Hurdling or Chasing

Chasing or Hurdling

  • Total voters
    18
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Tanlic

Tanlic

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Conrad: For those who never latched onto it Constitution Hill goes by the name Conrad by the staff at Seven Barrows at home.

Save you typing out his full name every other post.

As a matter of interest what do you think his future holds and if he was yours where would you send him?

Hurdling or Fences
 
I believe in appreciating them for what they are and not what they could be, or people think is "better/more worthy ' insert own term' ".
Whichever they decide, hope he just stays safe, the same for all of them.
 
Hopefully Nicky and Michael will take a shot at immortality this time.
Had Michael a link with the great Grand Canyon ?
He mixed hurdles and fences winning four races in 8 weeks from 2miles to 3 miles in four countries and broke four course records.
That is making the most of your horse.
 
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I remember Crand Canyon the New Zealand horse they won that famous American Steeplechase race with him, he always wore a flashy easy to spot noseband.
Didn't know Michael had a share in him but Derek Kent trained him,

That makes me believe even more that he will go chasing like he did
 
Tanlic said:
I remember Crand Canyon the New Zealand horse they won that famous American Steeplechase race with him, he always wore a flashy easy to spot noseband.
Didn't know Michael had a share in him but Derek Kent trained him,

That makes me believe even more that he will go chasing like he did
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In his RTV interview with Nick Luck GC was mentioned.
Mr Samuel that owned Captain Christy was the named owner.
 
He's nothing to prove hurdling ,he's the best, he has to go jumping. The owner and trainer are not young they have to go for the dream.
 
Nicky would have a go at a Champion chase first before a GC i reckon

1 more season hurdling then in 2024/25 3 novice chases then a CC, no point messing about running in the Arkle

Then the GC in 2026, he'll still only be a 9yr old
 
Provided he schooled well over fences, I’d send him chasing. He could always go back hurdling if it didn’t work out.
 
As a 6yo CH could win 4 Champion Hurdles, then go chasing as a 9yo. Even at 8, if he does a Flyingbolt.
 
The racegoers forum members and punters have spoken but Nicky is his usual catious self saying they will make up their minds in the spring.....Seems very clear Micahel is prepared to go for gold and only Nicky and Nico can change his mind.
 
reet hard said:
As a 6yo CH could win 4 Champion Hurdles, then go chasing as a 9yo. Even at 8, if he does a Flyingbolt.
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Flyingbolt? I read enough crap about him being as good as Arkle to last a life time.......Arkle would have beaten him by a distance over 3m2f at Cheltenham.

Young horses win 3m p2p but can't get 2m4f when it comes to the real thing. Flyingbolt got away with it twice but the opposition was weak.
Whe Barry Brogan left Dreapers and went to Ken Oliver's with Flyingbolt not once did he ask him to tackle 3 miles.
He moved and his new trainer ran him in the King George. He ran his best race since he contracted Brucelosis looked like his old self and looked like the winner turning in but failed to stay and was beaten easily by Titus Oats.
They tried him again over 3 miles at Ascot and he never got home aagain trailing in 16 lengths behind the winner.

Rating him as good as Arkle is a joke he would never have gotten near Arkle in a Gold Cup over 3m2f round Cheltenham............not in a million years.

As for Constitution Hill he's not a galloper like the mud loving Flyingbolt was and I reckon he would get 3m2f but time will tell.

Don't know what you mean by doing a Flyingbolt??? He won a top class Champion Hurdle by 9 lengths in 2nd gear Flyingbolt was beaten by not only Salmon Sprray but by Sempervivium ffs.

Over 2 miles Flyingbolt maybe his best trip Constitution Hill wouldn't have seen him in his was..That is how good this horse is...
 
Flyingbolt ran twice at the same festival - with credit both times.
CH coulld feasibly win a 4th Champion Hurdle then take in the RyanAir at the same meeting.
 
granger said:
CH will go to Aintree for sure

Hopefully Punchestown too as a swansong to hurdling
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I'd say there is a less than Zero chance of both with under 2 weeks between the two meetings this year.

CH certainly has the scope to be a chaser, that's what I'd love to see.
 
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Give him another season over hurdles to break Timeform's Night Nurse figure, and then go chasing as a 7/8yo.
 
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Maybe so but Michael Buckley has said he’s keen to emulate Dawn Run and go for the CH/GC double. He’s not mentioned beating Night Nurse’s figure as far as I’m aware. Reckon they might send him over fences next year leading up to a GC attempt as a 7/8yo which would fit with the average age of a GC winner (I think)


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If he earns the “greatest horse ever seen” title it will always carry the caveat - hurdler - unless he does it over fences, too. I really don’t care that much - just savour him every time he runs. He already rates the best I’ve seen in over sixty years of watching them, with the only slight doubt being what he would find when (if ever) put under pressure.
 
reet hard said:
As a 6yo CH could win 4 Champion Hurdles, then go chasing as a 9yo. Even at 8, if he does a Flyingbolt.
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i'd be wary of thinking he can have a nice long career at the top because he's only 6. any horse that is continually putting in such big performances as he has, it's very difficult to keep doing it time after time. even if you look at Horses with incredible longevity like Kauto they didn't always bring their A game. I think it's fanciful to think he can keep mopping up Champion Hurdles and then go chasing afterwards for big pots as a 9 year old. and that's even ignoring the increased possibility of injuries which could mean he's not 100% again afterward.

i'd really like them to strike while the iron is hot and go chasing now and plan for the next 2-3 seasons. gold cup clearly seems to be the dream but it'd be something else if he could bag all 3 of the main championship races at Cheltenham. if he stays sound and at the top of his game (probably doesn't need to improve from what he's shown so far, just adapt to chasing) then there's a real chance he could do it and bow out in 3 years unbeaten with probably the best career of any steeplechaser in history.
 
If they have eyes on the 2025 Gold Cup, which would seem the most obvious year if they decide to go chasing, then the 6/1 about him winning next years Turners makes more appeal than 7/2 the Arkle or 10/1 the QMCC.

It may not be quite as prestigious as the Arkle but it’s a short term thing and as a potential CH/GC Winner nobody will care what novice chase he won in between.

Makes more sense to go 2.5 than 2 if you’re considering stepping up to 3m2f the following season. Especially if they sign off this season with an easy 2.5 over hurdles.
 
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Make no mistake Nicky is and always has been about "Show me the money" That is why he is so successful.

Seriously Wilson the Turners? Why on earth would hae run in that. It's worth less than 100k compared to the QMCC worth around 225k.

He would certainly step him up but surely the Melling a few weeks later at Aintree would be the place for that and the Prize money there is another 150k he could add to the pot.

The problem is will Nicky come around because what I am hearing he is for staying hurdling and taking the easy money.

The Champion Hurdle iis worth 250K and the Aintree hurdle 145K 20k more than if he went chasing and all he'd need to do is turn up in one piece.

Easy money minimal risk.

Public pressure/opinion might convince Nicky there's a first time for everything but unlike Altior Sprinter Sacre and even Buvier D'Air none were gusranteed to win a Champion Hurdle
unlike Constitution Hill who has already done so as a virtual novice.
 
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Tanlic said:
Make no mistake Nicky is and always has been about "Show me the money" That is why he is so successful.

Seriously Wilson the Turners? Why on earth would hae run in that. It's worth less than 100k compared to the QMCC worth around 225k.

He would certainly step him up but surely the Melling a few weeks later at Aintree would be the place for that and the Prize money there is another 150k he could add to the pot.

The problem is will Nicky come around because what I am hearing he is for staying hurdling and taking the easy money.

The Champion Hurdle iis worth 250K and the Aintree hurdle 145K 20k more than if he went chasing and all he'd need to do is turn up in one piece.

Easy money minimal risk.

Public pressure/opinion might convince Nicky there's a first time for everything but unlike Altior Sprinter Sacre and even Buvier D'Air none were gusranteed to win a Champion Hurdle
unlike Constitution Hill who has already done so as a virtual novice.
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“Seriously” ?. The Turners and Arkle are worth the same but you’re assuming that if he does go chasing he’ll be running in G1 open races within 5 months as opposed to a novice campaign. Thats a big assumption. Imagine heaven forbid he fell and was injured or worse, having had only a couple of outings over fences.

Nicky could have sent Sprinter (he’d have carried Finian’s Rainbow) into the QMCC if he wanted but he minded him and seriously, why on earth would he risk the sport’s greatest commodity through pure financial greed or impatience.
 
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