Dundalk Friday

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Nice little race tomorrow at Dundalk that could have some baring on the Cheltenham Festival.


Eagle's Pass 09,12 Lordan, W.M.
Emmpat 09,12 Casey, D.J.
Qiu (GER) Ts 09,07 Parsons, Amy Kathleen
Zaralabad 09,07 Lee, W.J.
Al Eile 09,02 Berry, F.M.
Alfredian Park (GB 09,02 Moran, D.J.(3)
Arpino (GER) Ts 09,02 Burke, R.M.
Bobs Pride 09,02 Smullen, P.J.
Harchibald (FR) Ts 09,02 McDonogh, D.P.
House Of Bourbon 09,02 Cleary, R.P.
Kalderon (GER) 09,02 Heffernan, J.A.
Kempes 09,02 McCullagh, N.G.
Nora Chrissie Bk 09,02 Hayes, C.D.
Saltino Ts 09,02 McNamara, E.J.(7)
Silent Wind (GER) 09,02 Foley, S.(7)
Macidoni (GER) 09,07 Thornton, A.P.(10)
 
Anyone else feel it's a bit close to Cheltenham to be running in this. You could do without a whip slashing head bobber 11 days before the main event. It would be fine if he was running in a race where he couldn't reasonably be expected to compete, or if he should win easily, but this looks bang on the limit of his cabability.
 
He doesn't need to win it though Mel, but it is a nice opportunity to get a proper race into him to sharpen him up without being too hard on him, as can be said for Bobs Pride.

FWIW I reckon Kempes is a nice bet in this.
 
He won't get away with being a non-trier. Every pair of binoculars in Dundalk will be fixed on him. I think he's favourite as well. I would take it as a negative if he couldn't get competitive, and if he was competitive, well, I'd be inclined to think it was a negative anyway.

FWIW I reckon Bobs Pride will win!
 
Harchibald is not a horse that goes well fresh over hurdles so a run on the level will do him good. It certainly did not do him any harm the week before blitzing the rest at Newcastle.
 
Was going to go but the rain put me off!!

Done a Lucy 15 for interest.

Badger or Bust.
Salisan.
Harchibald.
Lake Ponchatrain.

Badger or bust has ran well a few times here and should be up to winning this. Salisan is a frustrating type, but i think things didnt go right the last day, and may be worth another chance. Harchi because i think he is class, and Lake Ponchatrain because i think he likes the course and will take a lot of beating and likes the course.
 
I am coming around to thinking he is the one they all have to beat in the champion....a class act, and that will have helped him no end.
 
Didnt look like he minded being asked to quicken there. It looked bad at Kempton but the situation conspired against him. I think he probably just barely stays 2m.
 
I thought BOB'S PRIDE run a cracking race,having not raced for 103 days.i'm
backing him e/w for the champion hurdle at 50's. :eek:
 
Bet ID: 3860110595
Event: Champion Hurdle
Bet placed at: 21-Oct-07 14:48

O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 0.13 70
O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 0.02 70
O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 0.55 65
O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 1.99 65
O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 2.00 65
O Harchibald Back 21-Oct-07
14:48 65 0.31 65


Wish i`d asked for more than a fiver.
 
HARCHI OOZES CLASS
By PA Sport Staff

Harchibald boosted his Champion Hurdle prospects no end with a sparkling performance to win on the all-weather surface at Dundalk on Friday evening.

Noel Meade's mercurial nine-year-old, racing under the floodlights for only the second time, was given a superb ride by former champion Declan McDonogh in the Hanratty Oils Race over a mile and a half.

Travelling well throughout just off the pace, he fairly burst through a gap close home and responded to a couple of reminders to readily hold the late surge of Emmpat by a length and a quarter.

Harchibald was agonisingly beaten in the 2005 blue riband at Cheltenham after looking all over the winner at the final flight and was left unchanged at 7-1 for this year's renewal by VC Bet.

But William Hill go 6-1 from 8s having seen the 7-1 they initially went soon disappear.

Meade was left delighted by what he saw.

He said: "I am thrilled with that, absolutely delighted. I couldn't believe the way he quickened away. He just lit up when he got there.

"Hopefully he comes out of it OK and he'll go to Cheltenham then.

"He is in great form and his weight is great. I'm just a bit worried about the ground being soft, other than that he'll run."
 
If there is one horse I would love to see win at Chelt is is the mighty Harchi. Love the horse and a curse on all the haters.
 
Originally posted by Homer J@Feb 29 2008, 11:29 PM
If there is one horse I would love to see win at Chelt is is the mighty Harchi. Love the horse and a curse on all the haters.
Click to expand...
He's given us all so much to chew to on, I'd rather like to see him win too now!
Except I've a good bet on on Sizing :what: but it's W&P, also Katchit to Pl

I got down to Lambourn just after the race was run and I can't find the replay on atr!!
It sounds impressive, but then so was his earlier win at Dundalk
Meade commented that 'He just lit up when he got here' - maybe he really is a different horse these days
 
I'm all over Sizing Europe but Harchibald has to be respected.He really is a class act.I'm not into the whole anglo-irish thing but I think it will be an Irish 1-2-3 in the Champion.
 
I just watched this race (Harchibald Dundalk) on the ATR site and I was surprised to see how he took up the running quite earlier than he does on the jumps, and Declan McDonagh didn;t seem afraid to go for him early.

I wonder if Carberry will adopt a more decisive approach in the Champion as it would now seem the horse doesn't have to be held up in such an exaggerated way.
 
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