The Champion Hurdle 2010

hezz said:
Zaynar or Punjabi?? I'd imagine whichever one Geraghty chooses Mc Coy would get the other?
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Tony McCoy is 8/15 with Sky Bet to ride reigning champion Punjabi in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
The champion jockey's intended mount, Binocular, misses the race because of a muscle problem and the battle is on to secure his services.
Punjabi will require a new jockey if Barry Geraghty elects to partner Zaynar ahead of his stablemate.
McCoy, who regularly rides for trainer Nicky Henderson, is 11/4 to partner Zaynar.
It's 10/1 he rides any other horse and 6/1 he doesn't have a mount in the race.
 
No surprise - I did not rate Binocular as highly as some but I think it was pretty clear to most that he was not the horse of last year.
 
Galileo said:
No surprise - I did not rate Binocular as highly as some but I think it was pretty clear to most that he was not the horse of last year.
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It might be fair to treat Binocular's form after Ascot last year with a degree of tolerance. If the muscle problem has gone undiagnosed who's to know how long it's been there.
 
23 horses left in the champion hurdle once you take binocular out. I still stick with Zaynar but the other horses are:

AL EILE
BLUE BAJAN
CELESTIAL HALO
DONNAS PALM
DUNGUIB
EBADIYAN
FIULIN
GO NATIVE
JUMBO RIO
KARGALI
KHYBER KIM
MEDERMIT
MUIRHEAD
PUNJABI
QUEVEGA
RAISE YOUR HEART
ROYAL AND REGAL
SOLWHIT
STARLUCK
SUBLIMITY
VOLER LA VEDETTE
WON IN THE DARK
ZAYNAR
 
I wouldn't touch Zaynar with a bargepole...where on earth is the evidence he's good enough to win this?
 
Hey Bobbyjo it's just an opinion! I think Zaynar is a horse that will have improved dramatically improved from last year and he has got good form. But it is a wide-open race once again. Whats your fancy for the race?
 
I think Solwhit and Go Native are the benchmark, and I like Medermit as well........I may have been a bit OTT on Zaynar there but he seems to be fancied by default because he has dodged all the better races, and I'm not sure he will have the speed. You think he has improved dramatically from last year, but I don't have the proof. I'd expect Punjabi to finish ahead of Zaynar...
 
I think that Go Native will be out-battled up the hill because as of yet he hasn't been in much of a battle because he hasn't had to come off the bridle. When he did at Kempton there was nothing there and he only just won. Solwhit is very interesting and i would put him up there, punjabi hasn't shown me proof that he will finish ahead of Zaynar and i can't see any of the others getting into it.

I think the quiet horse of the race recently has been Khyber Kim. I know people are doubting his form but he has been pretty good in his last 2 races. I think he could sneak a place
 
I think the point about Go Native being outbattled is in danger of becoming a terrible cliche that people spout without really thinking about. He only does enough, but I think it's a fair way between that and suggesting he's a bottler. He's already done something that Harchibald hasn't done by winning at Cheltenham...and the fast finishing Medermit has proven himself to be a decent animal. And, in any case, Carberry went too soon. Sure, he needs to be ridden in a specific way but then you could say that about a lot of top horses ahead of the Festival. You've already said that you haven't seen Solwhit racing, which surely makes it hard for you to draw any definitive analysis about the overall picture. I don't think it's the kind of year where you can say that you can't see any of the others getting into it. On the contrary, I think there'll be 7 or 8 in with a chance coming to the business end. I fully expect Celestial Halo to be very prominent, for one...although I ultimately think he isn't good enough to win
 
Bobbyjo said:
I think there'll be 7 or 8 in with a chance coming to the business end.
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I have to agree with you there. Do you remember the year Granville Again fell two out when ten were fanned across the track jumping that hurdle. I think it could be the same this year and at that point it comes down to the horse that jumps best, has the underlying ability and is in top form on the day. It could be any one of seven or eight at the mo.
 
I'd fancy her to go close on soft ground but she's not mine and I'd probably take the easier option and the money if she was.
 
I think Quevega will out stay her in the mares race and she is probably not good enough in the Champion but that a fast run two miles would suit her better.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Oh dear Nicky - not the best choice running in heavy at Kelso, good to see Quwetwo back though :)
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Great point - messing horses around to avoid each other so much so that he is running them in races that do not suit. He had a hard old slog there and did not look too keen.
 
agree. quweto always promising and twice the size of zaynar, but shame nonetheless. slowly run race from front did not suit him at all, but couldnt see zaynar not being keen - he simply hated every meter of it ....
 
He'd have had a better prep with a good 2m gallop at Newbury last Saturday or Haydock this Saturday - don't see any particular reason why they shouldn't do something similar to the trials evening they have over in Ireland, would have a good blowout and probably run against a similarly highly rated stablemate.
 
Quwetwo is a heroic animal, he's about 30 hands tall!

They should aim him at the 2m4f race at Aintree.

(That's my jumps contribution for the year done.)
 
Galileo said:
Great point - messing horses around to avoid each other so much so that he is running them in races that do not suit. He had a hard old slog there and did not look too keen.
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Exactly.

Henderson has placed his horses in the worst races imagnable this season, and I'm delighted he's getting his comeuppance.
 
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