Champion Hurdle 2015

Commiserations, Grassy - the strong pace must have come as quite a shock to the French ; just one horse made the first 6.
 
I'm surprised they haven't decided to run it over 1m 6f at Haydock or Wetherby!

On the subject of Hurricane Fly should they retire him now?
 
I was looking forward to going with my family to the Fighting Fifth again this winter.
It's a shame but I want to see what is proposed here, and may pop along to the sand racing once or twice for a day/night out. I'm not wholly against the change but just hope the change is good in terms of quality action....
 
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Must be very hard for WPM to decide what to do as he clearly thinks the world of the horse.

However it may be down to how much he wants to continue his domination of the top hurdle races.

His best bet to do so surely lies with Douvan and Faugheen.

Personally I think Douvan with normal improvement would pick up Faugheen and carry him.

If he kept him to hurdling in Ireland and sent him for the same races as Hurricane Fly last season it would give him the neccesary experience to head to Cheltenham

Faugheen could be placed to avoid Peace and Co, which wouldn't be hard as NJH would be happy to oblige, and take in the Ascot and Kempton races again.

That way he would be all but guaranteed the same income as last year.

Of course the most rewarding way might be to keep Hurricane Fly in training and send Douvan chasing but that leaves a lot to chance if Hurricane Fly under performs
and there must be a chance Peace and Co would beat Faugheen.

I sincerely hope Douvan does go chasing and the Fly stays in raining but there must be a chance with so much prize money at stake he'll retire the Fly and let Douvan move into his shoes.
 
Douvan must be long odds on to go chasing.

Ricci already had the champ fav and will have the Arkle fav once the race is first priced up.

faugheen could do Ascot, leop or Kempton and champ hdl, punch

frees up hurricane for the Morgania and maybe the leop 3 miler.

Where Annie goes could determine a lot of the WPM horses.

she all things being well could be their 3m horse, Arkle/RSA/JLT.

in saying all that hurricane will prob win the Leop 3 miler and Annie the mares banker
 
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WPM did say he can't wait to see Douvan go chasing but the bookies don't seem convinced or they would never have offered the 4/1 they did.

Granted he's 3/1 at best now but that is huge when you consider Jezki is 2nd fav and won't be going chasing. Shaneshill will but he has a ton to find with Douvan.

MTOY will certainly go chasing if he comes back sound but they don't even quote him.

Stan James has him at 9/4 for the Arkle so you would expect he would have him at top price 10/1 but not a bit of it he has him clear 2nd fav at 5/1.

Trying to 2nd guess what WMP is thinking is impossible but whatever the plan is Douvan will be righ tin the thick of it.

I took it with a pinch of salt when he said Douvan was the nicest horse he's ever had until I saw him at Cheltenham and for me he absolutely stole the show.

Hurdling or chasing he wins wherever he does send him and until he is entered to jump a fence having an ap bet in the Arkle or the Champion Hurdle is taboo IMO.

I doubt very much if Annie Power will figure in these plans. The maths don't allow it and I can't see her dropping back to 2 miles.

It's only common sense WPM sends her for the mares at Cheltenham and at Punchestown again as the trip in the World Hurdle is likely to find her out and the gamble is too high.

The two mares races which she has nothing to beat in, add up to over 100K which is double or treble what she would earn if placed in the WH and there's more chance of her been beaten in that race than something getting her off the bridle in mares races.

Always a possibility of it turned out to be a very poor renewal but that is highly unlikely with horses like Jezki, More of That, Whisper and the very talented Windsor Park around.
 
Tanlic said:
Penny for your thoughts Grassy?
Click to expand...

It's a strictly personal view, but Hurricane Fly deserves a more fitting finale to his career, than being asked to keep going at 11yo, just to (potentially) hoover-up some more G1s/Prize-money.

Having a crack over 3m at Punchestown and (particularly) at the French Champion Hurdle, were bold moves which didn't pay-off. He's done more than enough for connections, and it's now time to stop, before all people remember is him struggling against horses who were previously unfit to grace the same turf, when he was in his pomp.
 
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