Punchestown Day 4

Writing was on the wall when I saw Hurricane in the parade ring,looked match fit, huge credit to Mullins.

Does thousand stars underline the difference between a good trainer and someone who is just f'ing around wasting everyones time or are those guys just ruthless punters. When he won at Killarney he was fav after a couple of poor efforts. He continued on after that with crap efforts until going to Mullins.
 
Fair play to Mullins getting Hurricane Fly fit to win after such a break. I really hope both Hurrricane Fly and Binocular arrive at Cheltenham fully fit next March. Thousand Stars seems to have improved no end and is up there with the top hurdlers now.
 
Cracking race in the big one. Solwhit set a big test for Hurricane Fly and he passed it with flying colours.
 
It is actually really impressive when you watch it again, have to circle nearly five wide on the big was a big move, then to close up on Solwhit and then get past a horse like him. Let's just hope there is a clear run with him next season.
 
Really pleased for Reve, had to go out today so did not see racing live, just watched it all. Very good, and as said here, gutsy, performance from both Fly and Reve.

Congrats to Mounty and Co, and plenty to look forward to next season! :)
 
Arvika jumping the last...
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Yeah just watched the replay on Sky Sports News, he didn't do anything wrong. I must have been as excited as Dessie first time round.
 
davidjohnson said:
Anyone else think briefly he had a little think about whether or not to go past?
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HF looked thoroughly genuine to me, DJ. Solwhit's not really a beast too many can waltz past, and I think his rider just had to work a bit harder than he expected going to the last.
 
Reve ran a fantastic race under a superb ride from Daryl - he hit a major flat spot and looked booked for about 4th or 5th place but stayed on strongly when galvanised by Daryl. I do wish they'd replace Timmy with Daryl on Diamond Harry as well!

Yes Grey, Mounty owns part of Reve de Sivola - well done that man!! I would imagine he's buried under several empty bottles of champagne by now...
 
It was a tremendously exciting finish and Daryl did very well, just hands and heels at the last. (I know, I know, he'd dropped his whip - but still!)
 
davidjohnson said:
Yeah just watched the replay on Sky Sports News, he didn't do anything wrong. I must have been as excited as Dessie first time round.
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Funny. That makes me three on the forum who, watching it in real time, thought he had a brief internal conflict before going past, but in the cold analysis of multiple replays gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Sometimes the first impression is the best. I'd guess I'll be half a point over the market next time out.
 
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Is it fair to say the best 2 milers by a fair distance this side of the Irish sea fought out the finish?
 
Yes.

How much credit do we give Hurricane Fly, though?

On a tenuous line through Medermit he's 8l behind Binocular. I'm inclined to think Medermit ran better at Cheltenham and Hurricane Fly is even further behind. Was lacking a run a negative or being rested an advantage?

I don't know.
 
It all depends which formlines you take Mel - if you take the Go Native formline from this meeting last year and compare it to either of Newcastle or Kempton it has The Hurricane miles clear of Binocular whilst taking the Cheltenham form puts him behind.

Plenty of if's and but's to be sorted out between now and next March but Binocular has only run to his best once this season (if you work on the basis that no more than two of his rivals at Cheltenham underperformed) whist HF has only had the two runs - one in defeat at 2m 4f when reportedly in need of the run having travelled well for a long long way and then today when he beat arguably the best 2-2 1/2m hurdler in Ireland prior to today on a track where he has a quite extraordinary record.

Bring on next season :)
 
Hurricane Fly remains an itriguing animal. Beating Sowlwit today proves he probably blew up in Morigna. Dunguib, while running a strange race finished roughly close enough to Ronldo Des Mottes to suggest the Supreme form is spot on and the front 3 wont be winning a Champion next year without improving a couple of stone.
 
I'm inclined to think Medermit ran better at Cheltenham
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Do you mean the Champion Hurdle, Mel?! I can't be having that. Medermit's connections have been widely quoted as saying the horse felt wrong after two hurdles in the Champers and ran no sort of race [some form of muscle complaint] I've heard no such excuses about his run today. That's the last form line I'd be looking at.

I would assume the handicap mark of Thousand Stars will be used to judge the form, given its proximity. I'm not entirely surprised by it, in the sense that the horse was given a Champion Hurdle entry and was thought of in such terms by Mullins before a poor run in the Pierse [I should know cos I did my bollox on him that day and didn't have a cent on at Cheltenham]...

Hurricane definitely has more to find to reach the standard set by Binocular, and he's a very buzzy, hyper horse so the whole travelling thing is a bit of an unknown as well.

But he'd definitely be a worthy second favourite, in my book - especially when the whole talk before this year's Champion was about how every contender, in some way, was a bit exposed.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Congratulations to Mounty and co on the victory of Reve De Sivola - he really picked up approaching the last :)
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Thanks. It was an amazing race - Daryl's improvisation after losing his whip was something else. Thought he was going to finish 5th - then whoosh! take off!
 
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