The Champion Hurdle 2010

Euronymous said:
Last year's CH has more holes in it than a string vest suny, I have to go with HF and cover on Zaynar.
Click to expand...

I went low with last year's CH - I put the winner on something like 163/164 - hence my confidence about Celestial Halo's having improved a lot based on his Wincanton run. I have to accept I might have over-rated the form and, if so, I'd suggest Khyber Kim would become the next obvious candidate.

Even allowing for CH giving KK weight yesterday - they work out at pretty identical ratings - there's something about KK that suggests he might just be the one. He seems the only contender with a finishing burst off a strong pace.

However, I remain to be convinced we saw the real CH yesterday, for whatever reason.
 
I wouldn't touch KK for the Champion. Not unless he joins another trainer or they move the race to the end of next year.

I just can't see Celestial Halo holding off all the challengers up the hill.
 
Will be fascinating to see whether the Binocular of last year's Ascot thrashing of CH turns up at Kempton or the flop of the FF.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I'd suggest Khyber Kim would become the next obvious candidate.

Even allowing for CH giving KK weight yesterday - they work out at pretty identical ratings - there's something about KK that suggests he might just be the one. He seems the only contender with a finishing burst off a strong pace.
Click to expand...

I can't entertain the idea of Khyber Kim winning the Champion Hurdle. His 3 hurdle victories have come on the 3 occasions he has met with soft ground conditions (unlikely to get that at Cheltenham in March) and he has raced 6 times between January and May and has yet to finish better than 4th (none of those races were in anything close to a Champion Hurdle).

Not for me unless we see him win a race in Jan/Feb on ground better than soft.....
 
I'm bizarrely beginning to think that Go Native has a real chance here, I think Medermit's run the other day obviously paid him a compliment. He'll definitely travel strongly. But then, if Go Native has a chance....can anyone stop the Hurricane? Fascinating stuff. I can't get a handle on the collateral form at all and, given the range of options available..and with some trainers talking about maybe one more run between now and the day...I think this debate will be ripe right up until the day. Really interesting.
 
Couldn`t have HF after the negative comments yesterday about his health. Already backed him however so hope he does recover in time.

Willie Mullins admits Hurricane Fly has been under the weather since his odds-on reverse in the Dobbins & Madigans at Punchestown Hurdle last month.

Three Grade One successes as a novice meant he occupied top spot in the ante-post betting for the Champion Hurdle during the summer, but he could only finish third on his comeback behind Solwhit and Muirhead.

"I'm trying to get Hurricane Fly out at Leopardstown at Christmas. He had one bit of work last week, but none this week as I just thought he was a bit under the weather," Mullins told At The Races.

"He's in great form but he gave a cough or two during the week and that just upset me, so I'm minding him rather than trying to get him to Leopardstown.

"If we can get him to Leopardstown, that's what I want to do
 
Difficult to have strong ideas about the Champion at the moment. I'd agree HF doesn't have much of a chance. He'd have to improve a stone for me to even be considered and that doesn't look at all likely at the moment.

How HF is less than half the price of this year's winner is a mystery. Punjabi is a big price at 14s and 12s. He outjumped the opposition at the weekend and clearly blew up as the trainer had indicated, being sympathetically brought home in his own time.

I've already backed Binocular (who I haven't given up on just yet) and Celestial Halo. Now is the time to step in for Punjabi. Zaynar looks a possibility, but no more than that.

I thought Punjabi wouldn't be out of the front two last time and I can't see him out of the frame again next time.
 
Last edited:
Agree about Punjabi. He jumped and travelled like the best horse to me, and I took some 14s after the race, and will continue to back him while he remains the price he is. He looks like the class act to me, and I think it's better to look past the hype of others, Hurricane Fly in particular.

I think Binocular could be quite short after the xmas hurdle though.
 
Has Henderson indicated what Punjabi's next outing will be?

Apart from Go Native, who else is likely to pitch up at Kempton?
 
Hamm said:
Agree about Punjabi. He jumped and travelled like the best horse to me, and I took some 14s after the race, and will continue to back him while he remains the price he is. He looks like the class act to me, and I think it's better to look past the hype of others, Hurricane Fly in particular.

I think Binocular could be quite short after the xmas hurdle though.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I see it at the moment.
 
I couldn't disagree more. I think we saw Celestial Halo's limitations on saturday and the fact that he could finish so close up last year despite the pace they went suggests to me it was a garbage renewal. I'm looking at HF, Go Native and Zaynar. The winner for me comes from that trio, Solwhit as well if it comes up soft.
 
Euronymous said:
I couldn't disagree more. I think we saw Celestial Halo's limitations on saturday and the fact that he could finish so close up last year despite the pace they went suggests to me it was a garbage renewal. I'm looking at HF, Go Native and Zaynar. The winner for me comes from that trio, Solwhit as well if it comes up soft.
Click to expand...

That would be the alternative way of looking at things, but it's not for me. Don't forget Punjabi was placed the time before.
 
Euronymous said:
I know, and he is a good each way price. But that was another really mundane renewal for me.
Click to expand...

...it could equally be "mundane" (to borrow your terminology) again. The most talented hurdlers this season (as last) appear to be the stayers, as far as I'm concerned.
 
Last edited:
Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown -


------1 Al Eile
-4-43 2 De Valira
07111 3 Donnas Palm
2p435 4 Ebadiyan
14121 5 Go Native
11-13 6 Hurricane Fly ​
22112 7 Jumbo Rio
-2552 8 Muirhead
11113 9 Solwhit (FR)

------ 10 Starluck​

1-402 11 Sublimity (FR)
-5111 12 Voler La Vedette
2-074 13 Won In The Dark ​
 
Euronymous said:
Might well be, I thought the same this time last year which is why I piled on Binocular.
Click to expand...

Could be the reason for doing so again, although I'd agree that Binocular would need to dispell the question mark hanging over him now. But I'm fairly confident he'll do that.

Binocular missed work at a crucial time before last season's Champion. He may have won quite well but for that. Maybe short of just one piece of good work before the big one last time.
 
SteveM said:
Could be the reason for doing so again, although I'd agree that Binocular would need to dispell the question mark hanging over him now. But I'm fairly confident he'll do that.

Binocular missed work at a crucial time before last season's Champion. He may have won quite well but for that. Maybe short of just one piece of good work before the big one last time.
Click to expand...

Lots of maybes and ifs after each of Binocular's defeats at Cheltenham..
 
Galileo said:
Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown -


------1 Al Eile
-4-43 2 De Valira
07111 3 Donnas Palm
2p435 4 Ebadiyan
14121 5 Go Native
11-13 6 Hurricane Fly ​
22112 7 Jumbo Rio
-2552 8 Muirhead
11113 9 Solwhit (FR) ​

------ 10 Starluck​

1-402 11 Sublimity (FR)
-5111 12 Voler La Vedette

2-074 13 Won In The Dark ​
Click to expand...

A chance for HF to show why he is so short priced for the Champion... Too big a leap of faith for me though. He'd be doing well to reverse form with Solwhit and Muirhead, assuming that one of these is good eough to win here.
 
SteveM said:
Although taking aboard all of that he ran blinders on both of his Festival appearances. A fully tuned up horse might just be really impressive.
Click to expand...

Add "might" now to the list of maybes and ifs!

He ran well in two races, looked the winner in his first until being outbattled/stayed in the novice hurdle and then had the perfect position in the Champion Hurdle just off a crazy pace and he still could not win and that form has not being standing up that well this season so far.

As for Hurricane Fly I would not back him for Christmas given the stable doubts about the horse recently.
 
Having backed Celestial Halo following his Wincanton romp, and Khyber Kim following his defeat of CH last weekend, I am now thoroughly confused by the Champion Hurdle.

The more I think about it, the more I am coming to the conclusion that Zaynar is the answer... They look like they are a pretty mediocre bunch (by that I don't mean that they are necessarily all rubbish, just that as they all keep beating each other there doesn't look to be a stand out performer, and they can't all be superstars, can they)?
 
Back
Top