Champion Hurdle, 13-03-12

NaiveMelodies

The fly is still top top class, and will go onto win many more grade 1's, no doubt about that. He's 100% good enough to overturn Rock on Ruby, and I'd 100% back him in a rematch.
A bad day today, but a close 3rd in any champion hurdle is nothing to be ashamed of.
Seems like a bit of a tough one to train and get right, but maybe slightly different tactics and better prep will make a mockery of the 7/1 PP are offering about him winning in 2013.

Morgans

Nothing to be ashamed of - is right.

6l isn't a close third in my book. I think the form of Oscars Well and Binocular is about where you'd want them when compared to hurricane fly.

He may mop up irish grade 1s but I think today's race has re-opened questions that we thought were answered.

Thinking horses have an imaginary 5l in hand is always dangerous.

NaiveMelodies

Morgans wrote: »

Nothing to be ashamed of - is right.

6l isn't a close third in my book. I think the form of Oscars Well and Binocular is about where you'd want them when compared to hurricane fly.

He may mop up irish grade 1s but I think today's race has re-opened questions that we thought were answered.

Thinking horses have an imaginary 5l in hand is always dangerous.

Jayzuz didn't realise it was by that margin, bit of a blur! No quite a close 3rd!

Can't wait for him to prove the doubters wrong next year anyhow!

Goldcupfav

only1stevo wrote: »

Jayzuz didn't realise it was by that margin, bit of a blur! No quite a close 3rd!

Can't wait for him to prove the doubters wrong next year anyhow!

Will be up against it big time last horse to win it in non-consecutive years was Comedy Of Errors back in 1975 Champion Hurdle.

Juwwi

only1stevo wrote: »

Jayzuz didn't realise it was by that margin, bit of a blur! No quite a close 3rd!

Can't wait for him to prove the doubters wrong next year anyhow!

Doubters ? he was beaten fair and square today no excuses at all.

The fact he was well beaten by Overturn today would concern me if I was
gona back him in a champion hurdle again.

Morleystreet

Zarkandar

Bit shocked with fly's run today. Really couldn't see him being beaten. Surely ruby wud know rock on Ruby inside out, but still presumably felt the fly was way ahead of him. Big fan of overturn n he has won me plenty in past, but he is no champ hurdler (2nd I know). Either the fly has been hugely overrated or something amiss today (1 run this season also). That 7 to 1 for 2013 might look good come the day.

ft9

Zarkandar

I'm gutted with today's result.

I can't believe Hurricane Fly's performance. I really thought he was the next Istabraq.

I felt Ruby and McCoy were too hung up on each other and let the race get away from them.

It feels like it does when Tipp win an All-Ireland, You know the best team are not All Ireland Champions, and they are going to be knocked back to reality next year.

UrbanSea

Grandouet

ft9 wrote: »

I'm gutted with today's result.

I can't believe Hurricane Fly's performance. I really thought he was the next Istabraq.

I felt Ruby and McCoy were too hung up on each other and let the race get away from them.

It feels like it does when Tipp win an All-Ireland, You know the best team are not All Ireland Champions, and they are going to be knocked back to reality next year.

Must say I agree with that part Frank

Shane732

Zarkandar

UrbanSea wrote: »

Must say I agree with that part Frank

Yea - it's almost like the two of the them thought they were just going to ghost past the rest of the field.

By the time they realized that they others weren't going to just disappear it was all to late.

Fair play to Rock on Ruby and Overturn.

D.Q

Zarkandar

They were never really in contention. I'd say the bookies were over the moon. Everyone and their mas seemed to have that treble. Especially after PP paid out on all losers when SS won.

Colonel Sanders

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

1.85 to lay. Apparently they're guaranteeing to lay any bet to win 10k sterling at the festival. Nice arb if you've a big bank!

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

Evs Hurricane Fly with Powers & Stan James. 1.89 to lay

God bless turnover wars

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

................. Lifted as much as I could at 1.84 on Betfair last night & backed it at evs this morning. Usually arb for a profit either way but had HF green for a good bit & level on the field.

RoverJames wrote: »

What I love about the gambling forum is you still have the horsey chat to an extent but with none of the "ah well at least I didn't lose me arse because I backed xyz" after the event.

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

You must have missed earlier in the thread when I posted Coral had said they'd be putting evs up at 8.30am and it was a nice arb.....

Nope, but I must have missed you mentioning lifting as much as you could last night at 1.84, nor did you say anything about being level for the field before the event.

This isn't the gambling forum so you're more than welcome to claim you did x,y and z after the event, as I said that's why I like the gambling forum

meriwether

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

I thought they'd gone a suicidal clip & wouldn't get home. Eventhough Overturn has surely improved since last year I'm assuming that race will be rated several lbs lower than last year?

Hindsight us 20-20, maybe coming here off the back of one run wasnt ideal but i did think HF would win. Lifted as much as I could at 1.84 on Betfair last night & backed it at evs this morning. Usually arb for a profit either way but had HF green for a good bit & level on the field.

I think ROR should be rated equally, if not better, than HF last year.

The nasty truth of thr matter, which is apparent now, is that last years CH was weak. Very weak.

There are no excuses today for HF whatsoever, unless something medical is found.
And I still would be confident he couldn't make up those 6 lengths.

ROR was visually very pleasing today. Won like a good one.

meriwether

RoverJames wrote: »

Nope, but I must have missed you mentioning lifting as much as you could last night at 1.84, nor did you say anything about being level for the field before the event.

This isn't the gambling forum so you're more than welcome to claim you did x,y and z after the event, as I said that's why I like the gambling forum

The Colonel is an excellent poster, who may occasionally be wrong (like us all) but he is right more often than the rest of us, and never engages in bullsh1t.

I never suggested otherwise

Shane732

Zarkandar

Jes*s Rover you're in a very argumentative mood these days aren't you!

Shane732

Shane732 wrote: »

Jes*s Rover you're in a very argumentative mood these days aren't you!

I wouldn't think so tbh :pac:

Rhinestone Cowboy

Zarkandar

Hope he wasnt on Boston Bob too.:rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctewgQcAeNc

ste2010

Zarkandar

The confusion after the race was unreal pure silence I was waiting for myself to wake up and the race start again ..I don't entirely agree it was a really weak race or that HF has weaker form (in total, maybe partial) than we expected. Maybe he's reached his peak before and there's not more to come from him, solwhit and peddlers cross alone were class hurdling horses too many people knocking this form.even mccain said in one of the interviews during the week he stills gets more out of peddlers than overturn. I hope there'll be a few more english raiders coming over for the rabobank now and we'll find out what the status is.if spirit son or grandouet were in the race it definitely might have been a better but who's to say the the 1,2 result would have been any different. I think rock on ruby and overturn deserve alot of credit for the their front running. Overturn is a fantastic horse I'd be proud to have a horse with his versatility.
My faith isn't lost in hurricane fly entirely though but if he performed below expectations in punchestown it would certainly be a concern, I'm quite excited to see spirit son return to action..I can imagine Oscar whiskys owners were kicking themselves after seeing the result!
Overall a strange festival for me on results capped off with sizing Europe..could have done alot better financially but have done worse.
Can't wait for the champion next year!

hucklebuck

Binocular

Morgans wrote: »

Thought he was beaten at the top of the hill. I pity AP in following the wrong horse.

Great ride from the first two.

Zarkandar the horse to take out of it for me.

Agreed, the distress signals were there too far out.

I was surprised Zarkandar was not a lot closer coming down the hill, I was expecting him to be on the shoulder of Overturn and for him to take it up or force the issue from there due to his lack of toe and his ability to find loads for pressure. Nicholls said Zarkandar looked a bit shelly and light in the paddock and mentioned the problem he had and how he thought he had left it behind.

Very curious though that Nicholls best win of the festival was not in his yard, possibly a virus in Ditcheat.

RichieLawlor

Zarkandar

hucklebuck wrote: »

Very curious though that Nicholls best win of the festival was not in his yard, possibly a virus in Ditcheat.

Even a virus couldn't stop Big Bucks

Oh, and the reason Zarkandar wasn't closer is because he couldn't lay up with the pace, he was taken off his feet and stayed on far too late.

hucklebuck

Binocular

RichieLawlor wrote: »

Even a virus couldn't stop Big Bucks

Oh, and the reason Zarkandar wasn't closer is because he couldn't lay up with the pace, he was taken off his feet and stayed on far too late.

He is a machine, I think I said before that Big Bucks could win moonwalking around the track.

Zarkandar was too far back and I stand by what I said before the race that I felt he would be best served taking it up a good bit out to make the most of his stamina due to he being a touch slower than a lot of the other contenders.

Got to say I don't think I have ever been in a place with so many people and to have that eerie silence after a Champion Hurdle and so many crestfallen faces.

RichieLawlor

Zarkandar

hucklebuck wrote: »

Zarkandar was too far back and I stand by what I said before the race that I felt he would be best served taking it up a good bit out to make the most of his stamina due to he being a touch slower than a lot of the other contenders.

Zarkandar was going as fast as he could the whole way around, he wouldn't have been able to get to the front even of he wanted to.

hucklebuck

Binocular

RichieLawlor wrote: »

Zarkandar was going as fast as he could the whole way around, he wouldn't have been able to get to the front even of he wanted to.

I did say

hucklebuck wrote: »

I was expecting him to be on the shoulder of Overturn and for him to take it up or force the issue from there due to his lack of toe

He is just short of the top speed required but has bags of stamina, as he is going to be 6 next year he could be the one for me and Nicholls wasn't happy with him.