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 .
Can't see how anyone can go near Melon for the CH after today! His Supreme is a poor one.
Glad for MTOY, deserved that, well in front of TNO on head to heads, all defeats to TNO have been tactical, today was his CH.
 
Aughex said:
Disgraceful from RUK pre-race talking about giving it a name after a horse.. would've been great if someone smashed their heads to bring back the long-term memory loss of the Bula Hurdle
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Glad someone else noticed that -Machin is some spoofer.
 
Great race to watch -would have been happy to see either of the first two win.I wouldn't be in a hurry to lay Melon at 20/1 -he was up against hardened performers today and I thought he ran respectably -give him better ground and a faster pace in March and he could be a factor.
 
LUKE said:
Great race to watch -would have been happy to see either of the first two win.I wouldn't be in a hurry to lay Melon at 20/1 -he was up against hardened performers today and I thought he ran respectably -give him better ground and a faster pace in March and he could be a factor.
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MTOY so game today - he surely would have won lots more races when he young including the 2014 Champion if he had settled when he was young like he does now .
 
Double Handful said:
I think it's definitely the resolve. I can see how 20/1 is appealing to people and I can see you getting a great run for your money. And he could/should Tavel into contention, but inevitably he just won't find, imo. We now have 3 strong pieces of evidence to support this.

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I'm not sure about that DH. I've just watched all three back and I'm even more convinced than before that he's not a bridle merchant, but they do need to teach him to settle. He's tanking through his races. Quicker ground and championship pace can only help him with the petrol at the end of his race compared to the field.

For those that don't think he was pulling re-watch the race. Mullins let out an inch of reign at each hurdle and he quickened into them at the speed he was wanting to go for the whole race. He seriously impressed with his jumping though, taking half a length from the field at pretty much every one. It's to his credit that he pulled like that and was a length and half length behind MTOY and TNO.
 
Maruco said:
I'm not sure about that DH. I've just watched all three back and I'm even more convinced than before that he's not a bridle merchant
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It's not so much the on/off the bridle part. It's the guts/will/heart or the want to win of the horse. I rewatched the races myself this evening, and that Punchestown race, Cilios Emry comes from so far back, once he got upsides Melon, Melon didn't want to know.

I agree with pretty much all you say in terms of hurdling, pulling hard, appreciate the championship pace more etc. I just think when it's put up him he doesn't like it


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Grasshopper said:
Don’t think Melon has ran poorly, but I do agree he doesn’t seem to find much, when asked go about it.
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Depends when a horse is asked to go about it..I said beforehand he should kick approaching 2 out but he sat there talking pull after pull using up energy and had very little left by the last

Criminal ride although probably under instruction..........he really should have gone for home when he was travelling all over them and grabbed a few crucial lengths instead he ended up getting hampered which cost him a length or so.
 
archie said:
If TNO is a solid 163, Melon ran to 162 on his 5th run over hurdles. At the same stage of his career, Buveur D'Air was rated 157.
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So did half the field Archie.this is no more Champion Hurdle form than flying in the air. There was 4 1/2 lengths and less between Tent and horses who wouldn't be sighted in a Champion Hurdle and Melon is one of them.

You simply won't see the best of Melon until he goes chasing imo and I'd be amazed if Mullins runs him in the CH other than the owner insisting

Make no mistake Mullin was testing the water here and Melon would be 110% fit and what you saw is what you will get in March...and look where TNO finishes year in year out
 
I see NTD has called it "a travesty" and "pathetic" that the Bula/International is not a G1 hurdle.

Weird, but I can't ever recall him saying this after any of TNO's three wins in the race.

The man is a complete plum.
 
Honestly not sure.

Relkeel is the only race at HQ but is 20f, ground would probably rule-out Haydock’s CH trial, and I suspect the Contenders at Sandown is probably fav, as Hobbs has run his CH horses there before.
 
2nd fav in betting for Xmas hurdle. Jp no stranger to letting his take on each other in that either. Tent & Yanworth an example last year.


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I am not convinced by the idea Melon will be better than MTOY if they go a better pace - all MTOY best form is in the Champion off a proper gallop.
 
It’s no massive amounts or anything but still a drift is a drift. BD gone to 6/4 in places with Faugheen out to 5/2.


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The 5/2 is a firm that no-one's heard of. Betbright and Paddy are rock solid at 13/8 and the only 'major' firm that has BDA shorter than Faugheen is Stan James.
 
BF Exchange are 9/4 Faugheen - and continuing to drift) and 7/4 Buveur D'Air........that's a significant enough switcheroonie, you'd think (though not much being offered either way, to be fair).
 
Why anyone would want to back Faugheen at shorter than 2/1 with ante post terms to start with is beyond me.

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