The market for the Supreme Novices is starting to take shape and the recent wins of Khyber Kim at Newbury and Whatuthink at Leopardstown have attracted some interest from the bookmakers.

Oliver McKiernan’s Whatuthink was the game, all-the-way winner of the Future Champions Novice Hurdle and his victory was perhaps most notable in that it appears to have burst the bubble of Cork All Star. Jessica Harrington’s Champion Bumper Winner finished 3 lengths third here and confirmed the fact that his jumping would need to improve markedly if he is going to be a factor in a Cheltenham Novice Hurdle.

The winner has been cut to around 16/1 at the time of writing but that looks a little skinny for the shorter Novice race at Cheltenham as there is stamina in abundance in Whatuthink’s pedigree and doesn’t appeal as Supreme winner.

More interesting is the Nicky Henderson trained Newbury winner, Khyber Kim. Listed class on the flat he has had his problems with injury but appears to be highly thought of by his powerful yard and has been the subject of strong support since his opening victory. Perhaps, his potential fragility is a worry but he looks one to consider for that all important opening race of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival.