Road To The Champion Hurdle

I think that Binocular is a better horse at Cheltenham than Starluck but maybe not elsewhere. That's the second time Starluck has beaten him away from Cheltenham. No such worries about Peddler's though.
 
Aragorn said:
I think that Binocular is a better horse at Cheltenham than Starluck but maybe not elsewhere. That's the second time Starluck has beaten him away from Cheltenham. No such worries about Peddler's though.
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So by your own admission then beating Binocular at Newbury doesn't mean a great deal.
 
As much as beating Starluck at Cheltenham. Menorah beat two very young horses on saturday, one who pulled most of the way and the other was giving him 4lbs.

PC beat the Champion Hurdler and the champion hurdle fifth, both of who are far more experienced than Menorah's opposition.

I just don't see why you think there should be such a disparity in price. PC's form has zero holes in it.
 
Cue Card didn't pull that hard, and certainly didn't harm his chances by doing so.

On the subject of experience, the gap with Silviniaco Conti isn't as wide as you think - he has had 6 races to Menorah's 9.
 
Menorah set the standard for this season’s Champion Hurdle before Saturday’s race. He has just raised the bar.

I’m a big fan of Peddler’s Cross and Binocular and there are others coming through the ranks. It should be a great race this time (…when isn’t it), but with so many horses apparently heading straight to the Festival (and the weather besides), it’ll be a wonder if we get many competitive races in the meantime.
 
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Where is Peddlers Cross off to next?

I presume Binocular and Starluck head for the xmas Hurdle?
 
Peddlers probably goes for the race at Haydock in the New Year, I forget the name.
 
Aragorn said:
As much as beating Starluck at Cheltenham. Menorah beat two very young horses on saturday, one who pulled most of the way and the other was giving him 4lbs.

PC beat the Champion Hurdler and the champion hurdle fifth, both of who are far more experienced than Menorah's opposition.

I just don't see why you think there should be such a disparity in price. PC's form has zero holes in it.
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Menorah beat two very fit horses..one an extreme improver..PC beat B who runs more bad races than good..and it was his first run. Why would B be CH level fit for his first run of the season?

I'm not a massive Menorah fan by the way..but I still think his win on Saturday is worth a lot more than the ..usually low standard ...FF form.

The FF is a shadow of its former self..its used purely as a stepping stone by true CH pretenders..its also a target race for those below that level...so you have very good horses whose connections aren't arsed about winning...and the lesser lights that are actually aimed at it.

Check out the past 20 odd years worth of winners and the winner is usually a stone below CH form.

I doubt very much that winning the FF was that important to the connections of B..whereas those connected with PC would be bothered.
 
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EC, Henderson's comments before the race suggested otherwise.

Why you assume they would be waiting all year for the one race I have no idea. That certainly isn't what happened last year and Henderson was talking him up this time round, better than last year etc etc. Whilst i'm sure Mcmanus would choose the CH as his main target each year i'm pretty sure he'd also expect to win other races along the way. All the good trainers have them fit enough to win first time out these days.

Personally I don't think there is much between the FF and the international in form terms but i'm clearly in the minority!!
 
Aragorn said:
EC, Henderson's comments before the race suggested otherwise.

Why you assume they would be waiting all year for the one race I have no idea. That certainly isn't what happened last year and Henderson was talking him up this time round, better than last year etc etc. Whilst i'm sure Mcmanus would choose the CH as his main target each year i'm pretty sure he'd also expect to win other races along the way. All the good trainers have them fit enough to win first time out these days.

Personally I don't think there is much between the FF and the international in form terms but i'm clearly in the minority!!
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because its the one race they want..and Binocular looks like a one win a season horse..would be the simple answer i suppose

the FF is usually a poor race as far as representing the cream of hurdlers..and as such i really don't see any significance in actually winning it.

trainers do talk up horses and get it wrong...we know that don't we?

you may be proved right that PC is the top hurdler..tbh i haven't got any one horse i think is outstanding..they all have foibles at this stage..
 
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I think Khyber Kim could the the forgotten horse. There's every chance Binocular's performance was a freak last March and he may never reproduce it. If he hadn't have run then Khyber Kim would be an impressive Champion and Aintree hurdle winner. He hasn't been out yet this season and is currently available at around 14/1. That price could easily be shorter after Christmas.
 
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