Champion Hurdle 2015

Pretty much went how you would expect. Shame about the blunder. Jezki has run his usual pre Cheltenham race. Pace maker didn't want to know.
 
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I certainly thought AP should have kicked for home sooner, Jezki was still on the bit when they entered the straight and Fly still had a length and a half to make up and Ruby was hard at work.
HF is a wonderful beast though and i was cheering him home.
 
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Just got home and watched the mighty horse do it again. He would have beaten Jezki regardless I reckon and the Fly has to be considered a contender again now. He might not win but he won't be far away and I have a feeling Walsh might ride him.... How can he get off him?!!!!
 
fonz said:
I certainly thought AP should have kicked for home sooner, Jezki was still on the bit when they entered the straight and Fly still had a length and a half to make up and Ruby was hard at work.
HF is a wonderful beast though and i was cheering him home.
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You'd have thought he'd have kicked for home sooner in any number of Irish gd1's for the past 2 seasons, and the inference is they not taken at all seriously by Jezki's connections.
 
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As unthinkable as this sounds but assuming Ruby does choose Faugheen as many expect, what do we think the chances are of Townend choosing Arctic Fire, leaving Fly spare?

I thought it realistic before but the more I think about it the more I'm moving away from it. Surely Townend picks Fly?

Either way I hope he runs well and comes home sound. It would be one of the best achievements in the national hunt game for me if Fly was able to win his 3rd Champion Hurdle at the age of 11.
 
fonz said:
I certainly thought AP should have kicked for home sooner, Jezki was still on the bit when they entered the straight and Fly still had a length and a half to make up and Ruby was hard at work.
HF is a wonderful beast though and i was cheering him home.
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Doubt if it would have helped kicked sooner stopped quicker as they say.

Ap very seldom get's it wrong and for me he went exactly when he should have.

Must admit Ruby had me worries but funny enough when I watched it just now I thought he was always going to win :lol:

Seriously though I think Ruby was a lot more confident in Hurricane Fly than us watching were.

He started slowly winding Hurricane Fly up a fair way from home but by the time they came to the last he had him flat to the boards and he would without a doubt in my mind have gone right past Jezki and won with clear daylight between and there's nothing AP could have done about it. The mistake was unfortunate but no way did it affect who was going to win.

These Jezki fans that think this horse can win at Cheltenham are kidding themselves. He's good but with a horse like Faugheen making the running he'll be taken of his feet and I can't see him reversing the form with either Hurricane Fly or Artic Fire.

Last year when the expected leader Our Conor came down early Ruby like AP was keeping a watchful eye on the young horse but when he went Ruby found himself to be exactly where he wouldn't have wanted to be. With only old CCB in front of him Hurricane Fly was far from relaxed and using way too much energy and the rest is history.

With The New One hitting a flat spot it really became a 1 horse race...Jezki has gone there looking like he would win a minute and MTOY who had pulled like a train all the way round had to be ridden extremely hard to get to him. Despite walking through the last MTOY has all but gone and beat him leaving AP wondering how on earth he got so close "His words not mines" Don't need to look far behind to see why The New One appears to be going twice as fast as them but more likely they were both finding a lot less than it looked at first glance.

I doubt if Ruby or Paul Townsend will be anywhere near as close to Faugheen as he was to Our Conor and today we saw a dress rehearsal of how he'll be ridden at Cheltenham.

Jezki on the other hand doesn't have that luxury they will attempt exactly the same tactics again and if Faugheen doesn't make him pay for it Hurricane Fly Arctic Fire or The New One will.

I may be repeating myself but out of the front 5 Jezki is the least likely to win and will be lucky if he gets placed.

My original 1st 3 were Faugheen the New One and Arctic Fire but this Hurricane Fly just keeps winning and we just keep ignoring the fact he looks as good as ever. He was a hot favourite for the race last year and he has more right to be there than any other horse in the race as he is the REAL current Champion Hurdle having won the nest races seen over hurdles this season.

Faugheen is definitely the young pretender and looks the business but if he's not what we think he is and falls away at the top of the hill and the catch me if you can doesn't come then Hurricane Fly will be saying I'm your daddy and could very well win the race again.

I'm sticking with Faugheen because I don't think the form in Ireland is as good as it looks as I don't think Jezki is what I would call a true Champion Hurdler.

Ruby will know more about that than me so what will happen if he turns round and says he thinks Hurricane Fly is a better horse than Faugheen and has decided to ride him.........The bookies and the punters won't know which way to turn...If he thinks faugheen is as good as most of us do he's taking his bloody time admitting it
 
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DanB88 said:
As unthinkable as this sounds but assuming Ruby does choose Faugheen as many expect, what do we think the chances are of Townend choosing Arctic Fire, leaving Fly spare?
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if the fly is healthy simply no way you pick arctic fire over him.
 
Walsh will ride Faugheen....no question.

There is absolutely no way on this Earth that Paul Townend chooses Arctic Fire over a fit Hurricane Fly. No way.
 
It's surely comes down to which horse stays best which will finish in front?

Your man would need to be mad not to ride Hurricane Fly but as I keep saying if Faugheen is the machine we think he is those who try and go with him at the top of the hill WILL end up legless.

History tells us that is most likely to be Jezki and Hurricane Fly and the not so fast at getting into gear should really be able to pick them off without much trouble,

Wish I has a fiver for every time that has happened. High Class Charlie the unbeatable, the only danger on paper takes him on and runs the guts out of himself and some no hoper comes sailing past in the closing stages.
 
Frankel said:
Words fail me Tanlic
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Try looking beyond paper and print and try race reading instead and you'll get there......That sentence only tells half the story.....I am talking if Faugheen turns out to be a uncatchable machine.

Jezki is the most likely to be the first to have a crack at Faugheen and if so he will be the one to suffer most......you can't see that?

Don't you ever watch what happens to horses who get into battles with much superior animals?......Go watch what happened to Kauto Star when he used up every ounce of energy he has chasing Denman.......would bring tears to a glass eye and he was 10 times the horse Jezki is.
 
It's exceedingly tiresome to hear Faugheen being described as a "machine", on the day Hurricane Fly wins his 5th Irish Champion Hurdle and 22nd Grade 1.
 
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Tanlic said:
Try looking beyond paper and print and try race reading instead and you'll get there......That sentence only tells half the story.....I am talking if Faugheen turns out to be a uncatchable machine.

Jezki is the most likely to be the first to have a crack at Faugheen and if so he will be the one to suffer most......you can't see that?

Don't you ever watch what happens to horses who get into battles with much superior animals?......Go watch what happened to Kauto Star when he used up every ounce of energy he has chasing Denman.......would bring tears to a glass eye and he was 10 times the horse Jezki is.
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It's all if my auntie had bollocks :ninja:

Jezki will be in the 3 imo. He's stonking value.

Let's not bring that Gold Cup up again. Another can of worms all together.
 
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I understand what happened last year, but isnt everyone forgetting the form in front of them this year. I dont think its a given that Jezki finishes in front of Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham. The New One hasnt impressed this year, and I think the argument that he is the main danger to Faugheen is one that could be made. To my eye he has been better this year than last year. Thought Jezki/McCoy was waiting for HF to challenge, before kicking, but he couldnt go with him when pressure was applied. Stats/Age/etc of course can be highlighted but not sure why he is being underestimated for the CH
 
No pace early doors as Plinth did not want to know.
That they finished the race in 3m 57sec they must have done some final mile.
Hurricane never really fluent jumping all this season until he warms up; it may be age but certainly a worry.
Jezki short of room coming to the last and being behind HF the cause of his error from what I saw.
He will be better and sharper at Festival but have a suspicion he travels better for Barry than for AP.
History does not come much better than a perfect 10 for the Hurricane!
 
Frankel said:
Assuming you think he'll win the World Hurdle then?
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That isn't what I wrote.
I believe ROR will stay 3m standing on his head, and this will be the 2nd or 3rd season he's been mooted as a World Hurdle possible. However, he does have a breathing problem and connections have minded him carefully for almost as long (could have won his last 2 a lot further, had he been given his head), so it's up to them whether he actually takes his chance. Neither they, I, nor you, know if his problem would manifest over the longer trip, but there's certainly no evidence in his form to suggest it would, and - without it - would be a real danger to them all.
 
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