Road To The Champion Hurdle

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At the Start
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First big trial on Sunday at Punchestown. Small but select field.


1 Cuan Na Grai (PNolan) - . ..................(135)
2 Harchibald (FR) (NMeade) - . ............(160)
3 Hardy Eustace (DTHughes) - ............(160)
4 Jered (NMeade) - ...............................(158)
5 Sizing Europe (Hde Bromhead) - ......(167)
6 Won In The Dark (SJHarty) - .............(135)

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:)
Galileo said:
First big trial on Sunday at Punchestown. Small but select field.






1 Cuan Na Grai (PNolan) - . ..................(135)
2 Harchibald (FR) (NMeade) - . ............(160)​




3 Hardy Eustace (DTHughes) - ............(160)
4 Jered (NMeade) - ...............................(158)
5 Sizing Europe (Hde Bromhead) - ......(167)
6 Won In The Dark (SJHarty) - .............(135)​
Click to expand...

A very interesting race..Whets the appetite nicely for the up and coming months. Great to see Sizing Europe making a welcome return.
 
From The Sporting Life:

Henry de Bromhead is confident Sizing Europe is over his problems ahead of his reappearance in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.
The six-year-old demolished his rivals in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle in January and all appeared to be going according to plan in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham before he stopped quickly after jumping the second-last.
"He was lame behind the day after the Champion Hurdle and we found that he had just strained the sacroiliac joint," De Bromhead told At The Races.
"We've had a lady work on it ever since and he seems to be moving absolutely spot-on now, so we are very pleased.
"He is filling out all the time and he is certainly a bigger and stronger horse this season.
"Andrew McNamara was down schooling (on Tuesday morning) and seemed pleased with him, so he will certainly keep the ride for Sunday's race - but I do think the horse will come on a lot for the run."
Sizing Europe will face a maximum of five rivals at the weekend, with Cuan Na Grai, Hardy Eustace and Won In The Dark standing their ground at the confirmation stage.
Noel Meade has left in Jered and Harchibald, although the former looks the more likely contender at this stage.
"The way the weather is going, I would say Harchibald is most unlikely to run," said Meade.
"He might do if the ground is decent, but we will just have to see.
"Jered is in good form, though, and, all being well, the plan is for him to run."
 
Jered is young, progressive, match-fit and different gravy to anything Sizing Europe met over the trip in Ireland last season. Even if he is fit and well, he has it all to do to beat JP's horse, imo.
 
Like I say Andrew, Jered has a progressive profile (unless you personally subscribe to the theory that his improvement is at an end??), has match fitness on his side, and easily despatched a horse rated 141 in his last outing - giving him 11lbs - on apparently unsuitable ground.

Conversely, Sizing Europe comes into the race on the back of a still-undefined setback (did he bleed? was it his back?), who stopped as if he was shot in his last visit to the racecourse, and with his trainer already suggesting he will come on for the run.

If you think it's going to be "very, very easy" then I'm sure you will fill your boots full of the 6/4 available.
 
I think Jered will be race fit, will love Punchestown racecourse (a fast 2 miles) and should easily account for Sizing Europe who is likely to be best on a galloping track.

Like Grasshopper said, I think Jered is the best horse SE has met (at level weights) though the same could said vica versa.
 
If jered is going to beat him it will be this time. He won't beat him again unless Sizing isn't right. Leading lights from Meades tend to burn brightly for a short period of time.
 
Interesting. Firmly in the Jered-camp and join in in the arguments that were stated in his favour. I too hope he can go all the way to the very top. de Bromhead not exactly flying either.
 
JERED will face four rivals including Sizing Europe, winner of the AIG (Europe) Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January, in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

Cuan Na Grai, the 2006 Galway Hurdle winner, was the only defector at Friday's final declaration stage for the Grade 1 event in which Jered will be attempting to extend his winning sequence to five.

A Grade 1 winner at the Punchestown festival in April, the Noel Meade-trained six-year-old was successful on his reappearance at Down Royal last month and will be ridden by Paul Carberry in Sunday's race.

He is evens favourite with Ladbrokes but Paddy Power has him sharing the head of the market with Sizing Europe at 6-4.

Sizing Europe has not run since being virtually pulled up when favourite for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenhamin March.

Harchibald, who had a run on the Flat at Dundalk last month, Hardy Eustace, absent since finishing unplaced in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and the four-year-old Won In The Dark, a Grade 1 winner at Punchestown in April, complete the line-up for the 2m event.

The ground at Punchestown is heavy following further rain on Thursday
 
crazyhorse said:
Interesting. Firmly in the Jered-camp and join in in the arguments that were stated in his favour. I too hope he can go all the way to the very top. de Bromhead not exactly flying either.
Click to expand...


When is de Bromhead ever flying he is a small country trainer.
 
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