Thatprizeguy Top Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 14:55 £100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 103y, Class 1  |
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1 Storming George 16/1
2
Sinnatra 6/1
3 Baron Noir 7/2
6 ran Distances: 2¾l, 1¾l, 1½l
Time: 3m 56.66s (slow by 3.66s)
Living up to his name 😆
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 10, 2026
Storming George... storms clear in the @ThatPrizeGuy Top Novices' Hurdle 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/0D7nKxghbB
The race rarely unfolds as a straightforward examination, and this year’s renewal proved a particularly tactical affair, where pace — or the lack of it — ultimately shaped the outcome as much as raw ability.
A field of six set off at a tempo that could best be described as measured, with Sinnatra and the well-fancied Sober Glory taking matters into their own hands. The latter, runner-up in the Supreme at Cheltenham and sent off a prohibitive favourite, was always likely to find himself at the mercy of circumstances in such a scenario, and so it proved. The steady early fractions did little to play to his strengths, and although he briefly moved to the front turning for home, his effort never quite gathered the momentum expected.
As the race began in earnest three out, Sober Glory’s move was swiftly met. Sinnatra pressed on from the inside, Baron Noir loomed to challenge on the outer, and the contest appeared to narrow to that pair. Yet lurking just behind, still with a question to answer, was Storming George.
At the final flight he remained third, but from there his effort took on a different complexion. Where others began to tire, he found more, his stride lengthening and his resolve hardening as he closed on the leaders before asserting on the run-in. The winning margin, two and three-quarter lengths, reflected the authority of his finish rather than the rhythm of the race itself.
It was, in many respects, a performance that required context. Storming George’s profile had been anything but straightforward. A promising start over hurdles had been followed by setbacks, including a disappointing effort over this very course and distance at Christmas and a sequence of runs that suggested he was still searching for consistency at this level. Even so, his recent success in a Newbury handicap, off a mark of 125, hinted that confidence — and perhaps form — was returning at the right time.
Here, under Jack Quinlan and for trainer Neil King, he produced a performance of both patience and progression, capitalising on the tactical nature of the race and finishing with a flourish that set him apart.
For the beaten horses, the race raised as many questions as it answered. Sober Glory, in particular, never looked entirely comfortable within the constraints of the pace, his late rally for fourth offering some mitigation but little in the way of reassurance. Sinnatra, by contrast, ran his race with credit, but was ultimately unable to match the winner’s finishing effort.
In the end, this was a contest defined not by dominance from the outset, but by the ability to adapt when the race finally began — and in that regard, Storming George proved the most effective of all.
Top Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 103y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Soft
