Champion Hurdle 2015

Regarding riding-arrangments for the Mullins horses, I sincerely hope Walsh makes his mind up reasonably readily.

If he picks Faugheen for the Champion Hurdle, Paul Townend has more than earned his shot at this race on The Fly, and it would hopefully be some measure of reward for his hard-work - and more importantly - his patience, over the years.

He is also bullet-proof as an alternative pilot.
 
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Grasshopper said:
Mullins is likely adding the sum of the parts, which include class, jumping fluency, versatility (track and also trip), consistency, longevity, gameness, and the fact that he missed one Supreme Novice win and one other Champion Hurdle win through injury.

The horse is an absolute hero - has been for 6 seasons now - and it's verging on disgusting how he remains disparaged in some quarters.*

* I admit that I'm hyper-sensitive about this one, but still....
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Fair comment Grassy on that score he's up there with the likes of Kauto Star.......if Only he could have won another couple of Champion Hurdles we might have been talking best of all time.

My only worry is not Hurricane Fly it's what you, his number 1 fan, might do to yourself if he actually goes and wins the 2015 Champion Hurdle and you haven't backed him.........I hate suicides :lol:
 
Grasshopper said:
Regarding riding-arrangments for the Mullins horses, I sincerely hope Walsh makes his mind up reasonably readily.

If he picks Faugheen for the Champion Hurdle, Paul Townend has more than earned his shot at this race on The Fly, and it would hopefully be some measure of reward for his hard-work - and more importantly - his patience, over the years.

He is also bullet-proof as an alternative pilot.
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If were are to take yesterday's result as a serious CH trial who then will ride Arctic Fire? If he were trained by someone else he would be no better than a 10/1 shot after that run, being a young horse and having shown massive improvement on his 3rd to Irving.

Considering Irving was taken completely off his feet by Faugheen it doesn't take a genius to work out the collateral form makes absolutely no sense...if it did then Faugheen would crossing the line as the others jump the 2nd last.:blink:

I keep turning the thing round in my head and keep coming up with Jezki simply is not as good a horse as Hurricane Fly and no matter how you crack it the Hurricane Fly we saw go down in the Champion Hurdle and the Racing Post is not the same horse we saw yesterday.

Not for one minute am I saying Hurricane Fly could win another Champion Hurdle but wherever he finishes there won't be more than a length or 2 between him and Jezki IMO but it is time for a new order as the saying goes and the betting probably has it right.

WM must have been over the moon with Arctic Fire's run a horse Ruby said could develop into a serious Champion Hurdle contender. He took a big leap towards that goal yesterday and it wouldn't take an awful lot of more improvement for him to be running a huge race at Cheltenham which may actually suit him much better than yesterdays track.

I'd be more inclined to think he could be the one to follow Faugheen and the New One home than either of the other 2.

That might come across as nuts but as I think Faugheen is a bit of a steering job at Cheltenham those who are most likely to be challenging him at the top of the hill are Jezki and Hurricane Fly and we all know what happens to horses who take on horses with too much speed and class for them......we see it day after day when a really good horse is challenged by the only possible danger who burns himself out chasing him and some big outsider fooks up your forecast.

I reckon that is exactly what will happen to the Fly and Jezki and the stayers like The New One and Arctic Fire will fill the places.

1. Faugheen

2. The New One

3. Arctic Fire

As you can tell I am waiting for the bars to open and I'm bored again Grassy
 
Tanlic said:
the Hurricane Fly we saw go down in the Champion Hurdle and the Racing Post is not the same horse we saw yesterday.
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Try reading that as 'The Jezki we saw in the CH and RP is not the same horse we saw yesterday' and you might be a bit nearer the truth. Jessica's made no secret of the fact that he's been trained with 1 race in mind - last season, and this.


Tanlic said:
That might come across as nuts but as I think Faugheen is a bit of a steering job at Cheltenham those who are most likely to be challenging him at the top of the hill are Jezki and Hurricane Fly and we all know what happens to horses who take on horses with too much speed and class for them.
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It is nuts.
Faugheen's clearly a very good horse, but he's yet to meet horses with the speed and class the other 2 are already proven against.
 
Tanlic said:
If were are to take yesterday's result as a serious CH trial who then will ride Arctic Fire? If he were trained by someone else he would be no better than a 10/1 shot after that run, being a young horse and having shown massive improvement on his 3rd to Irving.

Considering Irving was taken completely off his feet by Faugheen it doesn't take a genius to work out the collateral form makes absolutely no sense...if it did then Faugheen would crossing the line as the others jump the 2nd last.:blink:

I keep turning the thing round in my head and keep coming up with Jezki simply is not as good a horse as Hurricane Fly and no matter how you crack it the Hurricane Fly we saw go down in the Champion Hurdle and the Racing Post is not the same horse we saw yesterday.

Not for one minute am I saying Hurricane Fly could win another Champion Hurdle but wherever he finishes there won't be more than a length or 2 between him and Jezki IMO but it is time for a new order as the saying goes and the betting probably has it right.

WM must have been over the moon with Arctic Fire's run a horse Ruby said could develop into a serious Champion Hurdle contender. He took a big leap towards that goal yesterday and it wouldn't take an awful lot of more improvement for him to be running a huge race at Cheltenham which may actually suit him much better than yesterdays track.

I'd be more inclined to think he could be the one to follow Faugheen and the New One home than either of the other 2.

That might come across as nuts but as I think Faugheen is a bit of a steering job at Cheltenham those who are most likely to be challenging him at the top of the hill are Jezki and Hurricane Fly and we all know what happens to horses who take on horses with too much speed and class for them......we see it day after day when a really good horse is challenged by the only possible danger who burns himself out chasing him and some big outsider fooks up your forecast.

I reckon that is exactly what will happen to the Fly and Jezki and the stayers like The New One and Arctic Fire will fill the places.

1. Faugheen

2. The New One

3. Arctic Fire

As you can tell I am waiting for the bars to open and I'm bored again Grassy
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Irving has a hoof infection so you can ignore that run .
 
Given how well he[Arctic Fire] stays on in his races I was thinking that he'd be more of a stayers hurdle type perhaps. After watching the replay of the race yesterday I looked up some of his previous races. In fact, we went to the theatre last night and I spend part of the evening thinking about him [how sad is that].
 
I'm not sure Moe, think two miles is ideal for him myself, for the time being anyway. He can be very keen in his races and a fast run two miles is what he needs to produce his best. I think he'd pull his chance away over three.
 
Last years horse with all the supposed speed and class sadly made a fatal mistake when challenged by more experienced race hardened challengers.
 
I'd definitely run Arctic Fire in the CH..for reasons given earlier I think he would have very good place chances and he wouldn't be the first horse to cause a shock in the race.

The race certainly doesn't have the look of being overrun by possible winners like it was last year at this time.

Could be more than a few with a lot less chance than Arctic Fire turn up on the off chance the top 3 don't perform.
 
The last thing Mullins needs is to have three runners in the race - he isn't Martin Pipe and this isn't the Welsh National. Besides, the race has a history of good juveniles running big races, and I think there is a danger in getting carried-away with the form.

That notwithstanding, it's clear that Arctic Fire is smart, but I think he eas flattered a little yesterday. The owner had Diakali in the Aintree Hurdle - that may give him best shot at a big race win in open company this season.
 
Hasn't he run 3 in it before?........perhaps not.

The thing is Grassy if the ground comes up on the fast side I reckon Mullins will withdraw Hurricane Fly.

As great as he was the other day I maintain he's not as quick as he once was and all they would achieve by sending him to Cheltenham is to sicken him and perhaps lessen his chances of adding another Grade 1 to his tally.

I would go as far as to say Mullins is half thinking about not running him already and Ruby will push him over the edge so he can ride Faugheen at Cheltenham.
 
Fist, I think you can pretty much guarantee that the Fly can't be soured. In pub terms, he is hard as f@ck :)
 
You think you can trust WM or Ruby who both talk complete shyte at times?

They know he can't passibly win another Champion Hurdle and I hope they will find some made up reason not to run him so Ruby is not seen to have deserted him

Sample of a Ruby quote..."This a huge step up in class for Faugheen"

The fookin horse was a 1/3 shot DUH!!!

Mullins "Hurricane Fly is still my number 1 Champion Hurdle horse" His fooking ass he is not even in alphbeltical order

Top NH trainer, possibly in the world says that and Ladbrokes push him out to 12/1 while faugheen is evens..............yeah Willie of course he is....eejit must have mad cows disease!!!


I know you all love the horse but it's back down to earth time and sending him to Cheltenham for what?.....he deserves better in his old age.

I'd rather lie to the public and say he stood on a stone and will miss the race than see him trail in out of the first 3 which is the most likely outcome
 
The OH has raised Faugheen to 168 (up 4lb) for his Xmas Hurdle win; just 1lb behind The Fly & Jezki.
Purple Bay dropped 2lb, same amount as RPR.
 
Whatever you think of Hurricane Fly's chances in March, one thing is for damned sure and that is he will not be 14/1 when they line up.

Every possibility he'll win the Irish champion hurdle which means he'd head for Cheltenham with form figures of 111 and three defeats of the current champion for the season. Sentiment will start kicking in and he'll go off no bigger than 6/1 on the day.

Excellent back to lay opportunity IMO and just maybe he wasn't right at the end of last season so possibly keep a little invested for old times sake ;)
 
What you see with the Fly around Cheltenham is as good as he is round there. There are/were no excuses for his reverses. He has still managed to pick up a couple so deserves full respect. Unless plenty don't make it, he won't be winning, simple as that.
 
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Indeed he won't be bigger come the day. The betting ring at Cheltenham will be carnage like. No doubt he will have his supporters, especially if he wins the Irish or goes close. I'm sure plenty may think he can have a fairytale ending. Thus forgetting previous outings or believing he had excuses.
 
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