Boylesports International Hurdle

You have to ask yourself bar Punjabi what else does Binocular have to beat come Cheltenham. I don't see the Irish division being any where near as strong.
 
If Binocular turns up 100% on CH day, no contest. Has course form in the bag finishing 2nd in the supreme novice last year, which is so important. What a performance!!!! Can't wait!
 
Another Jim McGrath prattism after three out

" Binocular just being niggled along to get into the picture "

If you can't see that he was on the bridle ...
 
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Really impressive, love how he hurdles...so quick.

Lets hope Sizing Europe or something unexposed blitzes the field at Leopardstown and sets up a nice clash.

I couldnt understand why the likes of Chomba Womba and Crack Away Jack were mentioned as Champion Hurdle types...ruthlessly exposed there.
 
I can see why they'd mention them Gal but IMHO the only 4yo from last year with a chance in this years Champion would be Ashkazar and he'll need to improve and show something special today.
 
Gearoid said:
You have to ask yourself bar Punjabi what else does Binocular have to beat come Cheltenham. I don't see the Irish division being any where near as strong.
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Hasn't looked it so far anyway Gearoid. I have quite a lot invested on Sizing Europe as things stand so im prepared to wait and see if he can reciprocate last years AIG form. That from Binocular was pretty special though.
 
Top performance from the winner.Katchit never got competetive -I could see the festival bringing out the best in him without him winning.
 
Sizing Europe is definitely still a contender, but he really has to win at Leopardstown for anyone to seriously retain faith in him.
 
Ardross said:
Another Jim McGrath prattism after three out

" Binocular just being niggled along to get into the picture "

If you can't see that he was on the bridle ...
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McCoy actually does give him a squeeze after three out to close up on the others, which he does effortlessly (and without coming off the bridle).

Probably doesn't justify McGrath's description, as anybody with a working pair of eyes could see he had the field covered from about three out, but it's not exactly in the same league as "and Authorized is travelling strongly" either!

Imperious performance from the winner; let's just hope Sizing Europe can show he retains his ability next week.
 
Disappointing to see the beaten horses struggle to get to Celestial Halo. One would have thought they could manage that based upon Franchoek appearing to run ok behind them at Ascot last month.

Binocular obviously very impressive. Shame this race was not at Cheltenham in that we are justified in having a slight doubt about him finishing the job there, until he has done it. What impressed me about him the most last season was how he bounced back from Cheltenham, where he was absolutely bollocksed in finishing second, to go and win so well at Aintree.

Incidentally, the ground was better today than yesterday.
 
Far too much rope given to Ruby surely. Celestial Halo isn't a slowboat by any matter of means, so the idea of the likes of Katchit and Chomba Womba giving him twenty lengths was not a particularly good one IMO.
 
Binocular was very good today but don't get carried away. Crackaway Jack and Chomba Womba are not top division.

Sizing Europe was a monster in the Irish Champion Hurdle, confirming the potential shown in last year's Greatwood. Maybe he can come back to that sort of form, and so might Osana. And a couple of the old boys might still have something to say (Brave Inca is 40/1 on Betfair!).

Spare a thought for Eddie Harty, by the way, who has his stable star Captain Cee Bee stuck on the sidelines while Binocular takes all the plaudits.
 
Christmas Hurdle entries....


Afsoun (FR) 6.g
N. J. Henderson

Aitmatov (GER) 7.g
N. Meade, Ireland

Blue Bajan (IRE) 6.g
Andrew Turnell

Harchibald (FR) 9.g
N. Meade, Ireland

Khyber Kim 6.g
N. A. Twiston-Davies

Leslingtaylor (IRE) 6.g
J. J. Quinn

Pierrot Lunaire (USA) 4.g
P. F. Nicholls

Punjabi 5.g
N. J. Henderson

Snap Tie (IRE) 6.g
P. J. Hobbs

Straw Bear (USA) 7.g
N. J. Gifford
 
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What ?! ... did someone shoot Granger mid post-typeage?

Can someone check please ? Because thats along the lines of "The treasure ... is buried in the.... uurrgh!!"
 
LUKE said:
I would prefer to see Sizing miss next week and go for the Irish Champion followed by Cheltenham.
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Whatever his next race is, really. To be honest, I think it's a bit strange that fitness was supposedly the reason he stopped so quickly at in the Maplewood and yet he's given two and a half months off? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Whatever his next race is, really. To be honest, I think it's a bit strange that fitness was supposedly the reason he stopped so quickly at in the Maplewood and yet he's given two and a half months off? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
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I think that was always the plan for him, the trainer stated that even before his run at Punchestown. Unless they wanted to travel him to the UK there was nothing for him in Ireland over two miles so I would not see that as a worry.
 
Well if he wasn't fit at Punchestown, and Leopardstown comes 2 and a half months later he's probably not going to be fully fit there either, right? So he'll turn up at Cheltenham and they're hoping he'll be race-fit for the first time in exactly 12 months?
 
You think he'll be fully race fit in the Irish Champion Hurdle? Fair enough. Connections must be super-confident that they're right about the reasons for his last two runs.
 
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