Champion Hurdle 2015

reet hard said:
Where did I say it was a very strong pace?
Don't subscribe to this even pace hooey, particularly in NH races, but it was a good pace, earning Jezki a t/s figure of 160. Faugheen won't get within shouting distance of that for this year's race.
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you said fast pace..it wasn't..i was a decent overall time yes..not arguing that..but most of that was down to late pace after going below even pace earlier..if you check turtrax..you can easily measure where they went faster

you don't subscribe to it ..but were quiet happy to quote Simon Rowlands when he said that Lord Windermere was the quickest GC finish % wise last year

Quoting Topspeed figures wouldn't really encourage me to value a judgement you are making based on those .they aren't up to much imo Reet..haven't been for a long time...many people have realised that as well. Highlighted superbly last year by using the same going allowance for the first two days...blatantly wrong..as anyone who makes figures for the meeting would spot straightaway

I'm not wasting time arguing the point tbh..you are happy with topseed..i think they are flawed in a number of ways..we will have to differ.
 
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Faugheen done it well in a time a good bit slower than last year.
Arctic Fire ran as expected a very good race. A more severe test maybe could have made it more interesting.
The Fly turns up and runs his race yet again. Full credit to the old boy.
Jezki slightly disappointing. Pace and maybe the slower ground not to suit. But needs too many things in his favour.
TNO was clearly up against it. Even more with how that was run.
 
Faugheen's clearly a very high class horse, but I'm amazed how much he was allowed his own way in this. Though he'd showed speed at Kempton, Purple Bay wouldn't be the quickest horse in the world, and he still had to prove he'd do the same against better horses. Maybe (like me) connections of Jezki and TNO expected him to set a stronger pace, but surely now's the time connections accepted they both need pacemakers - not that they're likely to trouble today's winner anyway.
Ruby clearly knew the time of day, and made the telling comment afterwards: he'd set the pace to suit his own horse - and not the others.
 
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reet hard said:
Faugheen's clearly a very high class horse, but I'm amazed how much he was allowed his own way in this. Though he'd showed speed at Kempton, Purple Bay wouldn't be the quickest horse in the world, and he still had to prove he'd do the same against better horses. Maybe (like me) connections of Jezki and TNO expected him to set a stronger pace, but surely now's the time connections accepted they both need pacemakers - not that they're likely to trouble today's winner anyway.
Ruby clearly knew the time of day, and made the telling comment afterwards: he'd set the pace to suit his own horse - and not the others.
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Not really much else any of the top 4 could have done Reet apart from as you ran a pacemaker.

I thought the tactics on The New One were wrong right from the minute they said a couple of weeks ago they would ride him up with the pace.

I'd have thought the best thing to do with him is switch him off completely until 4 out then start stoking him up not have him stoke himself up from the offset.

Of course I am biased because I predicted a Faugheen TNO Artic Fire finish but I really they got it all wrong imo.

Instead of him beating a legless Jezki a legless Jezki beat a legless TNO. NTD never was the best tactician going and Sam wouldn't have a clue.
 
Irish Independent quotes Willie Mullins as saying Arctic Fire could go down the flat route now with a potential tilt at the Melbourne Cup
 
Anyone else think Danny Mullins was poor on the runner up? Lost a couple of lengths turning out of the back by not holding his position, this in turn didn't help with his jumping at 3 out, and then switching his whip on the run up the hill. Not saying he could have won mind but his chances were not helped.

(Had he won id be waiting on Champagne Fever for 10k plus today, so probably best for me that he didn't. The hope is the real killer)
 
I dont think Faugheen loses that race whatever way the pace was run. Im sure it wasnt Plan A to make it. Just a more talented animal.
 
It may just have been because of the eventual line-up, but it was clear during the walk about before the off that Ruby was determined to set off in front. Maybe the others thought he'd go too fast. Maybe they thought he was going too fast. Either way, it ensured pretty much from the off that there was only going to be one winner.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Irish Independent quotes Willie Mullins as saying Arctic Fire could go down the flat route now with a potential tilt at the Melbourne Cup
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I sincerely hope he is trained with the Champion in mind next season. He is the one that could give Faugheen something to seriously think about next year granted a proper test.
 
You think so? Faugheen is the type of horse you can try to beat him six ways to Sunday and you never will.

Surely Arctic Fire proved yesterday he doesn't need a strong pace to be seen at his best, did he not?

What Artic Fire needs is a race of his own without HF and Faugheen and I daresay WMP will have one in mind
 
Tanlic said:
You think so? Faugheen is the type of horse you can try to beat him six ways to Sunday and you never will.

Surely Arctic Fire proved yesterday he doesn't need a strong pace to be seen at his best, did he not?

What Artic Fire needs is a race of his own without HF and Faugheen and I daresay WMP will have one in mind
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Aintree hurdle maybe for this season.

First and third will probably clash at Punchestown
 
Tanlic said:
You think so? Faugheen is the type of horse you can try to beat him six ways to Sunday and you never will.

Surely Arctic Fire proved yesterday he doesn't need a strong pace to be seen at his best, did he not?

What Artic Fire needs is a race of his own without HF and Faugheen and I daresay WMP will have one in mind
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That is possible. Though would he have had that kick with a stronger early pace. Arctic has improved again because I think he would have been better with a sterner test. He was making headway up the hill that's for sure.
 
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tbh the reason he's finished 2nd is for the best part of the race he's just about the only horse who isn't racing Faugheen.

Everything else had a go as I suspected they would and Arctic Fire picked up the pieces.

As I said earlier that's where The New One should have been conserving energy not up from trying to cope with Faugheen/Ruby changing the pace.
 
Tanlic said:
tbh the reason he's finished 2nd is for the best part of the race he's just about the only horse who isn't racing Faugheen.

Everything else had a go as I suspected they would and Arctic Fire picked up the pieces.

As I said earlier that's where The New One should have been conserving energy not up from trying to cope with Faugheen/Ruby changing the pace.
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The sectionals James has posted are very enlightening. Faugheen may well still have smashed them. Analysing the race, I think Arctic would have preferred faster earlier fractions. Faugheen may well have too. A poser though.
 
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