Road to the Champion Hurdle 2023

Here is a character many older posters may have come across, and also reminds me of a poster on here. In the 70s I went to that small bookies I described, over the road was a working mens club, usually miners drank there as you would expect in a miners village. One guy would get a few pints down in the pub, then he would come over to the bookies, 2 up 2 down job. He would stick a tenner on, a big bet then in a little village, on any odds on shot that popped up first. If first one lost, he was a bit angry, if next one lost he started to get hot under the collar. If third one lost he just could not believe it, he thought that because he was shoving tenners on short odds he should win. He would go fookin barmy saying because he put a lot on on shorties he should win. If someone had backed the winner he would pretend he was pleased for them, but he was fookin fuming. Even in the 70s, a tenner was a big bet for a working man, he was a miner though, so he would have thought it was peanuts


Back to the thread, Night Nurse by 4 lengths.
 
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These are true recollections, seriously, people like that were around then, and some still are.

And..Night Nurse by 4
 
I'll leave you guys to spend 4 months discussing CH, I might have amused some here, annoyed others, Either way I hope you get a good un with this one, we so need a really good hurdler guys don't we? I miss those 70s days when it was just which great hurdler won, great days. All the best to you guys, try and keep the heating on as much as you can. Night Nurse for me:lol:
 
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EC21 said:
Grey hasn't offended me, just disappointed me Marble. Banter usually has a laughing smiley the last time I looked though. I enjoy it just fine mostly reading this forum, same as you do, and you sometimes aren't that keen when someone takes the p1ss out of you either are you?? I seem to remember recently you being upset yourself by Grassy, if my memory serves right. I just knew pointing stuff out would get the same old same old. People on this forum have sat by and allowed DO to be bullied for months on here. Do not make out that that is a friendly forum in not snuffing that sh1t out. A friendly forum would have stuck up for DO, instead most of you turned a blind eye to the obvious clear and snidey veiled bullying he had to endure from Tanlic. Don't try and make out I am delicate flower here, I really am not chap. I just hate bullies and those who sit by and allow it, without speaking out. Anyway, I had my say, get on with your "friendly" forum. Pity that "friendliness" doesn't apply to all the members here eh? I'm sure the same old will come out and give me sh1t now, do I care? do I fcuk. I just hate bullies, most normal people should do to.

Just to keep this post on Champion Hurdle chat...I think Night Nurse will win it easily.
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Tanlic has had one or two digs at me aswell as DO but anyway, I haven't taken it too personal.

I just want to see you be content on here EC21 and as Reet aludes to, if you are back on here to settle old scores with Tanlic then we should expect what might come.

As DO said we can block any user so we don't see their posts. That is an option available.
 
Marb said:
Tanlic has had one or two digs at me aswell as DO but anyway, I haven't taken it too personal.

I just want to see you be content on here EC21 and as Reet aludes to, if you are back on here to settle old scores with Tanlic then we should expect what might come.

As DO said we can block any user so we don't see their posts. That is an option available.
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I have no interest in settling scores with Tanlic, in fact if you read my first posts I bantered with him, all he had to do was stop the usual abuse I got from him years ago, the sly hidden digs he thinks folk don't pick up on. Sadly he just had to continue. I'm not bothered now I know it will be same old dig dig dig done in that subtle or not so subtle way he has about him. I don't block people now, I block forums, I don't need it now just not interested in hassle, don't need it at all, and the forum will tick along just as it always does. All the best Marb.
 
I have a suggestion, made without prejudice or an intention to offend, disappoint or annoy any of my co-forumites, old or new.

This topic began as a fascinating reflection on the pure merits of the contenders for the 2023 Champion Hurdle, compelling reading. Recently it has transitioned into a discussion of forum protocol and etiquette.

If I set up a thread called 'Suggestions for Improved Forum Contributions' could we collectively direct all matters of 'forum protocol and etiquette' to that place and retain the purity of the horse racing discussions? Perhaps the mods could make it a 'sticky' so that we don't lose it's value?

AC
 
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an capall said:
I have a suggestion, made without prejudice or an intention to offend, disappoint or annoy any of my co-forumites, old or new.

This topic began as a fascinating reflection on the pure merits of the contenders for the 2023 Champion Hurdle, compelling reading. Recently it has transitioned into a discussion of forum protocol and etiquette.

If I set up a thread called 'Suggestions for Improved Forum Contributions' could we collectively direct all matters of 'forum protocol and etiquette' to that place and retain the purity of the horse racing discussions? Perhaps the mods could make it a 'sticky' so that we don't lose it's value?

AC
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That what you just did there shows you don't value input from an individual in the past that has had put value to this forum. I have made 300 times the input you have to all the past Champion Hurdle threads and many others. I was a main contributor on here for many a year. Yet you make a post like that as though I have sh1t on your chips one day. I'm disappointed in you chap, I thought you were better than that. I won't be bothering you again, so no need for any separate threads. My goodness I thought better of certain people on here, what a mistake. Don't worry An Capall, I won't mess on your garden again. Unreal. Now you can carry on your puritanical chat about how many lengths CH will win by. I always thought you were one of the good guys on here, how wrong was I. Did you think that was a wise contribution on your behalf? seriously? If you do, then wow. Poor judgement chap, seriously. You don't mind blatant bullying on here then? I don't really care what your answer is now tbh. You will make a post like that but allow bullying of a long term member with no comment. Strange values you hold, no? Why don't you call out blatant bullying? Yet get involved in this which is nothing really.
 
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EC21 said:
You surely must. The key is finding the one that ran to it's best. When you look at the winner and rate it off every other horse, you can see the monster that CH could well be. I have seen a horse like this once before, Golden Cygnet, and if Nicky had had him he would not have broke his neck running in the scottish champion hurdle against Night Nurse and Sea Pigeon as a novice. I so wish Nicky had trained Golden Cygnet, or someone like him. Putting a novice up against those animals was criminal as a Novice. I was listening to that race on the old extel commentary? no visual in those days, it was like God had died when the news came through. Watching it on youtube is truly heart rending now.

How many remember the small loudspeaker hanging off the wall with the extel commentary? That is all you had then apart from what was on bbc or itv on a saturday afternoon to watch or a really big meeting in the week. Hard to believe you couldn't see every race isn't it? a bit like football. You can see every team now play every game, in the 60s and 70s it had to be on bbc or itv, or it was lost forever visually.

My local bookie in the 70s was a 2 up 2 down house with the front room as the bookies. Fookin shite. It all changed really in the 80s, things changed, not all races on TV but it started improving visually, bookies moved forward then. I still remember the chalk it up result guy in the 70s, that was your results, on a chalk board hand written. A lot of people think it was great then in many ways, it really wasn't, it was shite. You went to put your bet on, the counter was 6 foot high with a meshing on top with a little gap at bottom to put your bet on, just in case you fancied robbing them:D It really was sh1t you know.

Just a few memories there for the oldies on here.:D. The good old days..fookin not.

For those who think racing TV coverage is sh1t now, well you best be grateful with what you have now seriously. In the 70s on BBC you had Julian Wilson, one shoulder 3 foot higher than the other, wabbling generic bollox to the camera..then he would bring Jimmy Lindley on..all you got from him, bear in mind was he was the paddock watcher ffs,..all he ever said was...XXXX looks a picture in the paddock..fookin hopeless,,,every horse was that,,what on earth was the point of Lindley? He so had the easiest money in TV racing coverage history.

Just a few memories when I was a younger man. I hope you enjoyed those memories you wrinkly ones like me.
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I was at Ayr that day. Gut-wrenching stuff. You just knew the moment he hit the deck it was the end. I kept trying to convince myself that he at least wouldn't have known too much about it. It must have been instantaneous.

I also spent time doing summer work as a board marker in bookies' shops and it was as you describe.

I also remember in the early '60s, the local bookie had a TV on the wall. I think it might have been illegal to have one back them but my old man used to leave me outside the door while he went in "to check a result", which often took him half an hour! I used to keek in the door and could see the telly.

But at least back then they'd still be going 2/1 CH for the CH :lol:
 
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Well I did get round to see the race and to be perfectly honest saw no reason to get as excited as everyone here and in the other place are getting.

Yes, he did the job with ease, in a fast time but he's jumping too low for my liking, Cheltenham is very different to Newcastle. Will be interesting to see how many turn up to take him on though. In a small field and allowed to dominate, he most certainly would win, but if there are 10 or 12 against him, might be a different story.
 
As regards stories of the good old days, remember the smell in the bookies? Beer, smoke, sweat, adrenaline and other things too unpleasant to mention!

Going back earlier than that, my Dad used to take me into a small sweet shop in a back street. Sometimes I came out with a pocket full of sweets, other times I got a tube of Smarties if I was lucky!
 
EC21 said:
That what you just did there shows you don't value input from an individual in the past that has had put value to this forum. I have made 300 times the input you have to all the past Champion Hurdle threads and many others. I was a main contributor on here for many a year. Yet you make a post like that as though I have sh1t on your chips one day. I'm disappointed in you chap, I thought you were better than that. I won't be bothering you again, so no need for any separate threads. My goodness I thought better of certain people on here, what a mistake. Don't worry An Capall, I won't mess on your garden again. Unreal. Now you can carry on your puritanical chat about how many lengths CH will win by. I always thought you were one of the good guys on here, how wrong was I. Did you think that was a wise contribution on your behalf? seriously? If you do, then wow. Poor judgement chap, seriously. You don't mind blatant bullying on here then? I don't really care what your answer is now tbh. You will make a post like that but allow bullying of a long term member with no comment. Strange values you hold, no? Why don't you call out blatant bullying? Yet get involved in this which is nothing really.
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EC, I'm personally glad to see you back, but would recommend you try to relax, and stick to the horses.

Tanlic's, MO is well established by now, and if he dishes it our every now and then, he can take it when it's dished back - which is fair enough. Insofar as Colm's/an capalls post is concerned, it was perfectly reasonable, and doesn't justify your response (imo).

The forum doesn't need an arbitrator of what is and isn't acceptable. People are free to make their own judgements, and complain to the Mods if they think a line has been crossed.....or as some have suggested, stick the perpetrator on ignore.

Let's stick to discussion about the Champion Hurdle, please.
 
walsworth said:
Well I did get round to see the race and to be perfectly honest saw no reason to get as excited as everyone here and in the other place are getting.

Yes, he did the job with ease, in a fast time but he's jumping too low for my liking, Cheltenham is very different to Newcastle. Will be interesting to see how many turn up to take him on though. In a small field and allowed to dominate, he most certainly would win, but if there are 10 or 12 against him, might be a different story.
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With respect, W, I think you're off beam there.
The top hurdlers barely leave the ground, and he's already won over the CH c/d, and in a record time.
Different strokes for different folk.eh.
 
walsworth said:
Well I did get round to see the race and to be perfectly honest saw no reason to get as excited as everyone here and in the other place are getting.

Yes, he did the job with ease, in a fast time but he's jumping too low for my liking, Cheltenham is very different to Newcastle. Will be interesting to see how many turn up to take him on though. In a small field and allowed to dominate, he most certainly would win, but if there are 10 or 12 against him, might be a different story.
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I must admit his jumping worried me until I heard Ruby say that all the top hurdlers rap the top bar with their front legs.
I was very impressed.
 
If he hit it lower, it might be a worry outsider but at his speed and acceleration, its near perfect

Faugheen on the other hand, used to just bulldoze them :)
 
EC21, I'm sorry to have upset you. It was certainly not my intention. All I was trying to do was reference and revive the sort of fun you used to have with the Fighting Fifth/Champion Hurdle stat.

And if Constitution Hill doesn't break the hoodoo this year you'd be inclined to think no horse will.
 
Grey said:
EC21, I'm sorry to have upset you. It was certainly not my intention. All I was trying to do was reference and revive the sort of fun you used to have with the Fighting Fifth/Champion Hurdle stat.

And if Constitution Hill doesn't break the hoodoo this year you'd be inclined to think no horse will.
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You really haven't upset me at all Grey:D Seriously you really haven't not one jot, disappointed? yes. I don't get why people think you are upset when you just call them out on their snide hidden digs. You weren't trying to revive any fun chap at all, you know that as well as I do, why lie? You would have put a smilie on it if that was your purpose. What I always wonder is why you needed to post it at all. Now we have got you and Granger both taking the rise about me being over sensitive. I really am not, I just don't like snidey comments that have no intention of being friendly at all, but pretend to be. Both of you should look at your intention with your p1ss taking, and both of you are p1ss taking, but aren't man enough to admit it. I don't give two fooks about either of your opinions tbh, but I do know that you have an issue with me, that is if you are honest, obviously. I will make a guess..Diamond Geezer..and how I fooked up a few years ago. You need to move on, both of you.

I will wager neither of you will admit you are still harbouring sh1t towards me about the DG issue. That is where I differ from you both, I can admit failings, I don't hide behind snidey comments when digging at someone, I call them out, I don't use snide. Maybe you both should just be honest about what you post towards someone, and why you do it.
 
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Oh I had better keep the thread on track, I don't want tears from the sensitive ones about the thread losing track, Night Nurse for me.
 
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Back to the CH thread, one of the best on the net by the way. We have a pretty unique look forward here to March. We have what looks like the biggest slam dunk in many a year here with CH. Now, I know Nicky is bloody good at this, he a cautious player though, and patient, sometimes maybe too much so. I remember See You then, I was actually at Cheltenham in 1985 when he won his first CH. That year at Cheltenham was notable as it was John Francome's last year riding. One of the hurdlers in the CH was Dessie, led then dropped back. The Supreme was won, on a sunny day, by Harry Hastings. As bettors, what are we looking at? second or third if we think this horse is nailed on. To keep this thread going it might be worth just ignoring the "winner" and looking for the two places? My first question is, is CH nailed on? If not, then what can beat him on paper?. I can't find anything unless Pegasus starts hurdling pretty quickly. Can anyone make a case for another horse to beat him?
 
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Just to add, the last time we had a novice this good, and to be fair, it is questonable if that one, Golden Cygnet, was as good as CH, I think maybe not. For the younger posters on here, Golden Cygnet was fookin awesome, but badly aimed at the big boys too early. He was exceptional, watch the youtube vidoes of him. I think for once since then we have Golden Cygnet++, but with a trainer who will probably already be planning Champion Hurdle number 3 with him already:D
 
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Just as an addition, one brilliant Brain Clough quote comes to mind..........."On paper we should have beaten them easily, sadly though, the game was played on grass"
 
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