Champion Hurdle 2014

Annie would more than cope, especially with the weight allowance. UDS, I have no idea because they've run him against trees all year.
 
The reason that HF has never been taken to people's affections this side of the water as for example a Moscow Flyer has nothing to do with the horse.The reason has been discussed over and over on this and the world hurdle thread......
 
If Willie's going to dominate Irish racing, buying up all the good horses, this scenario's going to be repeated more and more in various races in future.
 
Euronymous said:
If HF gets beat and UDC bolts up next year Willie is gonna look a proper tool.
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He'll have trained another champion hurdle winner. He'll be beaming ear to ear. Funny kind of tool

Even if UDS was to win next years renewal, it won't mean he would win this years. Am sure he will be entitled to improve when he takes on some graded company.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Surely if a trainer has two (or more) horses with a real chance of wining a CH you run both, you don't rely on one, all manner of things can go wrong.
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Logically speaking two chances should be better than one. But I really believe running UDS would definitely not help HF. I'm not saying HF couldn't handle a fast pace, but having no pace is definitely more to HF advantage as it would hamper other horses chances who are not as versatile.

UDS mere presence in the field goes against HF preferred tactics and would hamper his chances.
 
UDS wouldn't be winning, willie knows that. So why run him and hinder the fly's chances by having him taken off his feet. He's not daft.
 
Many horses have gone on to have very successful careers after bypassing Cheltenham when owners/trainers decide they aren't experienced enough.

Given everything he has done, a race like the CH would likely bottom UDS.

Look what it done to the far more experienced Peddlers Cross.

Sensible trainer knows what he is at
 
You can bury your head in the sands all day long Grassy old chum. It's been there for all to see.
As much as i would have liked UDS to have run, i think it's the right call, think he would have been rabbit caught in the headlights. Though can understand some people's frustration if he doesn't run as it would add another dimension.
 
links781 said:
Harsh,he knuckled down in the Xmas hurdle.surely last year was down to him being weaker,looks different horse to me this year.
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This MTOY has strengthened up since last yeas is the biggest load of nonsense I've heard/read in the Cheltenham build up.
 
Frankel said:
You can bury your head in the sands all day long Grassy old chum. It's been there for all to see.
As much as i would have liked UDS to have run, i think it's the right call, think he would have been rabbit caught in the headlights. Though can understand some people's frustration if he doesn't run as it would add another dimension.
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So you offer no evidence then?

Fair enough. :cool:
 
Annie Power is the one the stable reckon could beat HF. She's the one they've talked up; in as much as Ruby & Willie talk a horse up.

You only have to look at the relative careers of HF and UDS to appreciate the regard Willie holds the hurricane in. He's been running solely in Grade 1's for years now and UDS has been kept well away from the real good horses.

And I'd tend to agree with Slim. MTOY looks like he could bark to me. The New One and Hurricane Fly to fight this out with Annie Power if she runs.
 
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There was absolutely no sign of MTOY shirking anything in the Xmas Hurdle, indeed he was actually going away from TNO at the finish. Didn't last home in the Supreme last season, and stamina remains his one possible achilles heel this, but, as a more mature horse and providing he can settle early, there's every chance he'll improve his course record here.
Has been minded all season like the superstar he'll hopefully prove to be.
 
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I don't see MTOY going away at the end of the Xmas Hurdle myself, reet - though it's only natural that we tend to put gloss on our selection's performances.....or at least view them in the most positive light.

I'm still not wholly convinced by MTOY's attitude, I have to say. I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, but having watched the Supreme back a few times, he just looked like he didn't want to go past. At the very least, a small question-mark remains (for me), and there will be no place to hide in this CH. If attitude isn't the issue, and stamina potentially is (as you suggest) then he's going to find it even harder, imo, and I've not seen any racecourse evidence to suggest he is the superstar-in-waiting you hope he might be.

Each to their own. :cool:
 
reet hard said:
There was absolutely no sign of MTOY shirking anything in the Xmas Hurdle, indeed he was actually going away from TNO at the finish. Didn't last home in the Supreme last season, and stamina remains his one possible achilles heel this, but, as a more mature horse and providing he can settle early, there's every chance he'll improve his course record here.
Has been minded all season like the superstar he'll hopefully prove to be.
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When TNO came at him again after his mistake at the last MTOY dug deep and was going away from him at the line. If you can't see that you're either blind or don't want to see it.

I had one of my biggest bets in a while on him for that race at 11/10 once the market opened. A day or two later after talking to Conor Murphy I was quite worried basically because he'd been talking to Jerry Mcgrath who said the horse hadn't been working well in the week or so leading up to the race. Nothing had come to light but he wasn't himself on the gallops. I was plesantly surprised to see him knuckle down and rein in the New One after the last after. He hadn't been at his best in the lead up to that race but still came away with a victory which is encouraging looking to next month.



The horse has improved both physically and mentaly this year.
 
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MTOY was held going to the last at Kempton, and benefited from TNO's error, and the fact he has less ability to quicken.

They will have his drawer's down at the business end of a Champion Hurdle.
 
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Grasshopper said:
I don't see MTOY going away at the end of the Xmas Hurdle myself, reet - though it's only natural that we tend to put gloss on our selection's performances.....or at least view them in the most positive light
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This is a very valid point. We're all guilty of seeing what we want to see when we big up our selections performance.

I've watched the race over and over and unsurprisingly I really don't see MTOY going away. Definitely not. Think about it, if both horses are approaching the final flight at, lets say 25MPH, With TNO clattering the last, he is slowed to let's say 15MPH, while TNO then has to re-accelerate to get back up to 25MPH, all the while MTOY is still traveling at this same speed.

MTOY was not accelerating further away. And in my humble opinion if you really believe this you are trying to convince yourself! It just took TNO time to try and get back up to speed.
 
Grasshopper said:
MTOY was held going to the last at Kempton, and benefited from TNO's error, and the fact he has less ability to quicken.

They will have his drawer's down at the business end of a Champion Hurdle.
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This report of events amuses me somewhat. TNO kicked for home coming into the home straight when about 2L ahead of MTOY. Between the last 2 hurdles STD hit him 4 cracks of the whip as well as getting fairly vigorous in the saddle in a bid to get MTOY off the bridle. All the while McCoy sits confidently on MTOY. Between the last 2 McCoy shakes up My Tent for the 1st time and hits him his first crack approaching the last. The end result, MTOY is on the hind quarters of TNO going over the last. So to conclude MYOY has less ability to quicken is plain rubbish. He done more in the 150yds approaching the last with his speed than TNO had done in the whole Kempton straight, and he flat to the boatds under STD. He couldn't pull away from MTOY who is all about speed. Along with HF is probably the speediest horse in the field.


There is no doubt in the world that TNO mistake aided MTOY but the horse didn't loose all momentum. He simply crashed through it. He came back at MTOY who rallied again inside the last 50yds to go on and win.

MTOY will be the last off the bridle in the Champion Hurdle. Hopefully he wont have used up too much energy throughout the race. Enough to see him home in front.
 
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DH
You're the one seeing what you want to see. After his last blunder, TNO regained his impetus and they were both head-to-head with c50 yards to travel. MTOY won half a length, which tells its own story,

Grassy
I ain't even got a selection, yet. :p
 
Reet, I meant TNO has less ability to quicken than MTOY........which wouldn't have been an issue, if TNO hadn't clattered through the last, because MTOY was in the process of dogging it as soon as he was shaken up. :D
 
Round and round in circles. Pretty sure the Xmas hurdle has been analyzed to death at this stage. 2 differing viewpoints. Champion hurdle will be a very different race. Scores will be settled.
 
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