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Road to the 2022 Champion Hurdle

Kauto Abu

Kauto Abu

Dormant account
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
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Ireland
Forgive me if there’s already a thread in circulation for this, I looked but couldn’t find one.

Silver Streak looks set get his campaign underway this Sunday at Kempton in the Listed 2m hurdle he’s taken for the past two seasons.

Sharjah has won both the Galway & Tipperary Hurdles over the summer and will surely head down this route.

Reining champion Honeysuckle will more than likely start with a defense of the Hattons Grace hurdle.

Great to be talking about this again. [emoji4]


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Double J said:
Ferny Hollow is still my pick. I dont believe the talk of him going over fences.
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It’ll be very interesting to see what he does. Having seen him up close and personal he is massive and literally made for a fence so the next month or so will be intriguing. One of the stand out horses at Closutton.


Still strange even saying this but we may or may not have interest in this yet with Shewearsitwell. It depends what way Willie wants to go with her.




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Kauto Abu said:
Forgive me if there’s already a thread in circulation for this, I looked but couldn’t find one.

Sharjah has won both the Galway & Tipperary Hurdles over the summer and will surely head down this route.
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Saldier won both the Galway & Tipperary Hurdles
 
Kauto Abu said:
It’ll be very interesting to see what he does. Having seen him up close and personal he is massive and literally made for a fence so the next month or so will be intriguing. One of the stand out horses at Closutton.


Still strange even saying this but we may or may not have interest in this yet with Shewearsitwell. It depends what way Willie wants to go with her.




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You'd think Willie would want to keep Shewearsitwell and Echoes In Rain apart come March, and if that's the case SWIW looks more likely to want the Mares Hurdle trip, with EIR wanting the minimum.

She's a nice horse for you to have wherever she goes though KA.
 
Maruco said:
You'd think Willie would want to keep Shewearsitwell and Echoes In Rain apart come March, and if that's the case SWIW looks more likely to want the Mares Hurdle trip, with EIR wanting the minimum.

She's a nice horse for you to have wherever she goes though KA.
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Yeah, it’s a hard one. On her homework she’s all speed but will definitely stay a trip on pedigree. I suppose she showed that speed too at Tipperary in the Joe Mac Novice over the minimum last year.

He’d also have Stormy Ireland, Concertista & possibly Gauloise for the mares hurdle so as always he’s loads of bullets to fire.


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You sure DO ?

Of last season’s 2m novices, the two best are heading over fences, as are the first three home in the Ballymore. If, as indicated, Ferny goes novice chasing too then that only leaves the mares and 4 year old Monmiral who doesn’t look quick enough for a Champion hurdle.

Quilixios would be interesting but there’s a question as to whether he’ll stay over hurdles too.


Further evidence of the growing trend to send the best novice hurdlers straight over fences, to the detriment of the Champion hurdle and Honeysuckle would have nothing to fear from any of the younger brigade IMO.
 
What I mean is, I'm looking for something a bit better than the established hurdlers.

If we end up with the same old same old fair enough but they just aren't floating my boat.

I suppose I'm looking for a real superstar to emerge and it probably won't happen.
 
How much does a horse have to do to become a real Superstar in your book DO.
12 races under rules undefeated, culminating in a Champion hurdle stroll.

Honeysuckle is a Superstar
 
I have a feeling there'll be a consensus among many that she has been winning, not always impressively, at a time when the 2m hurdle division is dire.

Personally, I think she's a superstar but I can see the argument against.

Now I'm off to take these splinters out my ar5e cheeks.
 
What puts the 'super' into 'superstar'?

For me, Honeysuckle is clearly a 'star', but she probably needs to punch a big ratings number, before the 'super' prefix can be added.......and she hasn't quite done that yet, (imo, at any rate).

That's not to crab her in any way - I think she is a tremendous mare, and it's absolutely no surprise to see her at the head of the Champion Hurdle market.
 
Grasshopper said:
What puts the 'super' into 'superstar'?

For me, Honeysuckle is clearly a 'star', but she probably needs to punch a big ratings number, before the 'super' prefix can be added.......and she hasn't quite done that yet, (imo, at any rate).

That's not to crab her in any way - I think she is a tremendous mare, and it's absolutely no surprise to see her at the head of the Champion Hurdle market.
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Superstar is a little too freely bandied around nowadays, but I think we can at least pencil in the “super” bit so far as she (sorry to offend the gender neutral brigade) is concerned. She has, after all, beaten off allcomers a dozen times as Maxbet says and you can’t ask for more than that since that’s her business, not chasing a rating.
 
barjon said:
Superstar is a little too freely bandied around nowadays, but I think we can at least pencil in the “super” bit so far as she (sorry to offend the gender neutral brigade) is concerned. She has, after all, beaten off allcomers a dozen times as Maxbet says and you can’t ask for more than that since that’s her business, not chasing a rating.
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In my view, you can't ignore ratings when assessing greatness, barjon. Winning-streaks are too crude a measure for my tastes.

Worth stating that I'm not saying she can't run to a seriously big rating....only that she hasn't done so yet.
 
Since 2011 a dozen Champion Hurdle class horses have hit the frame in the Supreme but only four of them won the Novices' race and they all went chasing.
 
granger said:
To all,

If you were lucky enough to have 100k and go buy a horse, would your aim be to have a chaser or a hurdler
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Strangely enough the distance and the horses page/pedigree would determine my preference. Over the minimum trip I’d be looking at a hurdler.

Anything over 20f I’d prefer a chaser.


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granger said:
To all,

If you were lucky enough to have 100k and go buy a horse, would your aim be to have a chaser or a hurdler
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I think it would depend on what was up for sale. I'm the type who can't buy a car without doing masses of research and if I got the chance of a likely 170+ hurdler over a 150 chaser for the same money I'd go for the hurdler.
 
For £100K, I doubt I'm getting a 170+ anything, so will assume I'm buying a handicapper.

That being the case, I'd want a chaser. Veterans races would extend my horse's active career, and hurdling doesn't afford the same opportunities.
 

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