Awesome aura surrounds unbeaten Kopek Des Bordes - is it possible to oppose him?

Strangely enough, only two horses in 20 years have won the Supreme and the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle in the same season – Douvan (2015) and Klassical Dream (2019). 

Kopek Des Bordes is long odds-on to become the third and, given the manner of his success in the Cheltenham Festival opener and the fact the runner-up William Munny is not in the line-up, it is hard to see how he can be beaten.

There is an aura of awesomeness about Kopek Des Bordes. Ever since he crashed through every other hurdle and pulled Patrick Mullins' arms out for two miles in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle over Christmas, you sensed he was something a little bit special. Now we know he is. 

Having hammered a Grade 1 field at the Dublin Racing Festival by 13 lengths, he justified his 4-6 starting price in the Supreme with an emphatic victory. He made a bit of a mess of the last but, if truth be told, he never really looked like being beaten. 

Preview night panels up and down the land were petrified the occasion might get the better of him. Nonsense; he was the star student and won a gold star. He answered every single question correctly and his next assignment does not look as arduous. 

Kopek Des Bordes has already beaten all his rivals, apart from the 100-1 outsider Fleetfoot. He was more than 18 lengths in front of Salvator Mundi in the Supreme; 33 lengths ahead of Irancy; 57 lengths clear of Karbau; and he had 76 lengths to spare over Whinney Hill at the Dublin Racing Festival. How can any of those turn around the form? They have all been beaten a long, long way. 

The only one who might is Salvator Mundi. He wore a hood in the Supreme but it was taken off at Aintree for the Top Novices' Hurdle and it made a big difference. He left Romeo Coolio for dust and scored by seven lengths. He is now rated only 3lb below Kopek Des Bordes and looks poised to exploit any chinks in his armour. If there are any. 

Irancy has mopped up a Grade 2 since the Supreme, but it is hard to know whether he achieved enough in that heat on the inside track at Fairyhouse to warrant serious consideration here, while Karbau could not cope with Salvator Mundi at Aintree. 

Fleetfoot and Whinney Hill would probably need to start now to have a squeak. 

This is the last time we will see Kopek Des Bordes as a novice. The world is his oyster after this as he steps out into open company. Whether that will be over hurdles or fences time will tell. It's tremendously exciting no matter what route is taken. 

Salvator Mundi: Aintree winner transformed after hood was removed last time Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

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Patrick Mullins: 'I'm hoping we can make Kopek Des Bordes go a bit'

Patrick Mullins was the one who recommended removing the hood from Salvator Mundi following his rather lacklustre effort in the Supreme and it worked the oracle at Aintree when he scampered away with the Top Novices' Hurdle. 

Paul Townend was on board that day but he has unsurprisingly stayed loyal to Kopek Des Bordes so the Grand National-winning jockey is back on board and he thinks it will be a lot closer than it was in the Supreme. 

Mullins said: "I'm really looking forward to being reunited with Salvator Mundi. I came in off him after the Supreme at Cheltenham and suggested taking the hood off, which I think was a help at Aintree. He had his ideal conditions there and this will be a slightly different test, but I'm hoping we can make Kopek Des Bordes go a bit."

Whinney Hill has twice finished down the field behind Kopek Des Bordes, but trainer Gordon Elliott is happy for him to take his chance.

He said: "He's a very good horse and was third to Kopek Des Bordes in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown. He didn't jump well enough in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival but we've freshened him up and didn't go to Cheltenham or Aintree so hopefully he can give a decent account of himself."

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