Champion Hurdle 2014

I'm quite excited by Our Conor I must say. They seem to be doing things right by him. THE race is in March. I fully expect him to finish in front of Jezki at Leopardstown. How close can he get to the fly??.....it will be interesting. I'll go with 1 1/2 lengths.
 
Exactly, TS. We are now deep into the mud-slinging stage, and the time for sober assessment has long-since passed. Battles-lines have been drawn, and now it's all about how much mustard-gas you can land in the your opponents trench! :D

If there are people who think that our Connor will get anywhere near the two English horses they must be smoking a crack pipe.
 
Has to find 4.5 on his previous run then, Hezz, and I wouldn't bet on him doing it.

So what would your measurement of that be reet, 6 lbs?
Not beyond the realms of possibility by any stretch considering it was his 1st run of the season (discounting his flat run-was on box rest subsequently)
 
Couldn't put a figure on it, Hezz, but the proven form of HF and Jezki in open company is two birds in hand, against the one in the bush of what OC might be (and has yet to prove, imo).
 
If there are people who think that our Connor will get anywhere near the two English horses they must be smoking a crack pipe.

5 of the last 6 winners of the Triumph Hurdle ran in the CH the following season and none were disgraced. Katchit actually won and he was the last impressive winner of the Triumph Hurdle winning by 9L.

Our Conor won T.H 2013 by 15L - CH 2014 ?

Countrywide Flame won T.H.2012 by 3L - CH 2013 3rd btn 4 1/4L

Zarkandar won T.H. 2011 by 2 1/4L - CH 2012 4th btn 6 /3/4L

Zaynar won T.H. 2009 BY 3/4L - CH 2010 3rd btn 9 1/2L

Celestial Halo won T.H. 2008 by 2 1/4l - CH 2009 2nd btn 1/4

Katchit won T.H. 2007 by 9L - CH 2008 1ST

I couldn't write off his chances so easily especially as he has more room for improvement than any other in the field.
 
5 of the last 6 winners of the Triumph Hurdle ran in the CH the following season and none were disgraced. Katchit actually won and he was the last impressive winner of the Triumph Hurdle winning by 9L.

Our Conor won T.H 2013 by 15L - CH 2014 ?

Countrywide Flame won T.H.2012 by 3L - CH 2013 3rd btn 4 1/4L

Zarkandar won T.H. 2011 by 2 1/4L - CH 2012 4th btn 6 /3/4L

Zaynar won T.H. 2009 BY 3/4L - CH 2010 3rd btn 9 1/2L

Celestial Halo won T.H. 2008 by 2 1/4l - CH 2009 2nd btn 1/4

Katchit won T.H. 2007 by 9L - CH 2008 1ST

I couldn't write off his chances so easily especially as he has more room for improvement than any other in the field.

Interesting information. Our Connor certainly has more scope than a good few of those horses. He's a great each way price, although this looks a vintage renewal.
 
A better comparison for Our Conor might be Detroit City; another highly-touted juvenile who couldn't quite find the improvement needed to win a Champion Hurdle.

Hopefully, Our Conor goes on to have a longer and more successful career than the ill-fated DC, but he would be hard-pushed to have run into a better crop of hurdlers than he'll face in March.

To be fair, the run behind Hurricane Fly was an encouraging effort, and whilst he'll gradually lose his allowance over the coming weeks, I can see why people might want to adopt a wait-and-see attitude with him, and he is probably the best value out there at present, insofar as price is concerned.
 
Oh how i'm looking forward to this race. Lets hope they all get there as it should be a cracker.
Whichever way I look at it I think the fly will have to improve on his previous champion hurdle runs. I firmly believe that form will not be good enough to beat TNO or MTOY.
Though if we get really soft ground then i think the fly could well be the one to beat, assuming Annie doesn't turn up. Though she would need a bog to trouble the big boys. World hurdle beckons surrrrely.
 
Triumph form is nothing special and OC run behind HF could be anything,HF could be on the downward curve.Lots of unknowns but on what I've seen so far OC will not place.
 
Yup.

When are the 2 English horses due out again. Want them to put in two scintillating performances

TNO straight to Chelts. MTOY seems likely to go to the old Agfa Hurdle at Sandown.

Our Conor and Jezki scheduled to get another view of Hurricane Fly's hoop in early February! :D
 
Annie Power gets an entry in the Irish Champion Hurdle,anyone seriously think she will actually take her place.WM not a fan of putting his heavyweights up against each other.Surely connections must insist on Annie Power taking part to see what they actually have.
 
Can't see it, Grass, as it's almost 5 weeks before the big one, and would hardly fit with plans "to take the freshness out of him".

Henderson put the race forward as an option, reet. and it's the one connections farmed with Binocular a couple of times.
 
Annie Power gets an entry in the Irish Champion Hurdle,anyone seriously think she will actually take her place.WM not a fan of putting his heavyweights up against each other.Surely connections must insist on Annie Power taking part to see what they actually have.

He only just said last week that he would keep them apart....
 
He only just said last week that he would keep them apart....

He was fumbling around for a reason to keep Un De Sceaux from running in the Champion hurdle, needing to find a stone to even compete with Hurricane Fly was one line he used, but he comes across as man with a real dilemma, three different owners and all three should be taking their chance based on what we have seen so far.

Ricci said recently that they kept Annie Power over hurdles this season so she can run in the top races, the World Hurdle he said was one but he also said he would not be being honest if he didn't mean the Champion Hurdle.

It may all come down to the going?
 
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