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Champion Hurdle 2026

I wonder what it is that Brighterdaysahead apparently detests about Cheltenham?

Might it be the sight of a sockless male punter, the food prices, access and egress from the car park, or simply coming over to Blighty at all?

I only muse on this question because, IF she suddenly decided she liked it as much as she clearly adores Leopardstown, this utter shower of Boats, bridle ponces, quagmire lovers, jumped-up handicappers and other 7lb gender benefit claimants wouldn't, err, SEE WHICH WAY SHE F*****G WENT.
 
I'm on Lossiemouth at 4/1 and pretty hopeful but her being half the price of BDA, presumably is all based on the course form and seems fairly OTT to me.

There's very little between those two mares and I fancy them to fight out the finish. I'm not convinced by The New Lion.
 
JamesRB said:
I'm on Lossiemouth at 4/1 and pretty hopeful but her being half the price of BDA, presumably is all based on the course form and seems fairly OTT to me.

There's very little between those two mares and I fancy them to fight out the finish. I'm not convinced by The New Lion.
Click to expand...

I agree with your sentinent but BDA is a massive lay on the ground.
 
granger said:
She handled Aintree so don't view her as a mudlark

Course form would be more of a concern, if looking for reasons to oppose her
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Look, it’s easy to critique my opinion based on the Racing Post going description. In my opinion, she’s a massive lay on ground this good. I’ll either be right or wrong, but that’s where I am.
 
I don't follow Henry closely but don't think of him as one who tilts at windmills. Workahead has close to 2 stone to find in ratings. He was in the County with 11.6. Cannot find the prize money spread, but can only guess they are reckoning they'll pick up enough here from making the first 6.
 
granger said:
She handled Aintree so don't view her as a mudlark

Course form would be more of a concern, if looking for reasons to oppose her
Click to expand...
Opposition in that Aintree race was terrible though. (I think) Not that this is much better.

I was on New Lion, then weren’t, on and off like me and the ex Mrs.

Not a betting race for me. I can easily see half the field bombing out.
Would have played Poniros each way but all the juice has gone from his price now.
 
Steeplechasing said:
I don't follow Henry closely but don't think of him as one who tilts at windmills. Workahead has close to 2 stone to find in ratings. He was in the County with 11.6. Cannot find the prize money spread, but can only guess they are reckoning they'll pick up enough here from making the first 6.
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I dont know what the prize money is for handicaps at Cheltenham, but its shite off top of me head.

Probably easier jogging round here for a few grand than going County against 4/5 plot jobs
 
Slim said:
She needs proper dig, she won't get it.
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Both her runs in the December hurdle at Lepardstown were on ground at least as good as what any horse has faced on the opening day of Cheltenham in the last decade. It'll be watered better than the lads in the Guiness tent.
 
Cheltenham ground can get quite patchy; there is a black hole visible mid track at the final hurdle that swamped Monksfield in 1977 and hasn't been fixed since.
Hence they are moving the final hurdle for a longer run in.
Horses need to go near side or far side to avoid that.
Add in the repair work after the January meeting and any rain could make it treacherous going overnight unless there is good grass cover.
 
Euronymous said:
I've taken 5s, that's just too big. And I don't care about the ground.
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Unless the RP standard time for 2m over hurdles round Leopardstown is a pile of inaccurate ****, any beast that smashes it by 4.8 seconds ain't gonna be bothered by no drying ground today.

It's the venue, not the racing surface, I'd worry about - she might be best on a non-undulating circuit.

But if she brings her A game to Prestbury Park today, she ain't getting beat by this lot.
 
"But if she brings her A game to Prestbury Park today, she ain't getting beat by this lot."

This is why I think 5s is massive

"It's the venue, not the racing surface, I'd worry about - she might be best on a non-undulating circuit."

And this is probably why she is 5s.
 

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