The Road to the 2017 Champion Hurdle

Of course they have decided where they would like to go the only questions is will they get there in one piece and ready to rock N roll but that applies to every horse going to Cheltenham

Willie as Ricci says wants to win races not one race...better for him if he wins two!! Ricci wants to win the Champion Hurdle and doesn't think running only one is the way to go but at the end of the day he pays Willie to make the decisions he only offers opinions and it's what Willie says that goes.

With Willies record I reckon both will make it if we are not being lied to and both horses are fine at the moment.

Personally I would rather read the rants and perhaps be told something I missed and stab a guess than stick my head in the sand like an ostrich
 
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Tanlic said:
Personally I would rather read the rants and perhaps be told something I missed and stab a guess than stick my head in the sand like an ostrich
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no you wouldn't, I've been telling you the same facts about Douvan for instance like in 100 posts and you still carry on ignoring them. Here's another, Willie is the one that wants both in the CH. RR wants to keep them apart. In his latest interview he makes that clear to Chappers.
 
Faugheen and Annie both slight drifters across the piece today, with money coming for Yanworth, Petit Mouchoir, and most notably, Brain Power, who is now no bigger than 16/1, and generally a 12's chance.

Were they making initial entries for both this and the Gold Cup today?
 
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Closing dates (according to HRI):
9/1 Gold Cup, Ryanair
16/1 CH, Stayers
23/1 Arkle, NH Ch, RSA, JLT

I'm guessing that the novice hurdles will be 30/1.
 
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Paddy Power have taken a view that Faugheen runs in the CH and not the Stayers. They and Betfair have him at 12s and 14s for the latter race while no one else goes more than 6/1 and most are shorter. Meanwhile they only go 15/8 Faugheen for the Champion Hurdle.
 
Pricewise puts up his ante post picks in tomorrow's RP. I think he'll put up Superb Story as his value E/W selection as opposed to the topical Brain Power.
 
Double Handful said:
Pricewise puts up his ante post picks in tomorrow's RP. I think he'll put up Superb Story as his value E/W selection as opposed to the topical Brain Power.
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Me and Grassy watched him win at Musselburgh on New Years Day...if he is placed in a champion hurdle its may possibly be the worst one yet.
 
Segal has been hinting that Superb Story was his big priced fancy all season, so reckon he was going to put him up however unimpressive he was on New Year Day. Agree totally it will be a poor race if he’s in the mix and would prefer Brain Power of the two
 
He's rated 145 and stablemate North Hill Harvey is on 147. The latter would have finished ahead of Petit Mouchir in the Supreme but for the mistake (Skelton even thinks he'd have finished second) and as Segal alludes to his column, with uncertainty around the front few in the market you'd normally look to the previous year's Supreme winner. This year the front three from that race have all gone novice chasing, as has the Neptune winner so that leaves Yanworth to fly the flag for last year's novices and he's too short now in case either Faugheen or Annie turn up.

I digress but the fact that Superb Story heads here and yet Skelton is keeping Greatwood winner North Hill Harvey back for the County speaks volumes about the latter's chances in that race. He'll be running off something like 11st 7lb on past evidence and if the British handicapper is true to form that means he'll be getting in the region of half a stone from current market rival and likely top weight Campeador and he'll be nothing like 14/1 on the day for this, his intended target.

Skelton has already said he'll be going chasing next year so in an open year it's interesting they're not giving him one shot at the Champion first - they must be pretty confident of running well in the handicap.
 
Digger said:
Me and Grassy watched him [Superb Story] win at Musselburgh on New Years Day...if he is placed in a champion hurdle its may possibly be the worst one yet.
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I may well be talking through my pocket but he was lucky to win that day. If My Manekineko had got a halfway competent tactical ride he'd have beaten Superb Story.

Then again, SS might only have been half fit.
 
That's a laugh and a half..if Faugheen makes it!!
Annie
Apple's Jade
Dikali
Cloandaw Warrior
Nick Canyon
Footpad
Ivan Grozny
Petit Mouchoir
 
AAnnie wont run not will Douvan............Apples Jade has another target...........anything approaching evens has to be a great back to lay
 
Would be stunned if Superb Story won. Where Segal is probably bang on is that no horse could give Annie the weight and beat her.
 
Im assuming that Faugheen either wont run or will not be fully tuned for the Irish Champion. Based on nothing but a hunch... Where does the value lie outside of him? Annie also doesn't run.
 
I reckon DO is sitting with a pretty handy bet, with his 25/1 (?) about Brain Power.

I think it was a decent handicap that he won, and in the absence of the Ricci pair, he appeals most as an alternative. There is just about some play left in the current 12/1, and he's around a 5/1 chance in Betfair's 'Without the Pair' market.

I had a couple of kopeks on Footpad at 400 only this morning; mainly because he has bits of form against a horse in France called Device, who I'm a huge fan of, and him not being entirely-humiliated behind Petit Mouchoir over Xmas. He would need it almost on the verge of being cancelled, though, to have any real sort of chance, as he is a thorough-stayer at 2m on Soft ground (ideally wants further, imo).
 
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