Road To The Champion Hurdle

Depends what Evan Williams has done to him - hard to tell tbh with a lack of collateral form.

If I say he's a big price at 20/1 he'll be tailed off after 2 hurdles so I won't ;)
 
Galileo said:
Bula Hurdle:
Cristal Bonus
Silviniaco Conti (FR) 4.g
Clerk's Choice (IRE) 4.g
Cue Card 4.g
Menorah (IRE) 5.g
Astracad (FR) 4.g
Der Spieler (GER) 5.g
Liberty Seeker (FR) 11.g
Nicene Creed 5.g
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That is a seriously exciting race, and probably as good a hurdle race as we'll see before March.
 
I don't think Menorah is as good as a lot of people seem to think. Cue Card could be anything but hasn't achieved a great deal more than Dunguib had at this stage last year. Same is largely true of Silviniaco Conti ~ hugely impressive performances have come against staying hurdlers.

Not a race I would be in a rush to get involved in.

edit: interesting to see Hobbs entering a pacemaker for Menorah. Not too often you see that over jumps!
 
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trackside528 said:
Cue Card could be anything but hasn't achieved a great deal more than Dunguib had at this stage last year. Same is largely true of Silviniaco Conti.
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I've always been a Dunguib fan, but to say that Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti haven't achieved a higher level of form than him at this stage is simply turning a blind eye to the facts. They've also done so at a much younger age, which is worth bearing in mind in terms of development.
 
Menorah is my idea of the CH winner this year and I have bet accordingly ante post. Hurricane Fly and Peddlers Cross the dangers. Chelt form is Chelt form though. If this Bula race takes place it will be very interesting analyse it . Quite staggering quality really
 
rorydelargy said:
I've always been a Dunguib fan, but to say that Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti haven't achieved a higher level of form than him at this stage is simply turning a blind eye to the facts. They've also done so at a much younger age, which is worth bearing in mind in terms of development.
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Sorry, I meant before the Supreme by "this stage." I certainly wouldn't rate Cue Card's Cheltenham form any higher than what Dunguib achieved in last year's Deloitte (despite the 4lb difference on ratings). He may well go on to prove himself in a different parish to Dunguib on Saturday, but he has it to prove for me.

Silviniaco Conti probably has achieved more than Dunguib. The question is surely whether he can improve on that form over two miles.

edit: point taken about Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti being 4yos by the way. Two hugely exciting prospects.
 
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If the ground is good I wouldn;t rule out Clerk's Choice. Can;t get that last cheltenham performance out of my head. His jumping was terrible next time and the ground was tacky. If it's good, good to soft at the weekend I think he still has every chance. I also love Cue Card who I think is the most likely winner.

Cracker of a race with only one horse aged over 5 in the field (How often does that happen in an open grade contest of this magnitude? Not often...
 
This is also his first time on an undulating track too for Silviniaco Conti - Chepstow, Ascot and Bangor are all relatively flat as are Nancy and Senonnes where he won in France.
 
rorydelargy said:
I've always been a Dunguib fan, but to say that Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti haven't achieved a higher level of form than him at this stage is simply turning a blind eye to the facts. They've also done so at a much younger age, which is worth bearing in mind in terms of development.
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Cue Card not for me
on bumpers Dunguib was the better horse and the form over hdls is too early to know if it is so good.
 
Struck my first Ante post bet today, backed Hurricane Fly for the champion. Reports are that horse is in super form, and i always thought he was a champion in the making. Happy to back him now before he comes out and wins.
 
del boy said:
Struck my first Ante post bet today, backed Hurricane Fly for the champion. Reports are that horse is in super form, and i always thought he was a champion in the making. Happy to back him now before he comes out and wins.
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I hope you backed him nrnb.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Depends what Evan Williams has done to him - hard to tell tbh with a lack of collateral form.

If I say he's a big price at 20/1 he'll be tailed off after 2 hurdles so I won't ;)
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The owner has a habit of running expensive purchases in races far too good for that particular horse first time up. Not that I know anything about this horse, but I suspect this could be another. Then again, the owner does (or did, not sure if he's been sold to stud) own the Leger winner, so who knows...
 
At the prices I'd give Clerks Choice another go to prove he's as good as he looked FTO at Cheltenham.
 
I think Silviniaco Conti is a similar horse to Zaynar being campaigned over 2 and a half miles and then steps back to go the Champion route. I think he'll be very hard to beat in the lead up to Cheltenham, where he finds one or two too good in the Champion and it's clear he's more of a stayer and then next year we'll see him in the World Hurdle picture. For that reason, he's the one for more in this.
 
Looks like they've left him in for that reason but he doesn't look quick enough to me to make the running in a race of this quality.
 
Simon said:
I think Silviniaco Conti is a similar horse to Zaynar being campaigned over 2 and a half miles and then steps back to go the Champion route. I think he'll be very hard to beat in the lead up to Cheltenham, where he finds one or two too good in the Champion and it's clear he's more of a stayer and then next year we'll see him in the World Hurdle picture. For that reason, he's the one for more in this.
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I'd hope they don't bother with hurdles for SC next season. In fact, didn't I read somewhere that he probably would have gone chasing already if not for his impressive wins?

Doubt I'll have a bet in the race tomorrow. One to just savour.
 
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