Champion Hurdle 2013

Forget times and what if's etc; being paddockside to cheer The Fly in was one of racings magic moments; took me back to the Istabraq years! I even stopped feeling cold [for a while].
 
All makes sense and i do hope you werent being a little patronising there. Quite unlike you of course :)

I didnt back him but one thing about G is that hes clealy one horse we could still perhaps expect to see some more improvement from
 
A great race and all credit to the Fly . I cannot help but feel that Fehily overdid the forcing tactics mid race and would have been better off adopting the tactics Ruby employed so brilliantly in the Supreme .

I also wondered after the race how far poor Darlan would have won by .
 
The lovely lovely fly. Wonderful horse. Stupidly good ride by the best jock of our life time. :<3::<3:
 
Typical alright, the doubters/damning with faint praise brigade remain strong. Roll on next year so.
 
Euronymous said:
At the current prices the only one I'd even contemplate backing is Hurricane Fly. The tactics were wrong last year and at 7.2 on the machine chances are he'll be 4 or 5 after his first run. Good trading opportunity.

Simonsig is gonna be a better chase. End of

Everything went right for Rock on Ruby last year.

Grandouet is too short and I don't trust him to either get to the race or complete if he does

Cinders and Ashes. Not convinced the Supreme was that good.

Zarkandar is too slow and should be in the World Hurdle
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Jesus ****. How can I not have won a bean on this race???:mad:
 
I know it's easy to fit in Darlan and say he would have finished in front of Rock On Ruby and CF again and the form was backed up but against that both trainers went out of their way to say the expected them both to run much better today than they did at Doncaster.

The Rock on Ruby we saw today was not the same Roc On Ruby we saw in the International or at Donnie so it's very hard to say where Darlan would have finished.

Could have beat him again or he could have been like Zarkandar and found out these trial results almost always mean very little.

It is no coincidence that Zarkandar beat ROR by 8 lengths in the International but on the big day Rock On Ruby beat him by more or less the same distance as he did last year.

There is little doubt harry Fry trained ROR for today's race and everything was simply stepping stones to ensure he was 100%

You'd have to think Darlan would have been a big player but doing it it away from the festival and doing it at the festival is a whole different ball game.
 
Absolutely agree - and the Christmas Hurdle form is hardly remarkable now given how far Dodging Bullets is off top novice standard
 
Deleted: having read back more accurately, I can't actually find any evidence of fishwifery!

:)
 
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Bar the Bull said:
What did he beat?
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:lol: Stirring BTB :)

Great win for the fly. So happy for all connected with the horse and glad he proved his doubters wrong. Fantastic training performance from Mullins for a such a tricky horse to get right.

Have to say, great thread. A lot of strong opinions and a lot of humility in defeat from people. Now to try get a look at the race....

Oh and well done Grassy! Delighted for you mate!
 
reet hard said:
Aye well, if you listen to Graham Cunningham, he's an expert on everything, isn't he?:lol:
Swap the pace for the 2 races, and you'd probably have a different result in both.
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No but I think he reads a race pretty well which alot of people can't do including those that have worked in racing for years.
 
Spot on he's excellent at it and it is one of the most important factors when trying to find winner.

I love listening to terry Norman when he's on Timeform Radio he can pretty much tell where the pace will come from who will befit from it most and our very own Rory Delargy is also very good at reading a race and how it's likely to turn out and explaining afterwards what went wrong when it does.

Mind you I understand Reet's jibe GS is not so hot and hearing others out fully before chipping in his pennies worth. First time I heard him on radio I thought he was a bit of a dick tbh but once I got used to him I think the guy is top notch and could listen to him all day. Not that I might have any choice should I find myself in his company :)
 
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Well a lovely win for most of us in the Mandarin after the race . We won a lot of money Grassy but it was good to touch base with you on the hambone. I remember you first making us aware of the great HF years ago. Thoroughly vindicated
 
Tanlic said:
Any good judge could tell he was traveling as he normally does I don't think any one could question that. I don't think you need to be a genius to work out what would have happened if Grandouet had stood up. Most race fans pretty much know these horses indside out.

Here's my take fwiw

Of those in front Grandouet had Zarkandar and Caountryside Flame in his pocket but Rock On Ruby looked to still be travelling well.

Knowing the horse and the way Barry rides him he wouldn't have made any sudden moves and would have sat in behind Rock On Ruby and would still be still cantering as they approached the second last. All sounds good but the only problem Rock on Ruby failed to inject real pace into the race at that point.

If he had injected a good bit more pace I'm pretty sure Grandoeut would have had no problem going with him without coming out of his comfort zone and then they might have got Hurricane Fly in a bit of bother.


However Rock On Ruby never and Barry most certainly wouldn't have even attempted to so it's pretty safe to say h he would have still been behind Rock on Ruby and by that time Hurricane Fly was right back in the race which he would have been, the way things panned out, even if Grandouet had stood up.

Barry may well have been able to go with Hurricane Fly at that point but looking at the way Hurricane Fly finished his race and the way the race panned out I sincerely doubt if Grandouet would have beat him.

For me the race was Hurricane Fly's the minute they jumped the 3rd last and nothing in front could quicken up except for Grandouet and he wouldn't have wanted to if he had stood up.

If ROR HF and Grando meet up again in Ireland it will be very interesting but that's another day.

In the meantime I've already backed next years CH winner :) Far West 25/1 a price also on offer with Bet365 which won't be there after Friday. imvho
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ror injected it more round the back straight and had the fly struggling and also zarkandar off the bridle at the top of the hill. maybe if he'd given him a breather at that point and then done it at the bottom of the hill we could have seen a different result.

either way, i don't think anyone can knock the fly now. an absolute winning machine in ireland. two champion hurdles. best since istrabraq.

far west is 33/1 at stan james btw tanlic if you want to go in for some more.
 
Bobbyjo said:
Nobody can say with certainty Darlan would have won
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My post was slightly facetious but I suspect he would have gone very very close . He had the second and third beaten at Donny and he had a great turn of foot.

Hf is a great hurdler - it takes one to win the Champion Hurdle at the age of 9 :)
 
JamesRB said:
ror injected it more round the back straight and had the fly struggling and also zarkandar off the bridle at the top of the hill. maybe if he'd given him a breather at that point and then done it at the bottom of the hill we could have seen a different result.

either way, i don't think anyone can knock the fly now. an absolute winning machine in ireland. two champion hurdles. best since istrabraq.

far west is 33/1 at stan james btw tanlic if you want to go in for some more.
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Good point James. What a lot of people don't realize is it not just about pace and going like the clappers it's about timing and when you inject pace at Cheltenham that does the damage. You're pretty much garanteed at some point after the 3rd last someone goes or it and that's why I couldn't have Zarkandar as he just cant quicken instantly but that's another story for another day.......Thanks for the info on Far West
 
Tanlic said:
Good point James. What a lot of people don't realize is it not just about pace and going like the clappers it's about timing and when you inject pace at Cheltenham that does the damage. You're pretty much garanteed at some point after the 3rd last someone goes or it and that's why I couldn't have Zarkandar as he just cant quicken instantly but that's another story for another day.......Thanks for the info on Far West
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Zarkandar didn't need to quicken instantly off that pace though..you are talking as if they had gone a slow pace then suddenly started going lots faster..they picked up a bit which was wearing after the pace set up to the 4th hurdle ...and in fact all those that did quicken then have walked from the 2nd last

if something good enough to win had sat right off that pace they could have won just like Sublimity did..running past absolutely knackered horses
 
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