Champion Hurdle 2010

[Posts: 1793Joined: 07 Jan 2010, 15:53]

17 horses left in the race, No Dunguib, no Voler La Vadette, might as well be no Solwhit, even if he runs which looks highly unlikely, the race suddenly looks very poor, I wonder if the connections of For Bill are regretting not entering the mare?

Looks like The Irish 2nd XI v. The Best Of Some Very Average UK Hurdlers, quite a few of this year's novices would look sound bets in this field.

Go Native will start an realistically priced favourite but I'll be looking at one of three, Won In The Dark, Jumbo Rio or Donnas Palm for EW value and as potential winners. The last named was originally rated by connections to be a much better horse than Go Native and, if one ignores the few months when he was well out of sorts, his form before and since is terrific. Much the same applies to Won In The Dark, now looks back to near his best form of 2008 while Jumbo Rio's French form is top class but 5-Y-Olds rarely win The CH

[Posts: 10Joined: 24 Feb 2010, 15:26]

Really doubt that connections of For Bill regret not entering her in this race. Connections have shrewdly picked relatively easy races so that she has remained unbeaten. All the horses that you've mentioned would give her a trouncing. If the notion existed that she was ever G1 standard then surely she would have been entered in mares race.

[Posts: 109Joined: 22 Nov 2007, 04:51]

A poor attempt above to get a few pot shots in at Go Native. The horse has the best form on offer out of any 2m hurdler at the moment. As of now, he's the best around and a deserving favourite. Accept it

[Posts: 1793Joined: 07 Jan 2010, 15:53]

A poor attempt above to get a few pot shots in at Go Native. The horse has the best form on offer out of any 2m hurdler at the moment. As of now, he's the best around and a deserving favourite. Accept it

Wrong, that was not a cheap shot at Go Native, he desreves to be favourite but if you doubt what I'm saying re Donna Palm check the riding arrangements and SPs for the two horses at Leopardstown on the 27th Dec 2008 in the paddypower.com Future Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1). Which horse looks t be the main Noel Meade contender?
Donnas Palm lost form big time for a chunk of last season but cannot be faulted this year

[Posts: 2Joined: 09 Mar 2010, 15:18]

I have been following Zaynar and back him some time ago. I have heard he is training well.....very well. My biggest single win was £12,000 on Tuitchev many years ago which was owned by a friend of mine. He told me to get on when it was 33/1 but I didn't and only got 12's a month later, but this will top "when it wins". Fingers crossed.

[Posts: 109Joined: 22 Nov 2007, 04:51]

A poor attempt above to get a few pot shots in at Go Native. The horse has the best form on offer out of any 2m hurdler at the moment. As of now, he's the best around and a deserving favourite. Accept it

Wrong, that was not a cheap shot at Go Native, he desreves to be favourite but if you doubt what I'm saying re Donna Palm check the riding arrangements and SPs for the two horses at Leopardstown on the 27th Dec 2008 in the paddypower.com Future Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1). Which horse looks t be the main Noel Meade contender?
Donnas Palm lost form big time for a chunk of last season but cannot be faulted this year

I was more referring to the "Irelands second string" jibe. Im a huge hurricane fly fan, but Go Native has improved since last year and you cant be sure the HF would still have him covered. Dunguib should become a superstar but has achieved nothing near what Go Native has as yet. Solwhits form doesnt match up and the man most in the know about VLV, her trainer, obviously doesnt fancy her chances in the champion. Go Native is Irelands best at the minute.

[Posts: 3880Joined: 22 Dec 2007, 19:24]

Solwhit is better than Go Native at the moment. You can't judge Solwhit on a 6 furlong sprint in the Fighting Fifth. It's possible Go Native will improve in the Champion. But, it is on paper at least, a substandard race. CS is right.

It's not a jibe, just a fact.

Does have it's good points though, very competitive, open looking.

[Posts: 1699Joined: 03 Mar 2001, 20:25Location: Barnsley]

Celestial Halo came within a whisker of the double last year and Katchit was one of the worst Champion Hurdlers in living memory.

I don't agree. Katchit was a really classy horse as a 4 y/o and 5 y/o.

Any horse that wins a Champion Hurdle has to be "classy" but I was comparing Katchit to other Champion Hurdlers and I stand by my comment. Katchit had (has) some admirable qualities but he is one of the worst winners of the race.

[Posts: 2Joined: 18 Oct 2009, 15:36]

yes the field has cut up but the home stables have some backable firepower in celestial halo medermit and the easy travelling starluck or am i wrong.

[Posts: 964Joined: 20 Jan 2001, 00:26Location: Manchester]

Hello,

Yes, the race appears to have become very ordinary..

Therefore opened my Festival A/Post attack, somewhat later than usual due to the low A/P prices on offer:

DONNAS PALM @ 50/1...

Appears to thrive on soft, but surely the projected going shouldn't hinder it, should it??

[Posts: 1793Joined: 07 Jan 2010, 15:53]

Solwhit is better than Go Native at the moment. You can't judge Solwhit on a 6 furlong sprint in the Fighting Fifth. It's possible Go Native will improve in the Champion. But, it is on paper at least, a substandard race. CS is right.

It's not a jibe, just a fact.

Does have it's good points though, very competitive, open looking.

Gingertipster : Every single Go Native fan glosses over Voler's win yet all call the Fighting Fifth Sprint a legitimate piece of form, I doubt if there's all that much between Donnas Palm and Go Native...except value.
of course Solwhit has the best form.
Re Irish 2nd XI....any team minus half it's stars would be considered "the reserves"

[Posts: 1793Joined: 07 Jan 2010, 15:53]

Really doubt that connections of For Bill regret not entering her in this race. Connections have shrewdly picked relatively easy races so that she has remained unbeaten. All the horses that you've mentioned would give her a trouncing. If the notion existed that she was ever G1 standard then surely she would have been entered in mares race.

Her season's target is a grade 1 at Punchestown, I forget which race, she warms up on Sunday at Limerick..... underestimate her at your peril

[Posts: 10Joined: 24 Feb 2010, 15:26]

Really doubt that connections of For Bill regret not entering her in this race. Connections have shrewdly picked relatively easy races so that she has remained unbeaten. All the horses that you've mentioned would give her a trouncing. If the notion existed that she was ever G1 standard then surely she would have been entered in mares race.

Her season's target is a grade 1 at Punchestown, I forget which race, she warms up on Sunday at Limerick..... underestimate her at your peril

Won't underestimate her but wouldn't overestimate her either just thought CH a bridge too far as is a grade 1 IMO. Thought her beating of Araucaria was very good form but think after Araucarias loss last time out there must be some question marks. Hope she does win it a G1 mind for the Kingdom.

[Posts: 1387Joined: 20 Oct 2008, 05:28Location: Kildare]

Won't underestimate her but wouldn't overestimate her either just thought CH a bridge too far as is a grade 1 IMO. Thought her beating of Araucaria was very good form but think after Araucarias loss last time out there must be some question marks. Hope she does win it a G1 mind for the Kingdom.

Doesn't Winters train in Cork?

There will be a Kerry winner at the festival this year and it won't be de plasterer

[Posts: 2658Joined: 08 Apr 2009, 03:03]

The race is a right mess.

Solwhit is under a cloud,

Celestial Halo is running miles below his best.

Khyber King beat him, making him look like a contender when he's probably got no chance.

Punjabi has done nothing to say he is as good as he was and I can't see him possibly winning again even if he is.

Zaynar can't jump, is too slow to pick up and Brian Geharty has desterted him.

Binocular hasn't raised a gallop all season but I am told Nicky Henderson was a lot more pleased with him yesterday than he is letting on to the press. Even if he was and he does run there has to be a huge doubt he'll come back to his best..we live in hope.

Medermit is a nice horse but I can't see him getting into the race as he doesn't travel well enough.

Go Native looks the only one among the contenders who doesn't have a problem You could cririses him and say he's the Son of Harchibald but he has oodles of speed and has already prooved he can travel with the best of them round Cheltenham at festival pace.

I'll be happy whether Binocular or Go Native win but I can't raise any enthusiasm for any of the other leading contenders.

There is one horse who if you watch him run in last years race you wouldn't give him a a cat in hells chance of making the frame: Won in the Dark.

It wasn't much of a race he won the other day but the horse really caught the eye and looked better than I have ever seen him. With all the problems and doubt surrounding the others he could spring a surprise but first he'd have to turn up.

Last year he got bogged down in the softish ground and couldn't get going so unless we have a completely dry spell between now and Tuesday which is unlikely he may not run. He was 90 on the machine after his last win so I had a little bit on at 90 85 and 80 just in case his trainer has a change of heart.

This race promised so much at the start of the season but now is is such a mess anything could win it.