Champion Hurdle 2014

To be fair to baracouda (Woody, is it you?) and Frankel (no idea, sure he's a spiffing fellow really, username is horse who failed to stay the minimum trip).....are both participating very-much in the spirit of the thread.

In the absence of harbourside gossip whistled by leathered-faced croans, we'd have no thread.
 
I don't see the picture becoming any clearer after the weekend. HF will win.
However, i do think the 2 from this side of the water are very good, but as others have alluded to TNO's hurdling is not great and I can see that costing him between 6-8 lengths come the big day which is too much.
So I'd have it down as a match, preference is for the younger horse.
However, if HF does win I'll doff my cap but I really don't want to hear the but he was 10 argument Mr Hopper!
 
I think that the best HF has to offer is better than anything else any other hurdler has to offer. The going on the first day will be no better than good-soft because Cheltenham always water if the sun shines for more than three days in the preceding week. It could conceivably be soft if it pees down, in which case only Our Connor would give him a race.

He's 10 - so what? He's better than Sea Pigeon the last ten-year-old to win the race, and he was better last year than Comedy of Errors, the only other horse to reclaim his crown.
 
Len Madeiros said:
I think that the best HF has to offer is better than anything else any other hurdler has to offer. The going on the first day will be no better than good-soft because Cheltenham always water if the sun shines for more than three days in the preceding week. It could conceivably be soft if it pees down, in which case only Our Connor would give him a race.

He's 10 - so what? He's better than Sea Pigeon the last ten-year-old to win the race, and he was better last year than Comedy of Errors, the only other horse to reclaim his crown.
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It's fairly clear that nothing's going to change your love for HF, Len.
 
Grasshopper said:
To be fair to baracouda (Woody, is it you?) and Frankel (no idea, sure he's a spiffing fellow really, username is horse who failed to stay the minimum trip).....are both participating very-much in the spirit of the thread.

In the absence of harbourside gossip whistled by leathered-faced croans, we'd have no thread.
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Aye its me Grassy. A.K.A Woody..hope my posts are generating interest and passion. it's sport after all and that includes brinkmanship.
 
Len Madeiros said:
He's 10 - so what? He's better than Sea Pigeon the last ten-year-old to win the race, and he was better last year than Comedy of Errors, the only other horse to reclaim his crown.
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He may be, but not officially. Sea Pigeon got a Timeform Rating of 175 in the year he won his first Champion, and that's hard to argue with that on the balance of his form. Hurricane Fly's current (and highest) Timeform Rating is 173.

I'm not suggesting that TF ratings should be regarded as sacrosanct, but it's always useful for reference. As a parallel, Comedy of Errors gained a rating of 178 when regaining his crown (equal to his best rating), 170 the following year, and 164 as a 10-y-o. The Fly may look as good as ever, but in ratings terms, he only tipped 164 in winning the Ryanair. He should beat that next weekend, and it will be interesting to see if he can match, or even better, his previous best rating.
 
rorydelargy said:
He may be, but not officially. Sea Pigeon got a Timeform Rating of 175 in the year he won his first Champion, and that's hard to argue with that on the balance of his form. Hurricane Fly's current (and highest) Timeform Rating is 173.

I'm not suggesting that TF ratings should be regarded as sacrosanct, but it's always useful for reference. As a parallel, Comedy of Errors gained a rating of 178 when regaining his crown (equal to his best rating), 170 the following year, and 164 as a 10-y-o. The Fly may look as good as ever, but in ratings terms, he only tipped 164 in winning the Ryanair. He should beat that next weekend, and it will be interesting to see if he can match, or even better, his previous best rating.
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Is this more about who HF has beaten in comparison to who Sea Pigeon and CoE beat? Slightly weaker division in the last five years compared to the "golden age" of hurdling, where Night Nurse sets the standard? But thanks for the useful piece of info.
 
rorydelargy said:
He may be, but not officially. Sea Pigeon got a Timeform Rating of 175 in the year he won his first Champion, and that's hard to argue with that on the balance of his form. Hurricane Fly's current (and highest) Timeform Rating is 173.

I'm not suggesting that TF ratings should be regarded as sacrosanct, but it's always useful for reference. As a parallel, Comedy of Errors gained a rating of 178 when regaining his crown (equal to his best rating), 170 the following year, and 164 as a 10-y-o. The Fly may look as good as ever, but in ratings terms, he only tipped 164 in winning the Ryanair. He should beat that next weekend, and it will be interesting to see if he can match, or even better, his previous best rating.
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Ryanair rating presumably held down due to proximity of CCB, rory?
 
Grasshopper said:
Ryanair rating presumably held down due to proximity of CCB, rory?
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Due to the unsatisfactory nature of the gallop, yes. The race didn't require Hurricane Fly to show his very best form, although he was well suited by the relative test of speed, and the second and third were arguably compromised by circumstances (or lack of fitness on OC's part). A fascinating race, but not one to hang your hat on, ratings-wise. The Irish Champion will afford no excuses ( I hope), and that will be the litmus test.
 
I know that much, Jakers......but he'd had a previous run, and therefore it's slightly disingenuous to suggest he 'lacked fitness'.

Plus I'm trying to see if I can get delargy to bite (double-figure price).
 
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Good luck with that Grassy :D

I am no trainer but I would say if a horse cant even canter for two weeks after a race I cannot see how he has gained any fitness from it, for me that flat race is null & void, no excuses for this weekend though.
 
I agree that OC MIGHT be a machine, but he will still have much to find to beat HF's form. Massive if, but not unimaginable. He strikes me as a lover of very soft, though, and HF is at his very best on very soft.
 
Grasshopper said:
To be fair to baracouda (Woody, is it you?) and Frankel (no idea, sure he's a spiffing fellow really, username is horse who failed to stay the minimum trip).....are both participating very-much in the spirit of the thread.

In the absence of harbourside gossip whistled by leathered-faced croans, we'd have no thread.
Click to expand...

What with you taking 10 strides to my one, I wouldn't need to break out of a hack to stay any trip you like. :p
 
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