The Champion Hurdle 2010

Mikael D'Haguenet added to Champion Hurdle market by Hills following "numerous requests".

Interesting development?
 
I would take it with a pinch of salt - this was brought up on ATR when Sean Boyce interview Willie Mullins suggesting was a hurdles campaign likely....Mullins said at this stage he was not thinking like that as the horse has experience over fences already in France and would only need one or two outings here. I think the fact ATR mentioned it could have put it in mind for a few people who are now asking for quotes.

Florida Pearl ran at Cheltenham with just two jump starts to his name straight from bumpers. Obviously he could re-route to hurdles but I would not take any prices just yet.
 
I think Mullins has many novice chasers and he is seeing how the form of Karabak, Diamond and many of the horses beaten by him is working and that he could be a better proposition in hdls.
 
Willie Mullins -

"The priority is to get Mikael D'Haguenet back on the racecourse as soon as we can, but we're not happy with him yet and it is too early to say when that might happen," said the trainer.

"We are still looking at training him for a novice chase campaign, but everything is up in the air and we're having to take things day by day.
"If he was back on track we'd be entering him for different chases at Cheltenham and nothing else. But because of where we are, nothing - including a possible Champion Hurdle entry - is being ruled in or out."
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Desert Orchid said:
Hardly the ideal prep for a championship race.
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Terrible prep but the horse is a monster. If he was confirmed as being aimed at it and got two runs into him anything would be possible. 12-1 though - No, Kyber Kim at the same price now looks insane value.
 
Gearoid said:
Terrible prep but the horse is a monster. If he was confirmed as being aimed at it and got two runs into him anything would be possible. 12-1 though - No, Kyber Kim at the same price now looks insane value.
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Agree with the Monster part.
 
Monster indeed but I would be wary of backing him for anything at this stage - just do not like the comments from Mullins about the horse.

As for Mullins DO whats your problem with him?
 
Mullins seems to have been overly honest if anything about his horses and most seem to have needed the run where indicated, and his comments have surely aided antepost punters this season.
 
Hamm said:
Mullins seems to have been overly honest if anything about his horses and most seem to have needed the run where indicated, and his comments have surely aided antepost punters this season.
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Would agree with that, tough Cooldine was very strong in the Lexus market seemingly in spite of what Mullins was saying.
 
Galileo said:
As for Mullins DO whats your problem with him?
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I'm never sure if he tells things as they are. If he says he fancies one I'd fancy it to get beat. If he plays down the chances of one I'd watch for it being punted.

Having said that, I don't view him much differently from most other trainers. Very few tell it as it is. The media should latch on to the ones that are most open (like Nicholls) and stick with talking to them. If others realised they needed to be open and honest in order to get on TV (and thereby attract more owners) then it wouldn't be a bad thing.

For the occasional TV viewer, there isn't much worse than listening to a trainer talk up a horse's chance only to see it get a negative ride, or vice versa.
 
davidjohnson said:
12/1 for a horse that may not be good enough, quick enough or fit enough. I'll swerve it!
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They're only offering 4 or 5/1 on a horse who still hasn't proven the first 2 - I would think Mikael's Cheltenham win is still better than anything Zaynar has done this season.
 
Irish Champion Entries

Al Eile
Bahrain Storm
Binocular
Celestial Halo
De Valira
Donnas Palm
Muirhead
Punjabi (GB)
Royal And Regal
Solwhit (FR)
Sublimity (FR)
Won In The Dark
Jumbo Rio
Mr Thriller (FR)
Torphichen
Voler La Vedette​

 
Why bother entering him in it when there is the Grade 1 for novices at the same time. He'll get another run under the belt (more experience) before taking on the big boys - in the big assumption that he is going to run in the Champion of course.
 
I thought Fenton said that if there was to be any chance of the horse running in the Champion (however slim) he would go in the Irish Champion first? Might be wrong.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I'm never sure if he tells things as they are. If he says he fancies one I'd fancy it to get beat. If he plays down the chances of one I'd watch for it being punted.

Having said that, I don't view him much differently from most other trainers. Very few tell it as it is. The media should latch on to the ones that are most open (like Nicholls) and stick with talking to them. If others realised they needed to be open and honest in order to get on TV (and thereby attract more owners) then it wouldn't be a bad thing.

For the occasional TV viewer, there isn't much worse than listening to a trainer talk up a horse's chance only to see it get a negative ride, or vice versa.
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About 3 years ago now I read an interview with Willie Mullins where he said that he expected his horses to do a lot better after Christmas-which they did -winning me a fair few quid.
I always pay particular attention to his quoted comments in the media and I cannot think of any time when I have felt completely stitched up by him.For my money he is the most open and media friendly trainer at the moment.
 
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