The Road To The 2012 Champion Hurdle

granger said:
When is Nicholls unleashing Zarkandar?
Click to expand...

Maybe Betfair Hurdle, maybe not. It depends how quickly he comes to hand.

All up in the air at the moment.

His form got yet another boost today with Smad Place winning well. The Triumph is looking very strong indeed and Zarkandar was an easy winner. He might even be capable of putting it up to the Fly if he improves as you would expect.
 
Last edited:
Real bummer and unless Binocular comes very close to beating Hurricane Fly in Ireland things can only getry worse.

Zarkandar's form when beating Kumbushwar hardly entitles him to run in a Champion Hurdle let alone win one. He coud improve but Gandouet has already and that's a big plus/
 
Tanlic said:
Zarkandar's form when beating Kumbushwar hardly entitles him to run in a Champion Hurdle let alone win one.
Click to expand...

Surely the first rule of punting at Cheltenham is to ignore Aintree form, or at the very least treat it with the utmost caution. You just need to look at his Triumph win where he beat a lot of good horses who have gone on and boosted it time and time again in facile fashion.

Provided that he has progressed as you would expect, plus the breathing operation, he must have a strong chance. The stable appears very confident too.

He looks the biggest danger to Hurricane Fly to me.
 
Zenyatta said:
Can't see this happening in a million years. I'd be very very surprised if Henderson took him over to Ireland to take on Hurricane Fly first time out.
Click to expand...

I'd see this as a prime opportunity for Spirit Son (even though he doesn't appear to be going for it). I'd be less worried about him first time out than HF. It surely represents as good a chance as SS will get to beat HF. If HF is able to win against this opposition it will surely enhance his chance for Cheltenham. I would have thought that this is the time to be opposing HF. I don't see him as an odds-on chance for this.
 
Last edited:
Steve, you do know that Spirit Son won't go to Leopardstown and is reportedly very likely to miss Cheltenham too, don't you?
 
(2:30) 19D BHP Insurance Irish Champion H'dle
(Grade 1) €71,500.00 ( 2m - 4yo+ )[MAX 30]
FIRST FORFEIT: 24-JAN-12
SUPPLEMENTARY ENTRY: 24-JAN-12
NHFrm
1143- 1 Binocular (FR) (NHenderson (in
GB)) - .......................... 11,10
-111- 2 Hurricane Fly(173) (WPMullins) - . .... 11,10
8311- 3 Mikael D'Haguenet (FR)(152)
(WPMullins) - . ............. 11,10
4323- 4 Oscars Well(157) (MrsJHarrington) -
. ................................... 11,10
1138- 5 Pittoni(151) (CByrnes) - . .................... 11,10
3611- 6 So Young (FR)(149) (WPMullins) - . .. 11,10
7 Spirit Son (FR) (NHenderson (in
GB)) - .......................... 11,10
2112- 8 Thousand Stars (FR)(163)
(WPMullins) - . ............. 11,10
2711- 9 Zaidpour (FR)(157) (WPMullins) - . .... 11,10
1312- 10 Kalann(144) (SJHarty) - . .................... 11,08
4111- 11 Voler La Vedette(154) (CAMurphy) -
. ................................... 11,03
2411- 12 Unaccompanied(157) (DKWeld) - . ... 11,01
Click to expand...
 
I've no idea why Henderson would even contemplate sending Binocular over to Ireland unless it's to improve his price for the CH. The likely jog round and sprint from the second last is about as likely to suit him as a three mile chase round Uttoxeter in heavy ground.
 
Grasshopper said:
Steve, you do know that Spirit Son won't go to Leopardstown and is reportedly very likely to miss Cheltenham too, don't you?
Click to expand...

Well it seems he won't as I said. But if all was well with him I'd be very keen to take HF on sooner than later. It's unclear to me what to take at face value in the run up to the Festival.
 
Last edited:
I see problem with his off-fore. Been travelling about this weekend and didn't realise there was a big problem with him. It was only Thursday when Henderson was saying he was in tremendous form.

Pity if he'll miss the Festival, but I suppose they have to take it very easy now.
 
What did people make of Mikael D'haguenet's performance at the weekend? He was such an exciting novice hurdler and he looked back to that kind of form. He looked to have the acceleration back he showed in his novice days. I'll never forget Cattermole calling him as being in trouble on the bend in the Neptune before Ruby gave him a squeeze and he took off and went past them all with ease.

If he were mine I think I would be leaning towards the Champion because I've never thought he was a stayer. Alternatively, given Mullins riches in the hurdling department, they might wait for the Aintree hurdle for him as 2 1/2 looks his optimum distance.
 
Aragorn said:
What did people make of Mikael D'haguenet's performance at the weekend? He was such an exciting novice hurdler and he looked back to that kind of form. He looked to have the acceleration back he showed in his novice days. I'll never forget Cattermole calling him as being in trouble on the bend in the Neptune before Ruby gave him a squeeze and he took off and went past them all with ease.

If he were mine I think I would be leaning towards the Champion because I've never thought he was a stayer. Alternatively, given Mullins riches in the hurdling department, they might wait for the Aintree hurdle for him as 2 1/2 looks his optimum distance.
Click to expand...

Left him out of my TTF this season after having him in most of my lists last season... so I haven't timed him right at all. He won very easily at the weekend, but was expected and entitled to do so. I don't know what he's going for at the Festival (maybe Mullins doesn't either), but I'd expect him to be there in something.
 
I'd send him the WH route but Mullins has Mourad and So Young there already. The champion has cut up with the likely exodus of SS and no sign yet of Zarkandar. They could be tempted
 
granger said:
I'd send him the WH route but Mullins has Mourad and So Young there already. The champion has cut up with the likely exodus of SS and no sign yet of Zarkandar. They could be tempted
Click to expand...

It makes not a jot of a difference if he runs in the Champion Hurdle. Hurricane Fly would devour him.
 
On the strength of one race course gallop and the defection of an 8/1 shot HF is now 6/4. Think I'd prefer to back him at 8/11 in his trial.

If you can follow my logic.
 
Last edited:
I'm a little concerned about Hamm.

He hasn't been sighted since Spirit Son's injury news came out, and I'm worried that he's topped himself........especially as I took the 4/7 about him eventually disappearing up his own arse.

:D
 
I think Unaccompanied is a very strong bet tomorrow...improving ...and is possibly the one they have to beat in a few weeks time...but i thought same about a couple of others too;)...but i can see after the race that HF will.."have needed the run"...and "was conceding weight"..2lb more than in CH anyway;)
 
Last edited:
I'm actually not hugely concerned about tomorrow's result.

I don't think they would pitch Hurricane Fly in here unless he was able to do himself justice, but then again, they absolutely won't give him a hard race either. And he has lost on his seasonal re-appearance previously; again following a setback. I don't know if we'll see the full picture tomorrow (even if he does win) and I think the only race that matters to connections - and me - is the Champion Hurdle.

If Hurricane Fly gets turned over and is pushed-out to, say, 4/1? I will be robot-like back to Betfair, looking to hoover up as much of it as I can.

I'm already half-way to China. Might as well keep digging. :D
 
Last edited:
Back
Top