The Champion Hurdle 2010

The race really does have a disappointing feel to it (in terms of potential stars) in the context of the high hopes held out for many at the start of the season e.g Hurricane Fly, Binocular, Zaynar etc. In saying that with strong travellers like Go Native, Kyber Kim and Starluck it should be an exciting renewal to watch in terms of competitiveness.
 
I don't think we'll be disappointed, everything before Chelt is a phony War.
Plenty of these horses will only be reaching their peak this year and next.
 
Byrnes' suggests that Solwhit is currently less than 50-50 to make the Champion Hurdle, but there has been no alarming price drift as yet. In fact, he's shortened!

:confused:
 
Grasshopper said:
Byrnes' suggests that Solwhit is currently less than 50-50 to make the Champion Hurdle, but there has been no alarming price drift as yet. In fact, he's shortened!

:confused:
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Noticed that, Mr Byrnes rep has reached legendary status, no one is sure whether he's trying to make a price or not.
 
I would have been more confident about him lining-up without this additional bulletin (which is saying the obvious, I guess). I'm still inclined to think he might make the race, but who knows.
 
Apart from anything else, if they have put him on a course of antibiotics until the end of the week, his blood would probably only just be free of it by Tuesday (as they can't run on antibiotics). Very tight I would have thought even if he scopes clean at the weekend.
 
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Binocular (FR) 6.g
Celestial Halo (IRE) 6.g
Donnas Palm (IRE) 6.g
Ebadiyan (IRE) 5.g
Go Native (IRE) 7.g
Jumbo Rio (IRE) 5.g
Kargali (IRE) 5.h
Khyber Kim 8.g
Medermit (FR) 6.g
Muirhead (IRE) 7.g
Punjabi 7.g
Raise Your Heart (IRE) 7.g
Royal And Regal (IRE) 6.g
Solwhit (FR) 6.g
Starluck (IRE) 5.g
Won In The Dark (IRE) 6.g
Zaynar (FR) 5.g
 
Trainer should be shot if he runs Kargali in this first time out - social day out for the guy and could ruin a pretty decent horse.
 
There should be a discretionary power given to the BHA to refuse entry to certain horses - this may seem ridiculous but it does nothing for racing to see this, and especially that prat who was buying horses in recent seasons to race them in Championship events (can't remember his name).
 
He ran chimes at midnight in it in '02 , who had the luxury of an outing over hurdles before it. The horse was previously third in the St Leger (possibly could have won it ) and than he raced it into the ground down to a rating of 52.
 
Smurfit Kappa ends Cheltenham sponsorship

BY ANDREW SCUTTS 10:13AM 10 MAR 2010

CHELTENHAM on Wednesday announced that this year's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, on March 16, will be the last under the sponsorship banner of the paper packaging group.

The companyhas sponsored the race since 1991 in an era that has included the career of Istabraq, one of the most dominant hurdlers of modern times.

Reflecting on two decades of sponsorship at Cheltenham, Gary McGann, group chief executive of Smurfit Kappa, said: "The Smurfit Kappa Group is pleased to have fully honoured its sponsorship commitment to the Champion Hurdle.

"We have enjoyed theexcellent working relationship with the Cheltenham management team and we wish them every success in finding a suitable future sponsor for this famous event."


Edward Gillespie: huge gratitude


PICTURE: Getty Images

Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham's managing director, added: "It has been a joy to have the support of Smurfit Kappa for so many years. Sir Michael Smurfit, a great friend to racing, was initially the driving force behind the deal and it was appropriate that he had a runner in the first Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in 1991.

"It wasn't until 1998 that the great Istabraq became the first Irish winner of the race under the Smurfit banner, and since then, Irish-trained horses have won on a further six occasions.

"On behalf of everyone at Cheltenham, I'd like to express our huge gratitude to Smurfit Kappa for everything the company has done to promote this great race."

Peter McNeile, director of sponsorship at Cheltenham, said: "Smurfit Kappa has been an excellent partner and will be difficult to replace, but we already have some interest from other parties and will begin theprocess of recruiting a new sponsor for what is one of the iconic races once the dust has settled on the 2010 festival."
 
Hamm said:
There should be a discretionary power given to the BHA to refuse entry to certain horses - this may seem ridiculous but it does nothing for racing to see this, and especially that prat who was buying horses in recent seasons to race them in Championship events (can't remember his name).
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Was it not Fergus wilson, with the likes of astonville and turnium.
 
Apparently Kargali and Royal And Regal don't meet the minimum rating for the Champion Hurdle (130). It was introduced after the Astonville/Turnium incident - both of whom were rated in the high 130's when they ran in the race.
 
It would have been a start if they'd had any rating over jumps! Royal And Regal was a Group horse on the flat, wasn't he?
 
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