The Road To The 2012 Champion Hurdle

granger said:
Hatton's Grace – 4/5 Thousand Stars, 4/1 Mourad, 6/1 Voler La Vedette, 8/1 The Real Article, 9/1 Unaccompanied, 12/1 Mikael D'Haguenet, 18/1 Final Approach.
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Voler beat Mourad last year by 2 lengths after making a mistake 2 out and she gets 7lbs rather than the 5lbs last year. Something wrong there. I know Mourad beat her at Punchestown but that was over 3m and Thousand Stars beat her, but that was over 2m. 2m4f is her trip and if she hadn't made that mistake last year I think she would have split Solwhit and Hurricane.
 
If, if if.

Mourad is 7-10 pounds better than Voler la Vedette. I am not the biggest fan of Solwhit (slight understatement, some might say) but to say VlV would have split him and Hurricane Fly is very wide of the mark. Whilst you (perhaps rightly, I don't know) made the point your inside info makes you some cash, I would argue these cases are dangerous as you (and anyone else in your position) are too emotionally attached to the stable.

If I was a fan of a football team, you could say the same about me and betting on them...
 
Did you look at the replay?

She was a length behind Mourad at the second last, made a mistake and was 3 down and lost momentum. She beat him after the last by 2 lengths.

She was 2 lengths down on Solwhit at the second last, lost 2 lengths and momentum, was four lengths down on Solwhit after the last and got beaten two at the line (less but I'm adding half a length for Russell easing down ten yards from the line). She did me a nice turn in that race last year as I had her without two, but if she hadnt fluffed her lines two out, you can't say she wouldn't have split the pair. Your comment that it is wide of the mark is itself wide of the mark.

And there is no emotion when money comes out of my pocket. I wish it wasn't stuck the lining of the pocket so much or I'd be a richer man for it.
 
Cantoris said:
Did you look at the replay?

She was a length behind Mourad at the second last, made a mistake and was 3 down and lost momentum. She beat him after the last by 2 lengths.

She was 2 lengths down on Solwhit at the second last, lost 2 lengths and momentum, was four lengths down on Solwhit after the last and got beaten two at the line (less but I'm adding half a length for Russell easing down ten yards from the line). She did me a nice turn in that race last year as I had her without two, but if she hadnt fluffed her lines two out, you can't say she wouldn't have split the pair. Your comment that it is wide of the mark is itself wide of the mark.

And there is no emotion when money comes out of my pocket. I wish it wasn't stuck the lining of the pocket so much or I'd be a richer man for it.
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No offence, but that's too simple a way to look at it for me.

I do remember your bet (w/o the front 2) and it worked out well for you, well done.

Mourad got much better as the season went on, and I think he has plenty of pace to be equally effectivve at 2m4.

Good luck, but I don't see an angle - she could well get third (I don't like The Real Article) but that is as good as she is, for me.
 
Price the match up OTB. No-one would offer me the place price on Quito in the Gold Cup so lets see if the shorter odds are any more attractive. I was thinking 4/5 and 5/4 myself
 
Probably tighter than that I would have said at the prices 9/10 Mourad 11/10 Vole La Vedette and if it's a dead heat you both owe me a trip to Vegas!

I would defer to Slim Chance for verification of the above!
 
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Cantoris said:
Did you look at the replay?

She was a length behind Mourad at the second last, made a mistake and was 3 down and lost momentum. She beat him after the last by 2 lengths.

She was 2 lengths down on Solwhit at the second last, lost 2 lengths and momentum, was four lengths down on Solwhit after the last and got beaten two at the line (less but I'm adding half a length for Russell easing down ten yards from the line). She did me a nice turn in that race last year as I had her without two, but if she hadnt fluffed her lines two out, you can't say she wouldn't have split the pair. Your comment that it is wide of the mark is itself wide of the mark.

And there is no emotion when money comes out of my pocket. I wish it wasn't stuck the lining of the pocket so much or I'd be a richer man for it.
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Voler La Vedette might finish in front of Solwhit in a race in the next life, but not in this one. You are deluding yourself, Cantoris.
 
Re Christmas Hurdle arrangements:

NH: "Grandouet is more likely to run at Cheltenham in the International there and Spirit Son is a bit in the Riverside Theatre department and he's not quite ready".

So Binocular looks like representing again.
 
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I would run Oscar Whisky in the Bula and Grandouet in the Xmas Hurdle - you can imagine Grandouet would take a lot of beating round Kempton.
 
Hamm said:
What about Starluck for the Xmas hurdle?
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Not sure what’s happening with him. Seems the yard don’t know either. Quote from a few weeks ago: "We're not absolutely sure what we will do with him. We could go on the Flat, over hurdles or chasing with him" (Arbuthnot). Not very helpful... As far as I can see he’s not entered up for anything. Probably “not yet ready” also.
 
...I like him. There is a race of some sort out there for him. Seems he doesn't jump fences as well as I hoped he would though.
 
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Grasshopper said:
Starluck is a coward and a thief, and needs a squiggle.
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I'm no fan but I think that's harsh. He's just not as good as some people seem to think. And he'll never be a chaser. I'd be seriously tempted to give him a few spins on the AW, try and make him into a Winter Derby type.
 
Hamm, are you dodging me again? First it was QDLR, now it VLV. I'll even have the bet for charity of your choice and my choice depending on who wins.
 
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Cantoris said:
Hamm, are you dodging me again? First it was QDLR, now it VLV. I'll even have the bet for charity of your choice and my choice depending on who wins.
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Come down to Cork over Xmas and we'll see who dodges who! :D

Only kidding. No bet for me, as I don't often bet on irish racing...
 
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