Road To The Champion Hurdle

Can't understand why they would put blinkers on Osana for the first time in the Champion Hurdle. He's completely genuine, and this seems a strange move at face value. Still, I'm sure connections know what they are doing.

I hope so anyway, because everything else is coming right for the horse. Soft ground won't be a problem (and the extra emphasis on stamina is against the favourite, imo), the jockey change is a 100% positive step, the stable form is great, and he is a nap to improve plenty from the Agfa.

Confidence is building.
 
Grasshopper said:
Can't understand why they would put blinkers on Osana for the first time in the Champion Hurdle. He's completely genuine, and this seems a strange move at face value. Still, I'm sure connections know what they are doing.

I hope so anyway, because everything else is coming right for the horse. Soft ground won't be a problem (and the extra emphasis on stamina is against the favourite, imo), the jockey change is a 100% positive step, the stable form is great, and he is a nap to improve plenty from the Agfa.

Confidence is building.
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Am on Osana myself, hopefully the soft ground will take the sting from the fav's undoubted speed. Will probably have a few quid place money on Muirhead who won't mind the ground either.
 
Galileo said:
Dominic Elsworth rides Brave Inca...didn't see that one coming.
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I don't know much about him myself but he comes very highly recommended from some people in the know. All the other top jocks were taken and it was a case of finding the best jock to suit the type of race we want to run.
 
Galileo said:
Massive field and likely soft going....Binocular must surely be opposable at the prices now?
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Fully agree with you. I will be place laying Binocular.

Have to fancy Brave Inca to run a huge race now. I am very interested in backing him each way to be best of the Irish now if someone can point me in the right direction??..

Im happy with the 8/1 outright place on him too.
 
I haven't been following the thread so I don't know if anyone else has selected it but I've just taken the 25/1 (ew) about Sizing Europe.

I've been of the opinion for some time that last year's race holds the key to this year's and I've been focusing my attention on Katchit & Osana (both still decent value) but I remembered plenty thought SE would have hacked up if it hadn't gone wrong last year.

The injury was torn muscles rather than anything more serious and the horse looks to have been trained for Tuesday.
 
I backed Sizing for this a few months ago, when he was second favourite. That was before he reappeared this season. I now regard it as money lost because 25/1 is too big a price for me to be laying.

I was very taken with him in last year's Irish CH and am one of those who thought he would have won this last year if staying sound. Since then, however, he has disappointed and we've had no clear explanation of what the problem has been.

His regular jockey has deserted him too.
 
Gal, I've heard a conflicting report about Osana, suggesting he is not declared with blinkers. I'm not fussed one way or the other, but it would be good to get clarification.

Edit: Scratch that, mate - just seen the card, and he definitely has the blinds dec'd.
 
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I've been of the opinion for some time that last year's race holds the key to this year's and I've been focusing my attention on Katchit & Osana (both still decent value) but I remembered plenty thought SE would have hacked up if it hadn't gone wrong last year.
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I would say that's pretty sound logic. Which makes me wonder why people think Binocular can be so much better on Tuesday than the 4 previous winners of the race in the race. Even if a couple of them are getting on.
 
Cantoris said:
I don't know much about him myself but he comes very highly recommended from some people in the know. All the other top jocks were taken and it was a case of finding the best jock to suit the type of race we want to run.
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Dominic Elsworth is a very good jockey and vastly under-rated, in my opinion. He is also a good horseman - mind you, you don't learn the trade under Harvey Smith, stay with him for years and come out much different I guess! He's very strong in a finish too.
 
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