The Road To The 2018 Champion Hurdle

Who will win the 2018 CH

  • Buveur D'Air

    Votes: 17 54.8%

  • Faugheen

    Votes: 10 32.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 4 12.9%
  • Total voters
    31
  • Poll closed .
I voted for BDA. Think he is more solid than Faugheen, who could still yet bounce...........I would have voted for Hurricane Fly, if he'd been on the list though. :ninja:
 
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Fook stats they got nothing to do with anyythin.It used to be "NO HORSE HAS EVER WON THE KING GEORGE 5 TIMES" now it's only 1 horse has won it 5 times......Faugheen don't give a fook about stats he only knows how to run
 
What are the chances of Mullins sending either of Melon or VVM over to test the water for the Christmas Hurdle? I hope he does.


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Neck and neck. I voted Buveur D'air.

Istabraq missed out on winning the race as a 9 year old and made a winning reappearance later that year, admittedly not as easy as Faugheen's. He went to Cheltenham as favourite the following March as a 10yo and we all know what happened.

Faugheen clearly hasn't been the luckiest horse in terms of injuries and while it could be argued that's kept him relatively fresh for a 10yo, Istabraq proved that age catches up with even the best and he'll have to go some to run the sting out of the younger horse.
 
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Great debate, and I've plumped for the Hendo hurdler. I can't see anything other than these two battling it out - assuming both get there in March - but I still think Faugheen is vulnerable. Even if we take the view that he was ready for his comeback just after the Punchestown Festival, that is still 15-16 months off the track. Do hurdlers or chasers ever come back as good as ever after that period of absence, particularly 9 or 10 year-olds? I'm not seeing it at all. And BdA should achieve a normal level of improvement from 6 to 7. Defi du Seiul or MTOY for third.
 
granger said:
Maybe he'll send Faugheen over and send the shi*s up Nicky
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Wouldn’t it be brilliant. It wont happen but it wouldn’t bother me. I think he will send some poor horse over to test the water tho.......who’ll go home with 1st degree burns.


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Colin Phillips said:
EC1 will never be forgotten.
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Indeed, I liked reading his tips through the week. You could tell he had his head buried in the formbook which showed his passion. At times he got in a strop, and rightly so, because he was actually criticized for starting a thread on a Saturday race, that other people thought wasn't worthy of a thread!

In hindsight that was a bit uncalled-for and silly really.

From memory he was a stats man wasn't he?

When we had arguments once or twice, we always knew what it was actually about, which was nice to know.

I wish him well.
 
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I'm the second to vote 'other'. This is my reasoning.

It's still over 3 months to the race and past experience says that one or even both the principles won't line up but 'other', of course, will. If we look at the bookie's prices, assuming a 115% book, they are calling it something like
Evens - Other
6/4 - Faugheen
3/1 - Buveur D'Air

If the race were taking place tomorrow with every horse going there fit and ready, I'd be firmly in the Faugheen camp but that wasn't the proposition.
 
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Nice reasoning.

Though I'd argue there's no place for logic in the annual champion hurdle / fishwife culling thread.
 
granger said:
Must be drink taken or some very strong 'grass' inhaled
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No point in berating Kauto Abu for under-estimating Faugheen, and then under-estimating BDA myself.

As I say, he is rock-solid, whereas I still have some mild reservations about Faugheen.
 
wilsonl said:
Nice reasoning.

Though I'd argue there's no place for logic in the annual champion hurdle / fishwife culling thread.
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:lol:

I tried to make a nod to that with the final sentence.

As I said earlier, I've got Faugheen at 4/1 NRNB, Buveur D'Air at 5/1 and Melon (who is by a long way the most likely 'other') at 16/1 ew. My book is closed until there is further meaningful information from actual races.
 
Grasshopper said:
No point in berating Kauto Abu for under-estimating Faugheen, and then under-estimating BDA myself.

As I say, he is rock-solid, whereas I still have some mild reservations about Faugheen.
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Grass right now.


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wilsonl said:
Neck and neck. I voted Buveur D'air.

Istabraq missed out on winning the race as a 9 year old and made a winning reappearance later that year, admittedly not as easy as Faugheen's. He went to Cheltenham as favourite the following March as a 10yo and we all know what happened.

Faugheen clearly hasn't been the luckiest horse in terms of injuries and while it could be argued that's kept him relatively fresh for a 10yo, Istabraq proved that age catches up with even the best and he'll have to go some to run the sting out of the younger horse.
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The 'sting' wasn't there, behind Altior.
 
reet hard said:
The 'sting' wasn't there, behind Altior.
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That's a bit like saying the sting wasn't there when Sprinter Sacre was placed behind Al Ferof.

Yes, I know he showed improved form for the switch to fences but that was only part of it and Buveur D'air's Supreme run reminded me of his. He's a different, more finished horse now.
 
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