Road To The Champion Hurdle

Donna's Palm looks very short in the betting but it's just not a raced to get invloved in.
 
Something is nagging me about this being Sublimity's last chance of a Grade 1 success - imagine at his age they will have him hard fit and he actually ran really well on occasions last season. Ground will not suit but if Solwhit needs this (stable in great form?) I think at the prices I would give him have a chance.
 
That was very good indeed. Really like the way Menorah stuck to it. Thats so important at this course. Possibly not the rground he liked either
 
“He did it well, and you could see he was very relaxed during the race. He got a bit tired after the last but I'm happy to have that over with," said Byrnes afterwards.
"We'll look at the Hattons Grace now. Before I didn't like running him again too soon but he's got so relaxed at home that he's taking nothing out of himself.
"We took him away for a few gallops before today but he didn't exert himself too much.
"We will not be targeting him specifically at Cheltenham, and will go for all the Grade 1's like Leopardstown at Christmas and the Irish Champion back there.”
Paddy Power and Stan James both go 10/1 about the winner for the Champion Hurdle while Ladbrokes are 12/1 (from14/1).
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What about today then? Nice to see Solwhit back in good heart but is he a realistic Champion contender? If the ground were to come up good to soft or softer and he were to have more use made of him (Russell gave him an absolutely dreadful ride last year I thought) I could certainly see him hitting the frame.

I'm not a Menorah fan myself ~ might well be wrong but I have a nagging doubt about him getting up the hill in a Champion. I also happen to think that Dunguib will turn the form around with Menorah if he learns to hurdle with more fluency (a big if I know!). This notion that Dunguib's bubble has somehow "burst" after the Supreme is utter crap for me. Still a viable Champion contender and I'd nearly be tempted to take the 20's on offer.
 
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Solwhit cannot be judged on his only run at Cheltenham as the horse was clearly not right in the build up to the festival. I was quite taken with him today.

Menorah looks a hard horse to get a handle on his limit as he looks the type to keep getting better the better the race he runs in.
 
Agreed on Solwhit, Gal, though his Punchestown form still leaves him a shade below the very top.

Probably right about Menorah as well. He certainly gives the impression he would at least travel through the Champion like a classy horse.

Has there been any news of Hurricane Fly?
 
Surprised not more credit is being given to Menorah - that was a serious, serious performance, and the stronger the pace, the better he will be. At 11 on Betfair he rates a cracking bet, especially with the 2 ahead of him in the Market being far from sure to turn up, and in binoculars case to turn in his performance of last March. Hurricane fly has never even ran at Cheltenham!
 
granger said:
Why exactly. He was giving the 2nd place almost 2 stone today and stayed on
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I thought the pace was very steady until nearly mid-way through the race. For all that he stayed on really well up the hill in softish ground, I'm certainly not convinced yesterday's race represented as stiff a stamina test as the Champion would. I can see the logic in that the faster the pace the better he will be but at the same time I thought he was tying up close home in the Supreme and might just be exposed in the Champion. Might be completely wrong, but it is enough to put me off backing him at 10's.

As I said, I much prefer Dunguib at twice that price.
 
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The biggest untruth told about Menorah is that he 'needs' a strong pace. The Supreme certainly wasn't well run and I'm not sure yesterday was either. He's not flashy, but he does keep getting the job done. Was really likeable how he battled back yesterday.
 
Galileo said:
Menorah's stamina would not worry him - his tendancy to idle a bit in front would though.
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My thoughts too, Gal. He needs company to keep finding or stops.

The moving of the last hurdle last year was very much in his favour.
 
I've not checked this..but one of the trends for the Greatwood is that it is usually won by a high weight carrier..if that is the case then is it so exceptional to carry a big weight when winning it?

i'm not saying Menorah isn't a contender..but has he achieved anything unusual by winng this race off a high weight?
 
“Hurricane worked on the flat and I was pleased with him as well, but I’m happy enough I didn’t run him,” Mullins continued.
“I think that would have sent my fellow backwards rather than forwards, so I’m happy enough just to have gone for a gallop.
“The Hatton’s Grace is the plan with him at the moment and the trip shouldn’t be a problem.
“As a four-year-old in France he was running over nearly two and a half miles.”
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Hatton's Grace Hurdle

Ladbrokes bet: 5-4 Solwhit, 3 Hurricane Fly, 5 Oscar Dan Dan, 7 Donnas Palm, Voler La Vedette, 10 Aitmatov, Jumbo Rio, Mourad, 12 Summit Meeting, 14 Luska Lad, 16 bar, NB 3/1 Peddlers Cross (with a run)
 
I wonder - is there a contingency plan to rearrange the Fighting Fifth somewhere else - if Newcastle falls to this wintry weather they are warning us of ?
 
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