Road to the Champion Hurdle 19/20

I'm convincing myself that Benie will go for the Stayers. I think they'll look at her rating and mares allowance and think it's there for the taking. I also think they believe she's better at three than two and half, and strangely she could be more vulnerable to Honeysuckle than Paisley Park.
 
Maruco said:
I'm convincing myself that Benie will go for the Stayers. I think they'll look at her rating and mares allowance and think it's there for the taking. I also think they believe she's better at three than two and half, and strangely she could be more vulnerable to Honeysuckle than Paisley Park.
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I was listening to Ricci's racing manager on a pod this morning

(it was recorded before DRF) but he said the decision between stayers and mares is much closer than what people think

I'd love to see her go stayers but the less likely of the 2
 
In his statement yesterday, HDB said they would, just in case.

Nothing like a Definitely going for Mares, unless...
 
wilsonl said:
In his statement yesterday, HDB said they would, just in case.

Nothing like a Definitely going for Mares, unless...
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i'm sure she goes the champion but it begs the question why didn't they just wait till sunday to confirm where they were going to begin with

if they aren't going to pull her out at the 5 day stage and there is a sequence of events that could yet make them change their mind then why say she's definitely going mares? just making a rod for your own back if the switch does happen

idiocy
 
Don’t understand the inclusion of Not So Sleepy.

If they think he COULD win this, then he’d be absoutly chucked in on his current mark in the County.
 
Final decs

Ballyandy Call Me Lord Cilaos Emery Coeur Sublime Cornerstone Lad Darasso Darver Star Fusil Raffles Gumball Le Patriote Not So Sleepy Pentland Hills Petit Mouchoir Sharjah Silver Streak Supasundae Epatante
 
Reminiscent of the Flakey Dove year. Awful.

I'm quite happy to have a wee bit of 33/1 Cornerstone Lad in that company. Of it dries out again I might have a small interest on Sharjah.
 
What a load of garbage this CH is!

Epatante could well bolt up but do you really want to take 7/2 about a horse who didn’t turn up last year when was due to go in! Yes, Henderson’s flu jab excuse!

Pentland is 5/1 when he can’t get past a horse despite looking like he will win head in chest! And that horse being Ballyandy!

So for me I’m looking for a double figure price and I’m left with 6!
Sharjah, simply depends on what the ground is looking like Tuesday morning.
Supasundae...something tells me that’s the logical play. Different prep this year, crap CH, should hit the frame staying on.
If Honeysuckle was in this she’d be at the head of the market, so literal form lines state Darver Star shouldn’t be double figures.
Coeur Sublime has had a wind op, Pentland is 5/1....
Fusil Raffles was Hendos Champion Hurdle horse and then something went wrong against Epatante, so need to forgive the run.
Silver Streak has hit the frame 15/19 runs over 2m, 3/3 at Cheltenham, 6/7 on GS ground so if the weather keeps improving, you’d think he will again.


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Flaggers said:
What a load of garbage this CH is!

Epatante could well bolt up but do you really want to take 7/2 about a horse who didn’t turn up last year when was due to go in! Yes, Henderson’s flu jab excuse!

Pentland is 5/1 when he can’t get past a horse despite looking like he will win head in chest! And that horse being Ballyandy!

So for me I’m looking for a double figure price and I’m left with 6!
Sharjah, simply depends on what the ground is looking like Tuesday morning.
Supasundae...something tells me that’s the logical play. Different prep this year, crap CH, should hit the frame staying on.
If Honeysuckle was in this she’d be at the head of the market, so literal form lines state Darver Star shouldn’t be double figures.
Coeur Sublime has had a wind op, Pentland is 5/1....
Fusil Raffles was Hendos Champion Hurdle horse and then something went wrong against Epatante, so need to forgive the run.
Silver Streak has hit the frame 15/19 runs over 2m, 3/3 at Cheltenham, 6/7 on GS ground so if the weather keeps improving, you’d think he will again.


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Nice write up but around 200 words and 8 horses covered and yet you fail to mention the winner :D

Been going round in circles with this race but now I have a solid opinion.

Cilaos Emery wins this.

- Ran 5th in Labaik's Supreme when inexperience caused him to race far too freely. Danny let him alone in the end and he just strode on but didn't have anything left at the end yet still finished respectfully all things considered in a not too distant fifth. The Gd-Sft ground would have been a bit lively for him there too.
- He settled better next time out at Punchestown and showed the benefit of that in reversing form with the Supreme second Min.
- Finished 4th first time out the following season in first run outside novice company in the Hattons Grace but his tendency to race keen had started to subside. Didn't quite see out the 2m4f trip though, at least not as well as horses like the winner; an Apples Jade in her pomp
- Switched back to 2m in the Ryanair he went down by a length to Mick Jazz who finished a close up 3rd to Buveur D'air and Melon in the Champion Hurdle a couple of months later. He had152 rated Campdeaor beaten out of sight when just losing out to Mick Jazz
- Off the track for a year after he was sent novice chasing and is still unbeaten in that sphere when standing up, beating high class horses like Ballyoisin and Duc De Genevries hardly breaking sweat
- The switch back to hurdles was an interesting one but Darrasso is no mug and went off nearly joint fav with Pentland Hills earlier this season despite conceding race fitness - admittedly he was beaten but only by 8 lengths. Cilaos Emery cruised past him LTO albeit in receipt of weight but what was most promising was he no longer showed signs of keeness.

With likely give in the ground and Townend (2 from 2 on him) to settle him like he did last time he could prove much better than this average lot and they didn't pay to supplement him out of generosity.
 
Buveur d'Air and Beech Road both reverted from Nov Chase to Champion hurdle same season and won...
 
I have it between Epatante, Cilaos Emery, and Pentland Hills. I can't see anything else being good enough, other than something like Silver Streak finishing in a place if any of three underperform.
 
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It's easy to pick holes in all the form.

It's the least interesting renewal I can remember.

I won't be adding to my ew involvement in Cornerstone Lad, unless to go in again at longer odds or better place terms.
 
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