Sunday January 24th

uxiant

Chain Gang looks to have been completely overlooked in the market in the 1.20 at Leopardstown. Beat 130 rated Road to Respect by 4L on his first start over hurdles off a break at Christmas and is entitled to improve significantly for that. 12/1 at WH is too big a price.

Peintre Celebre

WOODLAND OPERA

Peintre Celebre

I MEAN A TOI PHIL

MoscowFlyer

1/14 in a Grade 1. How sad.

Francie Barrett

I honestly think that Faugheen gets beat today. It beat trees at Kempton last time out (The New One has clearly regressed a little) and the soft/heavy going today I feel won't suit. No reason why Nicolas Canyon can't repeat what it did last time. Arctic Fire not without a chance either.

Francie Barrett

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I honestly think that Faugheen gets beat today. It beat trees at Kempton last time out (The New One has clearly regressed a little) and the soft/heavy going today I feel won't suit. No reason why Nicolas Canyon can't repeat what it did last time. Arctic Fire not without a chance either.

Times today also suggest very testing ground.

BumperD

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I honestly think that Faugheen gets beat today. It beat trees at Kempton last time out (The New One has clearly regressed a little) and the soft/heavy going today I feel won't suit. No reason why Nicolas Canyon can't repeat what it did last time. Arctic Fire not without a chance either.

Brave shout Francie

uxiant

BumperD wrote: »

Brave shout Francie

If they get him off the bridle again will he find for pressure? Nichols Canyon is the horse who can do that and in this ground has to be the pick.

BumperD

I cannot see them being allowed have a hard race. Still cannot wait to watch it. The odds look a little wrong ie Nichols too big but still playing for 2nd place

longshotvalue

BumperD wrote: »

I cannot see them being allowed have a hard race. Still cannot wait to watch it. The odds look a little wrong ie Nichols too big but still playing for 2nd place

Took bit of Artic Fire 5/2 w/o Faugheen here , I think he should be second here.

Francie Barrett

BumperD wrote: »

Brave shout Francie

Willie could not explain what happened with Faugheen last time out. The ground is even more testing this time out (in Canyon's favour), yet it's nearly like the race last time never happened. Let's see what happens.

BumperD

All about to be revealed over the next 4 mins......:)

longshotvalue

aidankkk wrote: »

Took bit of Artic Fire 5/2 w/o Faugheen here , I think he should be second here.

:-). Highly underrated horse .

BumperD

Admit it. You just love those Wicklow bloodstock colours

HarshOstrich

The only horse to beat faugheen, done it from the front so why would they not repeat the tactics.you can't let him get it his own way , it was the same it douvan race, other horses should be leading the superstars because if they get there own way it's to easy

Francie Barrett

big smirk on Ruby's face. Plenty in hand there.

Johner

aidankkk wrote: »

:-). Highly underrated horse .

The Aintree hurdle is just perfect for him.

longshotvalue

BumperD wrote: »

Admit it. You just love those Wicklow bloodstock colours

Think they may have 2 of the top 4 hurdlers around at the moment . Artic fire is miles clear of the rest . Wish I could have got that price this morning as I couldn't put that bet up on my site .

uxiant

HarshOstrich wrote: »

The only horse to beat faugheen, done it from the front so why would they not repeat the tactics.you can't let him get it his own way , it was the same it douvan race, other horses should be leading the superstars because if they get there own way it's to easy

Mullins seemed to have somehow convinced Wylie that Nichols Canyon settles much better when taking a lead. Wylie said before the race that he settled much better in the Ryanair which makes no sense as he was very keen for half the race.

Exceptional run from Faugheen but you could tell that they had the whole race planned around him allowing Ruby to take the rail and make the running which is frustrating to say the least.

Gary Gurny

Francie Barrett wrote: »

I honestly think that Faugheen gets beat today. It beat trees at Kempton last time out (The New One has clearly regressed a little) and the soft/heavy going today I feel won't suit. No reason why Nicolas Canyon can't repeat what it did last time. Arctic Fire not without a chance either.

Lol

Backstreet Moyes

NC was up beside him all the way to put pressure on his jumping. He was alongside two out and had every chance.

What's the story with Faugheen, some people try find reasons to not praise the horse.

uxiant

I'm not criticising Faugheen at all, it was an exceptional performance but I find it frustrating that a horse who is clearly at home making the running never even attempts to go to the front because of a stablemate. Even more so when the only time Faugheen was beaten was when Nichols Canyon took him around Punchestown.

Nichols Canyon may not even be good enough to lead Faugheen but I would at least like to see them try as it's the way he wants to run.

Itziger

One comment on YouTube from, I'm guessing, not a cardinal of the Catholic Church:

"I have a better chance of being the next Pope than Faugheen has of being beaten at Cheltenham"

mountgomery burns

Doesn't matter what they did with NC, he clearly wasn't right. Anyone who thinks hes 14 lengths worse off with Arctic Fire needs their head examined.

He shouldn't have run after christmas, was apprehensive enough about today. Arctic Fires preparation for today wasn't ideal given the problem he had only 3 weeks ago. Faugheens jumping was super though. Hard to see him beat at Cheltenham but on todays form Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon are worse than the English horses.

Now thats just no true is it?

longshotvalue

mountgomery burns wrote: »

Doesn't matter what they did with NC, he clearly wasn't right. Anyone who thinks hes 14 lengths worse off with Arctic Fire needs their head examined.

He shouldn't have run after christmas, was apprehensive enough about today. Arctic Fires preparation for today wasn't ideal given the problem he had only 3 weeks ago. Faugheens jumping was super though. Hard to see him beat at Cheltenham but on todays form Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon are worse than the English horses.

Now thats just no true is it?

Not sure about that ill take evens Arctic Fire against any English horse in march..:rolleyes:

Gregk961

Arctic Fire looks a decent ew bet for the champion. Can't see any of the English horses finishing ahead of him

mountgomery burns

aidankkk wrote: »

Not sure about that ill take evens Arctic Fire against any English horse in march..:rolleyes:

Exactly. Point was todays form shouldn't be read too literally I think

Peintre Celebre

5/2 Artic w/o Faugheen with lads. I'm going down to back TNO in the same market 10s each way.

Itziger

Peintre Celebre wrote: »

5/2 Artic w/o Faugheen with lads. I'm going down to back TNO in the same market 10s each way.

Thing about that market is you have to hope your horse doesn't try to take Faugheen on. From the races I've seen, they seem to hold onto Arctic Fire. If the fave runs like he did today the horse who goes with him from a long way out will finish out the back.

All that said, the mistake that NC made was a great shame.

Gregk961

Peintre Celebre wrote: »

5/2 Artic w/o Faugheen with lads. I'm going down to back TNO in the same market 10s each way.

Would you not reckon e/w at 10s is the better bet though? You could lay the win on the day at hopefully around 6 or even 8 and you still have 5/2 to finish in the top 3

lemush

Itziger wrote: »

Thing about that market is you have to hope your horse doesn't try to take Faugheen on. From the races I've seen, they seem to hold onto Arctic Fire. If the fave runs like he did today the horse who goes with him from a long way out will finish out the back.

All that said, the mistake that NC made was a great shame.

I have seen this so often today and it is absolutely baffling. What mistake? The second last? That is not a mistake, it's a horse absolutely knackered getting from one side to the other. Did'nt hit the hurdle, slither, nothing. Had no effect on the race whatsoever.

Itziger

lemush wrote: »

I have seen this so often today and it is absolutely baffling. What mistake? The second last? That is not a mistake, it's a horse absolutely knackered getting from one side to the other. Did'nt hit the hurdle, slither, nothing. Had no effect on the race whatsoever.

I only saw the race once, will look again later, but the horse seemed to be going fine to me. Wasn't being pushed along, was right upsides in fact and going almost as well as Faugheen. What exactly the mistake was, I don't know. To my eyes he seemed to hit the top, get pushed out to the right and from being next to F., lost a couple of lengths and momentum.

I'm not saying he would have beaten him but he did not look 'absolutely knackered' either.

Peintre Celebre

Yesterday produced one of the most blatant plot horses I've seen in a while the jockey had a job stopping it he was pulling him into contention, can anyone guess who I'm on about at Leop

Itziger

Peintre Celebre wrote: »

Yesterday produced one of the most blatant plot horses I've seen in a while the jockey had a job stopping it he was pulling him into contention, can anyone guess who I'm on about at Leop

Plinth?

Pinesky

I noted one on Sunday that is entered in Thurles on Thurs. it seems an odd race for a plot

posturingpat

Peintre Celebre wrote: »

Yesterday produced one of the most blatant plot horses I've seen in a while the jockey had a job stopping it he was pulling him into contention, can anyone guess who I'm on about at Leop

Sir Abbot would be my guess

Pinesky

that's what i thought . entered in a novice in Thurles on Thursday