for his syndicate, he's up in class and it will be good to see where he stands. There's a lot of pace and a strongly-run race will suit him, he's got plenty of gears and he'll be ridden patiently. He's got a lot of ability and he'll be a lovely chaser whatever he does in the rest of this season.

Ben Pauling, trainer of Optimise Prime
He's a lovely horse who's done nothing wrong – he wasn't right when he was beaten in his bumper. He seems very well and he's schooled well. He's an exciting horse who we hope has a bright future. Even though he's not quite there on ratings I think I think he's got everything he needs to be competitive.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Stoner's Choice
He's in great form and won nicely over the course last time out. I'm really looking forward to running him.
Reporting by David Carr

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