The Well Worn Road To The Champion Hurdle (2016)

Fantastic to watch that. People always compared her to Quevega because they had similar career paths and if it wasn't for Faugheen getting injured she may have ended up just farming the mares race but I'm glad she got chance to prove otherwise. Much the better mare.

You couldn't rate her an above average winner of the race given the field but the performance stacks up well to most and she's a better winner than the likes of Rock on Ruby and Jezki.

Shout out to Henderson/MTOY. Mighty performance after near 2 years off the track.
 
I'm not sure about her being better than Jezki James.

There is a very interesting sectional comparison between those two champion Hurdles.

Not only did the ground time the same the day Jezki won and yesterday..but the pace is very similar in both..which for me personally makes for an interesting comparison.


2014JEZKI0.0084.7223.8420.6036.2016.0436.90218.3
2016ANNIE POWER0.0084.6823.7320.4736.7516.5837.27219.5

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[TD="width: 86"] H1 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] H3 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] H4 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] H5 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] H6 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] H7 [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] finish [/TD]
[TD="width: 86"] Total [/TD]

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the pace is so similar in the early stages that it makes a comparison of overall time valid ..there is only about half a length between them in each of the first 3 sections. By hurdle 5 ..AP is about 1.5 lengths in front..between 5 & 6 Jezki pulls that back and leads by a length and half. By hurdle 7 he is 4 lengths in front...by the line wins by 6 lengths.

what makes this valid is that the ground checks out using the other races on both cards to conclude the going speed..and the early mid pace is near on identical..a proper match up. The burst that Jetzki showed coming down the hill would have burned AP off and he basically then maintains and adds a little more from 2 out to the line.

Jezki can be seen as 5/6lb better hoss than AP based on the bare bones of that..and he carried more weight of course.

Was AP fully extended?..may have found a bit more probably....whereas we know Jezki was at full tilt. So its probably fair to say AP could have knocked a length or two off her time. So Jezki is probably 3 or 4lb better + carried more weight

I would conclude that Jezki could give AP the allowance and beat her based in that...and Faugheen too would have done as well in that case.

I'm not running AP down by the way..just looking at it cold..purely a rating exercise.....I thought she was fantastic yesterday.
 
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With Annie you have to understand I'm comparing her to every other 2m hurdle champion with her 7lb allowance because why wouldn't you? She'd always get that allowance in an open grade 1. I think the performance yesterday would be enough to win most champion hurdles of the last 10 years.

Good post from ec1 definitely looks like it was genuine good ground yesterday
 
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JamesRB said:
With Annie you have to understand I'm comparing her to every other 2m hurdle champion with her 7lb allowance because why wouldn't you? She'd always get that allowance in an open grade 1. I think the performance yesterday would be enough to win most champion hurdles of the last 10 years.

Good post from ec1 definitely looks like it was genuine good ground yesterday
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the allowance is allowed for..those are the bare timings with weight carried on the day..Jezki would win by a couple of lengths based on those...all depends how much more AP had left,,if that was her full extent then Jezki would win by 5 ish..giving the allowance as well

pretty sure she had a little left though
 
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JamesRB said:
With Annie you have to understand I'm comparing her to every other 2m hurdle champion with her 7lb allowance because why wouldn't you? She'd always get that allowance in an open grade 1. I think the performance yesterday would be enough to win most champion hurdles of the last 10 years.
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I'd have to look at both angles myself, being a ratings compiler. In arriving at the rating for the race I would always take off the weight allowance so AP will be rated pretty much alongside MTOY on yesterday's performance, and just ahead of NC. That would still leave her a long way off Faugheen but as Ruby said this morning they'll never meet.

But at least she is better than Dawn Run :)
 
Mullins mentioned that might be the case after Annie Power won the Champion.

With Altior the main danger on paper possibly heading for the Arkle Annie Power could have an easy task.

The WPM has Apple's Jade to consider. She looks certain to take on one of Ricci's most likely Vroum Vroum Mag in the Mares.

Mullins was adamant that Faugheen would "stay all day" is how he put it.

3 singles 3 Doubles and a treble Apple's Jade 3/1 Faugheen 13/2 and Annie Power 4/1 could be worth a few quid.

If they ended up going that way you'd be talking odds on about all 3
 
Would be a waste if he did, BD is dying to tackle a fence
Why wouldn't you give a horse a crack at the CH who dotted up in what looked a very strong supreme, plus being a flat bred would give you extra doubts about the big obstacles

But then again I guess Nicky knows whats best.
 
Good to see all is well in Thailand Tanlic

They will have the other Wylie horse in teh stayers i'd say too Euro

Am hoping that AJ is good enough to run in open company

VVM should be aimed at the Hennessy or something
 
tiggers1972 said:
Why would you bet Ante Post on Mullins horses Tanlic, with him changing his mind on their targets so late in the day?
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I reckon if they all stay sound he'll run them as I suggested.

Last season he was forced to run Annie Power when Faugheen got injured.

If both were to arrive fit and well next March it's a no brainer he will send Annie Power from the Champion Hurdle and Faugheen to the World Hurdle

He knows Annie Power doesn't get the trip in the World Hurdle and it would be crazy to switch her the way she won the Champion.

As for Faugheen he has already won over 3 miles at Ballysteen. Granted that means very little when it comes to real racing as way to may win over 3 miles in p2p but wouldn't get the trip in a horsebox at Cheltenham. That said it does give a bit of a guide and WPM seemed positive he will get 3 miles easily.

With Mullins is all about hard cash his share of the purse, make no mistake about that.

He could take the easy route and run them both in the champion as the money for second is close on 100k but if Thistlecrack goes chasing Faugheen would win the WH running backwards as it is so poorly contested at the moment. It will most likely be worth close 200k to the winner next season. So it is unlikely they will not take advantage. That said if it is a real bad race Annie could probably win it but why take the chance?

I reckon Apple Jade is 100% certain to run in the Mares as really it's her best option. She got more class than Vroum Vroum Mag imo who can run in at least another 2 races she could win


Anyway I never said I was backing them I was suggesting you should:lol:
 
granger said:
Good to see all is well in Thailand Tanlic

They will have the other Wylie horse in teh stayers i'd say too Euro

Am hoping that AJ is good enough to run in open company

VVM should be aimed at the Hennessy or something
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Cheers! I am always a but suspicious when horses win by miles like she did at Aintree.

When they repeat the dose next time out I worry less.

She was awesome in Ireland and has a huge future.

I reckon it's a fair bet she'll go for the Mares and WPM will use his silver tongue to convince Ricci to run VVM somewhere else.
 
Yorkhill is a chaser all day long but where he goes in March (Jewson or Arkle)will hinge on where Min ends up , a bit like the Vautour/Un De Sceaux situation. Personally I'd like to see Min tackle hurdles for another season.
 
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