The Grade 1 Ballymore Novice Hurdle of 2026 over two-and-a-half miles at Naas on Sunday, 4 January will tell us more about the pecking order in some of Ireland’s top National Hunt stables. Training titans Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott run two and three horses, respectively, in a field of nine.
This race, best known as the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle and registered as the Slaney Novice Hurdle, has multiple Cheltenham Festival winners in Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger on its recent roll of honour. Elliott has saddled the successful horse from his Cullentra House yard five times since 2017, but Closutton maestro Mullins holds the record with nine victories.
Jockey bookings often provide clues when these leading stables run more than one. Of the two Mullins mounts in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle of 2026, Paul Tonwend rides lightly-raced five-year-old Saint Baco, rather than the more experienced Sortudo. Horses aged six have a fabulous record in the big on at Naas, landing 11 of the last 13 editions.
Saint Baco is a French import from Daniele Mele. Since coming to Ireland, however, this Cokoriko gelding justified an odds-on price by landing an age-restricted Navan maiden hurdle comfortably. Sortudo, meanwhile, placed in an Irish Point before his National Hunt Flat race campaign last season culminated in seventh in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham races and a wide-margin Fariyhouse win.
Although out of the frame at the Festival, it is those in and around him that have done most to advertise the form since. Home just half-a-length in front of Sortudo around Cheltenham was subsequent Grade 1 scorer Idaho Sun. Back in ninth, meanwhile, was Challow Hurdle hero No Drama This End. Both of those horses are 3-3 since switching to this sphere.
Classical Creek the Pick of Elliott Trio in Ballymore Novice Hurdle
Sortudo did little wrong when landing odds of 8/15 with an easy hurdling debut at Cork. The runner-up, Jalon d’Oudairies, placed in the Champion Bumper of 2024, but missed all of last season. Leading form claims in this race belong to Sortudo, then, who has crack amateur and trainer’s son Patrick Mullins again aboard.
Classical Creek is the choice of Jack Kennedy and Elliott’s trio, meanwhile. Another odds-on Navan maiden winner stepping markedly up in class, his Irish Point and bumper wins came on clockwise tracks. Classical Creek, one of two in the line-up for Gigginstown House Stud, has since proved just as effective racing left-handed, however.
Although no match for owner-stable companion Kalypso’chance in a Listed bumper, he finished just a neck behind Champion Bumper second Heads Up that day around Navan. The winner has since landed the Grade 3 Monksfield over hurdles, so Classical Creek’s form isn’t too shabby. Kovanis was well-beaten by Sortudo at Fairyhouse over Easter and faded into third in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle.
Sortudo 👀
High-class in bumpers and seventh in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, the Authorized gelding makes a very decent start over flights for Willie and Danny Mullins@corkracecourse | @dan2231 pic.twitter.com/13DAC3sAWU
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 23, 2025
He is thus the outsider of Elliott’s three in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle of 2026. The yard also runs the lightly-raced Lord Rouge for Robcour here. Sam Ewing partners him, fresh from heroics in three big Leopardstown races over Christmas. On a form line through Jalon d’Oudairies, however, the runner-up to Lord Rouge from Cork finished well behind that one next time.
Off just two racecourse outings, and with his jockey full of confidence following Grade 1 victories for Joseph O’Brien and Noel Meade, don’t rule out further progress from this French import. There is also the excellent end to 2025 for Elliott’s stable to consider and he could well serve it up to Mullins again here.
I’ll Sort That Seeking to Reverse Bumper Form with Sortudo
Amateur jockey and trainer Declan Queally has the horse most likely to stop one of Ireland’s big jumps yards from landing this, if Cheltenham betting sites have the market right in I’ll Sort That. A three-time winner over hurdles already, he battled back on really testing ground to land the Grade 3 For Auction at Navan in November.
A course bumper winner on heavy ground, I’ll Sort That has since proven he acts on sounder surfaces. He has a dozen lengths to find with Sortudo on their Fairyhouse encounter, however, and there is also the question of how much his latest victory took out of him. I’ll Sort That gave 4lb and a beating to another old bumper rival in Theflyingking, but must step up on that in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle of 2026.
A superb performance by Bambino Fever once again who wins the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race!🥇
A race full of future stars and none more so than the Willie Mullins trained mare!@WillieMullinsNH | @JodyT97 pic.twitter.com/oKEf9gDZTv
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) April 30, 2025
Ross O’Sullivan steps his Yeats mare Switch From Diesel, vastly experienced from Irish National Hunt Flat races, up in trip here. A beaten favourite twice over hurdles against her own sex, she now takes on the boys and receives a handy 7lb allowance from the entire field. Switch From Diesel chased home Champion Bumper heroine Bambino Fever in the Irish equivalent during the Punchestown Festival.
Outsiders Can’t Be Totally Discounted
She ran a dozen times in that sphere, so knows plenty about racing. After 15 career starts, however, Switch For Diesel does look exposed and arrives at Naas, where she won a bumper, a maiden in this sphere. Henry De Bromhead runs course winner Fruit De Mer who, but for a stewards inquiry, would have an unbeaten record. The second past the post from his Limerick bumper has two victories over hurdles since.
A race like this demands more from Fruit De Mer landing odds of 30/100 here in November, though. Brown Lad scorer Letos knows what it takes to win over course and distance for Tony Mullins, meanwhile. He has since qualified for the Pertemps Final, yet a handicap mark of 131 looks unlikely to be enough to get in to the big handicap hurdle on the Cheltenham Festival schedule for St Patrick’s Thursday.
The horse Letos beat at Naas on his penultimate outing has since gone one better in another handicap hurdle over two-and-a-half miles around Leopardstown this Christmas. Back in third was Staffordshire Knot, who placed in an Aintree Grade 1 the season before last. He’s also qualified for the Pertemps Final and now won his last two, so there’s some decent form posted by this outsider.
Ballymore Novice Hurdle 2026 Shortlist & Verdict
A Grade 1 contest that’s bound to be informative. SORTUDO appeals most despite Townend riding the other Mullins mount Saint Baco. The latter is something of an unknown quantity, but he’ll have to be pretty smart to match the level of form posted by the former. Classical Creek is definitely the pick of Elliott’s three runners, meanwhile. Lord Rouge is a real dark horse, though.
It wouldn’t be a huge shock if one of the outsiders finished in amongst the market principals. I’ll Sort That can only benefit from going back up in trip, while similar comments apply to the mare Switch From Diesel. Even Letos can’t be dismissed totally with his course and distance handicap form working out so well, for all this demands more. Fruit De Mer drifting from the ante-post betting is a concern.
