The Yellow Clay

The Yellow Clay

5th-Jan-2025

This is a cracking contest, any one of the top five in the market could go on to take his place among the top novice hurdlers this season, but I thought that The Yellow Clay should have been favourite, and he is the bet for me.

Jasmin De Vaux is the Champion Bumper winner from last year and, while he wasn’t overly impressive in winning his maiden hurdle, that maiden hurdle was worked out really well since.  That said, he is favourite, and he is probably going to have to jump a little more fluently today if he is going to win.

Butch Cassidy, a half-brother to Fayonagh, was game in winning his maiden hurdle at Punchestown and, while the runner-up Sermandzarak was well beaten at Leopardstown at Christmas, that wasn’t his running, he never travelled in the race, and the third horse, Shuffle The Deck, who also has a chance here, won his maiden hurdle at Naas last time impressively.

Supersundae, Supasundae’s half-brother, ran well in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe during the summer.  There is no knowing how good he is.

But The Yellow Clay has proven himself to be high-class, and he should be able to progress again.  Second to Redemption Day in the Champion Bumper at Punchestown last May, he was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Down Royal and in winning the Monksfield Hurdle at Navan.

He wasn’t so impressive in winning the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle last time, but he showed a great attitude to get up and win that day.  The early pace was sedate, as evidenced by a finishing speed percentage of 116% of overall speed, the leader Fleur In The Park almost stole the race, but The Yellow Clay picked up well on the run-in and got up to win by a neck.  

The pair of them clear of Mozzie’s Sister that day, and Mozzie’s Sister did well to finish second to The Big Westerner in the Grade 2 contest at Limerick over Christmas when she didn’t jump well.

The Yellow Clay should get a stronger pace today, and that should suit him well.  He goes well on soft ground and, while he has never run at Naas, he is two for two at Navan, which is not dissimilar to Naas in terms of configuration.  He stays well, and that will be an asset today, but he also has pace for two and a half miles.  Gordon Elliott has won three of the last six renewals of this race, and it is probable that he had had it in mind for The Yellow Clay for a little while.

THE YELLOW CLAY WON (ADV 11/4, SP 11/4)