Road To The Champion Hurdle

clivex said:
Surely not?

That would be a bit silly wouldnt it?
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why? - he won't win the CH..whereas he can mop up those races that the Chelteham bound horses leave alone

when you think about it..its just taking advantage of the Cheltenham obsessed season really..so many prizes are there for the taking as so many trainers have only one target in mind.
 
Gearoid said:
Did anyone hang around at Punchestown to see him work today?
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I would be amazed if he worked Hurricane Fly at Punchestown so soon after the Irish Champion when he is now presumably getting a short break. They worked the Hennessy horses after racing.
 
There arent many top hurdlers who have ever taken that route EC surely. This isnt flat racing with the dismal fear of defeat is it?
 
but its only tiny sums though isnt it? This happens on the basis of nothing from time to time
 
clivex said:
There arent many top hurdlers who have ever taken that route EC surely. This isnt flat racing with the dismal fear of defeat is it?
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if i had a horse like HF..who's level of form is very clear..who is consistent..I would never aim it at the CH..I would grab every decent race where other trainers are slipping up by not taking part

its not about fearing defeat..its about enhancing a horse' race record with realistic targets..with the advantage of cashing in on other trainers obsession with the hilly slopes of cheltenham
 
Owning the champion would always outweigh all of that for me EC.

true maybe for a staying chaser with the KGV and national of course, but the other top hurdle races just do not carry the same prestige somehow
 
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EC1 said:
if i had a horse like HF..who's level of form is very clear..who is consistent..I would never aim it at the CH..I would grab every decent race where other trainers are slipping up by not taking part

its not about fearing defeat..its about enhancing a horse' race record with realistic targets..with the advantage of cashing in on other trainers obsession with the hilly slopes of cheltenham
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What race can he grab by missing Cheltenham? Not as if he has any alternative - wait until May for Punchestown?

If you owned Hurricane Fly, after missing the last two festivals due to injury I would guarantee you would not have him sitting in his box while the Champion Hurdle was being run.
 
Galileo said:
What race can he grab by missing Cheltenham? Not as if he has any alternative - wait until May for Punchestown?

If you owned Hurricane Fly, after missing the last two festivals due to injury I would guarantee you would not have him sitting in his box while the Champion Hurdle was being run.
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Aintree Hurdle is a realistic target..and many fail in that race as they have been primed for Cheltenham

i just don't see the point of running him in a race where he is probably about 5th best..when he can be unbeaten throughout the season.

i think the whole idea that Cheltenham is the be all and end all is getting a bit of old fashioned thinking isn't it?

there are only so many races at Cheltenham..and 95% of trainers target those races...so there are no gimmes there...whereas elsewhere...

just a thought..

then again..if everyone believes that Cheltenham is the only set of races worth aiming for i suppose i'll be a lone voice
 
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But why would taking in Cheltenham make Aintree a no go? Plenty of time between each of the three festivals.

Clearly connections DO think the horse can win or at least go close to winning a Champion Hurdle. They maybe be wrong in your opinion but I doubt that will stop them trying - it is sport at the end of the day.

EC1 said:
Aintree Hurdle is a realistic target..and many fail in that race as they have been primed for Cheltenham

i just don't see the point of running him in a race where he is probably about 5th best..when he can be unbeaten throughout the season.

i think the whole idea that Cheltenham is the be all and end all is getting a bit of old fashioned thinking isn't it?

there are only so many races at Cheltenham..and 95% of trainers target those races...so there are no gimmes there...whereas elsewhere...

just a thought..

then again..if everyone believes that Cheltenham is the only set of races worth aiming for i suppose i'll be a lone voice
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Galileo said:
But why would taking in Cheltenham make Aintree a no go? Plenty of time between each of the three festivals.

Clearly connections DO think the horse can win or at least go close to winning a Champion Hurdle. They maybe be wrong in your opinion but I doubt that will stop them trying - it is sport at the end of the day.
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many horses fail at Aintree due to their exhertions at Cheltenham

i was just saying if he was mine i'd be mopping up winnable races..winnable imo.

they don't necessarily believe he can win..its just expected to run in the CH with any half decent hurdler really is more the thinking

not sure with it being sport has to do with it..winning is what is quite important imo..the taking part for the sake of it is not my cup of tea
 
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granger said:
There would be no real need for any race if that was the mentality of racing
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so why do we bother with grades of races then?

realistic targets are what racing is about surely

taking your thinking to its extreme..why not run selling platers in top races?..just in case everthing else fails to finish

many horses have been ruined by running them out of their depth when there are plenty of winnable targets..not just talking about HF here.
 
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I am sure a healthy and well HF will take his place in the line up - where he will of course have realistic claims to the title. Will leave it at that as I suspect the term, going around in circles, will soon come into the debate.
 
Galileo said:
I am sure a healthy and well HF will take his place in the line up - where he will of course have realistic claims to the title. Will leave it at that as I suspect the term, going around in circles, will soon come into the debate.
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yes of course

it all depends on yours and my idea of realistic mind you

i remember many people thinking Beef Or Salmon had a realistic chance of winning a GC when in fact he was better mopping up the other races

even on his last run in it when it was clear he would never win one whilst he had a hole in his arse..many still wanted to believe he had a realistic chance of winning

realistic is a different thing to different people

i hope he wins if anyone here is backing him for it.,,,its just I wouldn't back him for it and wouldn't send him over if he were mine..just my opinion.

i'm probably wrong
 
You're talking like HF is some hopelessly exposed yoke who would be wasting his time making the trip over, EC1. You might not fancy him, but he is absolutely entitled to run in the Champion Hurdle.
 
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Grasshopper said:
You're talking like HF is some hopelessly exposed yoke who would be wasting his time making the trip over, EC1. You might not fancy him, but he is absolutely entitled to run in the Champion Hurdle.
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i think he is exposed though Grass..he has a slightly better chance than Solwhit of winning it..do you fancy Solwhit?..I know i don't

yes he is entitled to run it it..so are about 40 others

i have only said what i would do if he were mine..i'm not cheltenham obsessed though like you guys:)
 
I think you are wrong-they would be mad not to aim a horse who is unbeaten in his last 4 Grade 1 races at the Champion Hurdle.There is no evidence to suggest he won't act on the course and it doesn't interfere with future targets.
Is the aim of owning a top class to maximize revenue or to live the dream.
I would also disagree with your point regarding Beef or Salmon-as a ten time Grade 1 winner he was entitled to have a crack at the big one.
 
EC1 said:
if i had a horse like HF..who's level of form is very clear..who is consistent..I would never aim it at the CH..I would grab every decent race where other trainers are slipping up by not taking part

its not about fearing defeat..its about enhancing a horse' race record with realistic targets..with the advantage of cashing in on other trainers obsession with the hilly slopes of cheltenham
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I think there is something to this. While it is very understandable that connections of HF should want to have a crack at the Champion I don’t see him as second favourite myself and would have thought he will struggle to be placed.

As talented as he is he might be better advised doing just as EC suggests in mopping up less competitive Grade races that would be easy prey for him.

Having said that it’s easy to see why he’s going where he is. If you own a hurdler of ability the place you want to find out just how good it is, is in the Champion.


 
He's mopped up all the Grade 1's in Ireland and now they want to run at Cheltenham - which is generally where the best of the best is decided.

He goes into the race a winner of all his starts in Ireland (bar the one race where he wasn't fit) and since being with Mullins he's been defeated once - when 2nd in a Grade 1 at Auteuil to the top class mare Grivette.

Menorah's already been beaten 3 times over hurdles, Binocular 5 times (won 3 of his last 7 starts), Peddlers Cross is unbeaten in 7 under all codes and Oscar Whisky whilst showing primise has yet to win so much as a Graded Hurdle and has four lengths to find with Menorah (and two with 20/1 shot Dunguib).

If Hurricane Fly should be running elsewhere or has little chance of placing then I can only assume there is something he's done (or should that be not done) that I'm missing.
 
LUKE said:
I would also disagree with your point regarding Beef or Salmon-as a ten time Grade 1 winner he was entitled to have a crack at the big one.
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how many cracks though before you have wasted other races you could have snaffled up when it were clear he wan't going to be doing it though?

thanks Steve..you seem to see where i am coming from

i do think that the NH season is to geared too much towards one meeting..seems like most of racing and most people here think like that

i don't really
 
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