Road To The Champion Hurdle

With Haydock Park unraceable at the moment due to being frozen, it would be very interesting if Peddlers Cross was to turn up at Leopardstown on Sunday.
 
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IF Hoobs really does rate Menorah at least the equal of Rooster (and he isnt one to go overboard..) then menorah backers are on to something. Also the horse sticks his neck out and battles, which is so important in this race. The handling of the course is a given too

Binocular is deserved favourite of course although im not convinced that Kempton's performance really enhanced his overall credentials. There is always the "off day" issue too. Hes clearly a edgy type and i wonder if that has something to do with it.
Love the horse though
 
It's somewhere between Binocular, Menorah and Peddler's for me. Very intriguing... I've no real idea just how good Peddler's will be. It will have to be good to get Binocular/Menorah though.
 
I'm pretty close to both of you but think Peddlers Cross can be left out of equations.

I can't make up my mind about Hurricane Fly, who looks all class but the lack of Cheltenham experience is a massive negative. It is all well and good beating Solwhit time and again, but for all his potential, he has a lot to prove in terms of ability to win Championship races that Menorah and Binocular don't. Championship races are so much different from other Grade 1s, and he's hard to get a grip on in that respect, never mind coming up the hill.
 
I do not get the doubts about Hurricane Fly coming up the hill - surely that is suggesting there are question marks about his stamina or heart. I see absolutely nothing to suggest either particularly his stamina seeing as he got the Hattons Grace well in a bog.
 
Grasshopper said:
What Championship race has Menorah won outside novice company? ;)
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Sorry - I was considering novice races championship races (which I do, for all the that I realise they are not, in terms of helping weigh up different horses at the Festival)
 
Galileo said:
I do not get the doubts about Hurricane Fly coming up the hill - surely that is suggesting there are question marks about his stamina or heart. I see absolutely nothing to suggest either particularly his stamina seeing as he got the Hattons Grace well in a bog.
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He hasn't done it; that's where they come from. He also has never travelled to England to race. We may only be talking small things but they are small things the others don't have against them.
 
Hamm said:
He hasn't done it; that's where they come from. He also has never travelled to England to race. We may only be talking small things but they are small things the others don't have against them.
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He has travelled to France - no issues with travelling.

If Hurricane Fly gets beat it will be because he is not good enough, he is a handy horse that travels particularly well through his races and stays further than this trip. It will not be the hill or track that beats him.
 
Galileo said:
He has travelled to France - no issues with travelling.

If Hurricane Fly gets beat it will be because he is not good enough, he is a handy horse that travels particularly well through his races and stays further than this trip. It will not be the hill or track that beats him.
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100% spot on.
 
Grasshopper said:
What Championship race has Menorah won outside novice company? ;)
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My issue with Menorah is that he has never won a race run at a "championship" pace. Neither the Supreme, the Greatwood or the Bula were run at anything more than a steady gallop. I would have serious doubts about his stamina over a strongly-run two miles

I thought after the Supreme that he shaped like the third best horse in the race, having had the run of the race far more than the second and third. Might as well stand by that view.
 
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trackside528 said:
My issue with Menorah is that he has never won a race run at a "championship" pace. Neither the Supreme, the Greatwood or the Bula were run at anything more than a steady gallop. I would have serious doubts about his stamina over a strongly-run two miles
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Wouldn't this discount all horses running in Irish races? :D
 
I just don't see Peddler's Cross and Menorah, good as both undoubtedly are, having the finishing speed of Hurricane Fly and Binocular
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It could easily be more of a slog to the line with all the places changing around up that hill than anything else. Have to consider which horses best favoured by that

I dont quite understand why there are stamina doubts about menorah. Those doubts can only be there if he hasnt coped with a fast run race or if there was anything obnvious from his style of racing (which there isnt IMO) until then its equally likely he could improve for it
 
trackside528 said:
I thought after the Supreme that he shaped like the third best horse in the race, having had the run of the race far more than the second and third. Might as well stand by that view.
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Surely his two runs this season have made you realise he was certainly the best horse that day and a deserved winner?
 
Hamm said:
Surely his two runs this season have made you realise he was certainly the best horse that day and a deserved winner?
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We have only seen Menorah this year (Get Me Out Of Here's Greatwood run was miles below what he achieved in the Supreme) so it's impossible to make a judgement. If Dunguib can get his jumping together (a big "if" I know!) I think he will reverse the Supreme form with Menorah.

He may well improve for a strong gallop Clive (though, imo, almost certainly not as much as several others), but I thought he was all out at the line in the Supreme. I certainly take the point that he may have developed over the summer and consequently might make me the look the fool questioning his Supreme run (as Binocular has done), but until he proves otherwise it's enough of a question to put me off in such a competitive year.
 
We have only seen Menorah this year (Get Me Out Of Here's Greatwood run was miles below what he achieved in the Supreme) so it's impossible to make a judgement
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Well, its a bit easier than if he hadnt raced at all...

re his development, well it would be strange if he hadnt developed over the summer. But again it depends to what extent and again, connections are adamant its quite a lot

I just like what i see from this horse. I can just see him fighting to the line

Dunguib has got no time at all to getting his jumping sorted. Bringing him back so late was always a bit of a risk given that was (for me) the biggest issue. He needs experience.
 
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If Menorah is as good a horse as Rooster Booster, then it's a two horse race

Between Binocular and Hurricane Fly
 
Thoroughly unfair to Rooster Booster, Bobbyjo. His Champoon Hurdle victory is right up there , in terms of best efforts since Istabraq. He may have run in lots of handicaps, but that was because he wanted a strongly-run race, and he was a top, top-class hurdler at his peak. Menorah has a tough job on to match - let alone surpass - the best of Rooster Booster's form.
 
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