Ante-post favourite The Yellow Clay and the exciting staying novice Final Demand are two of the star attractions in a list of 44 horses entered for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. The latest entry stage took place on Tuesday 11th February and that duo are the standout names and both sit prominently in a wide open betting market.
No favourite has been successful in the race since 2013, but The Yellow Clay has won on all four of his starts over hurdles and impressed in strolling away with the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novices’ Hurdle in January. His trainer Gordon Elliott won this with 33/1 outsider Stellar Story a year ago and could rely on the likes of Blue De Vassy, Sporting Glory and Wingmen too.
Willie Mullins’ entries are always among the first to catch the eye – Final Demand has long been a relatively short ante-post price for this and showed why when storming to Grade 1 glory at the Dublin Racing Festival. Fellow Closutton neighbours include Supersundae, runner-up to The Yellow Clay last time out, Champion Bumper hero Jasmin De Vaux, and maiden winners Fishery Lane and Inn At The Park, to name but a couple more.
Irish raiders dominate the betting for the race and Henry De Bromhead’s mare The Big Westerner is another within the 62. The six-year-old was a clearcut winner of a Grade 2 novice event at Limerick after Christmas and appears a thorough stayer.
Beyond the Irish throng, French raider Jet Blue could be the biggest danger. He is already a Cheltenham winner, having made a successful raid from the continent in December. Stamina appears to be his forte as well, though the British charge is not completely thin on the ground, with Derryhassen Paddy, Jig’s Forge and Wendigo of particular note for their efforts so far.
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 2025 Entries
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Argento Boy | Willie Mullins |
| 2 | Ballybow | Gordon Elliott |
| 3 | Bill Joyce | Jonjo & AJ O’Neill |
| 4 | Bleu De Vassy | Gordon Elliott |
| 5 | Derryhassen Paddy | Lucinda Russell |
| 6 | Final Demand | Willie Mullins |
| 7 | First Confession | Joe Tizzard |
| 8 | Fishery Lane | Willie Mullins |
| 9 | Flicker Of Hope | Mark Fahey |
| 10 | Good N’ Kind | Henry De Bromhead |
| 11 | Idefix De Ciergues | Rebecca Curtis |
| 12 | Inn At The Park | Willie Mullins |
| 13 | Intense Approach | John McConnell |
| 14 | Ira Hayes | John McConnell |
| 15 | Jacob’s Ladder | Gordon Elliott |
| 16 | Jasmin De Vaux | Willie Mullins |
| 17 | Jax Junior | Lucy Wadham |
| 18 | Jet Blue | David Cottin |
| 19 | Jig’s Forge | Ben Pauling |
| 20 | Joystick | Willie Mullins |
| 21 | Jus De Citron | Harry Derham |
| 22 | Lieutenant Mayne | John McConnell |
| 23 | Ma Shantou | Emma Lavelle |
| 24 | Minella Sixo | Gordon Elliott |
| 25 | Moon Rocket | Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls |
| 26 | Nativehill | Nicky Henderson |
| 27 | Newton Tornado | Rebecca Curtis |
| 28 | Patter Merchant | Gordon Elliott |
| 29 | Pierrot Jaguen | Olly Murphy |
| 30 | Port Joulain | Willie Mullins |
| 31 | Roaring Conquest | Olly Murphy |
| 32 | Sounds Victorius | Willie Mullins |
| 33 | Sporting Glory | Gordon Elliott |
| 34 | Supersundae | Willie Mullins |
| 35 | Taponthego | Henry De Bromhead |
| 36 | The Enabler | Gordon Elliott |
| 37 | The Yellow Clay | Gordon Elliott |
| 38 | Wendigo | Jamie Snowden |
| 39 | Whinney Hill | Gordon Elliott |
| 40 | Will The Wise | Gavin Cromwell |
| 41 | Wingmen | Gordon Elliott |
| 42 | Yellow Car | David Killahena & Graeme McPherson |
| 43 | Mozzies Sister | Declan Queally |
| 44 | The Big Westerner | Henry De Bromhead |