Champion Hurdle 2013

Bar the Bull said:
I'm with Steve on this one. Looking at the Gold Cup winners since 1991, I can only think of three that are definitely superior:

Kauto Star
Denman
Jodami

And five that are arguably superior:
The Fellow
Master Oats
Long Run
See More Business
Kicking King (I don't think the last two are superior)

And the remainder are worse:
Garrison Savannah
Cool Ground and Cool Dawn
Imperial Call
Mr. Mulligan
Looks Like Trouble
War of Attrition
Imperial Commander
Synchronised
Click to expand...

That's a pretty even split, making Best Mate somewhere around average, therefore in my eyes 'ordinary' in the context of Gold Cup winners.

maybe it's the teacher in me, but I'm looking for high standards of performance before allowing myself to be carried away. (The guys in the white coats are parked outside.)
 
EC1 said:
Steve

could you post up the RPR awarded to the last 20 GC winners when you get time?

thanks in advance

sorry for being lazy
Click to expand...

I've done it back to Jodami on RPRs. Putting it on the Gold Cup thread before it overtakes this one.
 
LUKE said:
My favourite horse racing video on YouTube is Dawn Run winning her novice hurdle at Aintree-an awesome demolition job-the following day she turned out again in the Aintree hurdle and gave Gaye Brief a right scare.
Click to expand...

Mine is Sabin du Loir caning her in the Sun Alliance - he made her look ordinary that day and of course went wrong and several years later returned as a chaser of high class especially over 2m 4f .
 
Tanlic said:
Dawn Run was top class in anyone's book. Flat Hurdles fences she did it all

In her Gold Cup Wayward lad wasn't the only horse in opposition that day. I had reason to visit Mark Dwyer at his home just after that Gold Cup, standing next to his prize possession, a photo of himself and the Queen Mum when he won the race the previous year, he told me he could not believe he was beaten that day. Dawn Run had somehow found the courage, speed and stamina not only to beat him but to beat a horse with 2 King George's under her belt. Sure Wayward lad never got up the Hill but neither did Forvive and Forget who had got up the hill twice before without a problem. It wasn't the hill that beat them Dawn Run beat them out in the country by insuring they had nothing left when it came to the hill.......Gold Cups races are are over 3m2f not just from the last to the winning line.

When Jono said she was as game as a pebble he hit the nail right on the head, she had everything you'd want in a horse. The fact is she did something the brilliant duo Night Nurse and Bula both failed to do by winning both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup Not only did that assure her name went up in in lights it also put her down as one of the best chasers/hurdlers in the games history. Let's not forget she only had one run and was injured in her first season.......she was practically a novice chaser when she won the race.

To even hint that she was not top class is an insult to a horse who was probably one of the best all rounders the game has ever witnessed.
Click to expand...

What utter bilge - anyone who watched the 1986 GC would know that the race was not like that at all . Beat them out in the country - give me strength .

She outstayed Wayward Lad as he tired up the hill . It was a titanic effort from the mare as she did not jump all that well and just stuck on in there . Perhaps Run and Skip cut their throats otherwise but without the new mares allowance she would have been third .
 
Bar the Bull said:
I'm with Steve on this one. Looking at the Gold Cup winners since 1991, I can only think of three that are definitely superior:

Kauto Star
Denman
Jodami

And five that are arguably superior:
The Fellow
Master Oats
Long Run
See More Business
Kicking King (I don't think the last two are superior)

And the remainder are worse:
Garrison Savannah
Cool Ground and Cool Dawn
Imperial Call
Mr. Mulligan
Looks Like Trouble
War of Attrition
Imperial Commander
Synchronised
Click to expand...

I disagree - two were superior on form - Kauto Star and Denman .

Master Oats was slow , KK would not have beaten Best Mate in a GC as he did not truly stay , Jodami was gallant but not very quick . Long Run is very overrated .SMB possibly at his peak . If the Fellow could not beat Cool Ground or Garrison Savannah he would never have beaten Best Mate .
 
Probably not keen on taking on Grandouet who Nicky intends running. Quite surprised to see him 2nd fav. for the Irish Champion Hurdle behind Hurricane Fly.

As far as I know Nicky said he was sending Binocular for and Grandouet is highly unlikely to go unless Wincanton was lost, unless someone knows differently?
 
Just reading also that countrywide flame will not go for Irish CH but instead go to Haydock and keep left handed in prep for Festival
 
Wise choice I reckon Hurricane Fly would eat him for breakfast on the course and it's an expensive journey to be making to get your ass kicked. Surely if he has any chance of beating him it would be at Cheltenham if it became stamina dependent?
 
I think Hurricane Fly stays perfectly well. I can't look back through his record right now, but I remember him winning the Hatton's Grace in deep ground against a very strong field (and he looked like he beat Solwhit for stamina that day).
 
Ardross said:
I disagree - two were superior on form - Kauto Star and Denman .

Master Oats was slow , KK would not have beaten Best Mate in a GC as he did not truly stay , Jodami was gallant but not very quick . Long Run is very overrated .SMB possibly at his peak . If the Fellow could not beat Cool Ground or Garrison Savannah he would never have beaten Best Mate .
Click to expand...

The problem with Best Mate wasn't whether or not he was a good or superior Gold Cup winners - he was. It was that he was rated in the same bracket as Azertyuiop, Moscow Flyer and Well Chief and he wasn't as good as any of those three. Timeform in particular have always had a tendency to rate the staying chasers higher than the two milers.
 
I doubt any of them would have got anywhere near him over 3 miles !

Back on topic , Binocular goes for the Irish Champion Hurdle - considering that he would have probably have been ahead of HF in the CH but that bad mistake at the last - it will be fascinating to see how they get on .
 
i thought last year was binoculars big chance,but i still cant give up on him and i dont think ap will either darlan or no darlan and 20/1 is massive.
 
Interesting AP saying he doesn't know which he'll ride in the Champion Hurdle between Darlan and Binocular and he won't make up his mind until 2 days before the race.


Considering Darlan is as short as 3/1 for the Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes and Binocular is 25/1 someone is taking the p!ss and imo it's not AP McCoy
 
Tanlic said:
Interesting AP saying he doesn't know which he'll ride in the Champion Hurdle between Darlan and Binocular and he won't make up his mind until 2 days before the race.


Considering Darlan is as short as 3/1 for the Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes and Binocular is 25/1 someone is taking the p!ss and imo it's not AP McCoy
Click to expand...

AP has a massive soft spot for Binocular - what is odd that he is never one to shout the odds about how good a horse is yet he keeps coming back to this one. After Darlan's last win, he said "Hes not up with Binocular, yet" (or words to that effect).

I love Binocular but I think hes a very tricky horse to get right. Hes a very muscly horse who I think suffers from his physique more than most. Add to that a need for genuine good ground (so his slick jumping will come into effect) and he doesn't make life easy.

I could easily see him winning but I could just as easily see him running like last year. FWIW I think both Ruby & AP gave their mounts too much to do last year.
 
Grasshopper said:
Are entries made today? Just noticed Betfair market is suspended.
Click to expand...

Market is still suspended.

The Champion Hurdle is the only main open championship race yet to reveal initial entries. But if they were making entries today, they would surely have been reported by now.....and the market would surely be open again? And if they're not making entries until tomorrow, then why suspend today?

Are we about to get some surprise news about a fancied runner?

The last prices I can see are broadly in line with those prior to suspension, so not much to go on.
 
Last edited:
see elsewhere its you birthday Nick ,many happy returns , and I see your lumbering me with digger in March, hoping you have a change of heart.
 
jinnyj said:
AP has a massive soft spot for Binocular - what is odd that he is never one to shout the odds about how good a horse is yet he keeps coming back to this one. After Darlan's last win, he said "Hes not up with Binocular, yet" (or words to that effect).

I love Binocular but I think hes a very tricky horse to get right. Hes a very muscly horse who I think suffers from his physique more than most. Add to that a need for genuine good ground (so his slick jumping will come into effect) and he doesn't make life easy.

I could easily see him winning but I could just as easily see him running like last year. FWIW I think both Ruby & AP gave their mounts too much to do last year.
Click to expand...
I had along hard look at the race and on reflection think it was more a case of Overturn and Rock on Ruby giving them too much to do than AP and Ruby doing so..

Horses like Hurrican Fly and Binocular depend mostly on out speeding their rivals. Jason McGuire aware of the fact his best chance of winning was to inject as much extra pace as he could into the race at the top of the hill and burn them off. The way it turned out it looked very much like Noel Fielly had a plan to do the same and never let Overturn out of his sight.

In an everyday race I reckon he'd have held on to Rock on Ruby a lot longer before making his move but that obviously was never the plan......NF had him in top gear coming down that hill and the plan couldn't have been executed better.

The big question has to be was Hurricane Fly at his best.....those who have backed him, myself included better hope he wasn't because we can expect another dose of last years performance from Rock On Ruby especially if something else sets a decent pace to the top of the hill.

The reason I have dutched on the race is I don't think Hurricane Fly was right and the one horse who has the ability to be right up there all the way round and do it in cruise control is Grandouet.....I see him as the biggest danger to Rock on Ruby repeating last years win.


Rock On Ruby hasn't been setting the world on fire since last March which leads many of us to think his win was a fluke. I thought it was but now looking at it closer it was anything but and I reckon it's a safe bet he'll make them all go again in March.

As for Darlan he wont be sighted in the Champion Hurdle he's nowhere near good enough whether AP rides him or not.
 
If the same tactics re employed again this year then I think it will set it up for a strong travelling type and something with a kick.Grandouet is great value IMO,will definitely be travelling at the end.Im not so sure as to right off Darlan quite yet,only bad race I have seen him running was supreme and I thought AP left him a lot to do.Have backed him at 12's but he has to be lay at 3's.I think he had the beating of Zarkander when he fell at Newbury.
Between HF and Grandouet for me.I hope ROR shortens as ill be looking to lay it.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top