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Geezus jumping whatever her name is
Tobe honestI couldn’t bare to watch the race as not only did I go to town on himtodasy as most of you know I have been backing him silly for the last 9 moths.
I thought he woulld win with his head in his chest butt hat was just rediculous.7 /4 today was great but the CH bets I have are frightening
However I have been at this game too long to count the old chickens.
The way Binny jumped the second backed up everything AP said…I certainly haven’t see a horse jump a hurdle so fast not even the great Persian War or Monksfield who were very quick. He did make one slight error but nothing to worry about
The race however was a complete let down. Katchit is much better than that. My worries about her ladyship running Crack Away Jack too many times too soon may or may not be the reason he was beaten so easily.
Binny was awsome and I doubt if anyone now will disagree, that as Nicky has always said, the Cheltenham hill holds no fear for him. I had one up my sleeve there that I won’t go into but if you haven’t guessed what I am on about you don’t read my posts
I still maintain Sizing Europe is the real danger to him and not the course.
I won’t belaying off a penny as it’s not my style.I would rather lose but what I have done is backed Sizing Europe at 8/1 so even if he does beat Binny myass is covered……..Binny wins then my days of lumping on will be over.
Well done all that backed him especially Bulwark who has always had confidence in him.
Special word to Ginge I love you brother but I can’t resist a little
for you comments earlier Still concerns me that the age factor may play a part at Cheltenham but, apart from that Binocular, to my novicey eye looks, moves and hurdles like a truly great hurdler should..he was awesome today [and I’ll be there on the Tuesday to see him; can’t wait!]
GC, these are my G/a
CAJ’s race is in bold. On my scale, which is not comparable to others, the ground that day was Soft.
Noted with thanks, Pompete! Nope, it wasn’t the ground that was the problem for CAJ in the end, was it – it was four other horses better than him.
That poses a dykey lemon for connections now, though – it’s a bit far into the season to switch him to fences without it seeming a waste, but one can’t imagine any circumstances in which he could reverse form with Binocular (barring accidents) at this level, either.gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
FIST, i wish you all the luck in the world with your Ante-post bet on "Binocular", I respect those who put their money where their mouth is!There are certainly horses you can give No chance too
i.e "Crack away jack" (chaser), but N, Henderson has "Punjabi" in the mix
and of course the very rusty "Celestial Halo" the betting proved he needed it big time, and dont forget on good ground "Jered" could still be in with a
shout! I personally would not write off "Katchit" until he dissapoints at
home ( cheltenham) either!! its gonna be a long winter mate!No Katchit, I was on top of Rodborough Hill, Glos. Hope your little fella feels more himself soon.
The Boylesports was all about learning about Binocular the Champion Hurdle isn’t a penalty kick IMO.
Straight after the race Nicholls immediately said Celestial Halo would go for the Champion so special as Binocular looks the top man isn’t lacking confidence in his charge.
I’m certain they’ll ride Celestial Halo differently at Cheltenham. The Boylesports was about testing Binny’s stamina – Nicholls and Walsh will now be trying to find a way to beat Binocular and there are no better men to do it. I think they’ll look at his Captain Cee Bee defeat and conclude that the best chance of beating Binocular is to get him into a scrap up the hill. For this reason I think they’ll tuck Celestial Halo in a bit at Cheltenham rather than blaze a trail and Ruby will be making absolutely certain that he leaves enough in Celestial Halo to have him finishing up the hill. It may even work a little bit like the McCoy / Straw Bear race last season when he got Harchibald into a battle at Newcastle. Nicholls may even run a pacemaker Ballydoyle style and have Celestial Halo using him as a lead.
Thats the way I see it. Of course its easy to say and not nearly so easy to do when a horse like Binocular has serious gears but its the one chance the Champion trainer has. He’s not just going to let Celestial Halo turn up and set the race up for Binocular like he effectively did at Ascot. Cheltenham will be a totally different ball game.
I can’t have any of last years brigade both the novice events (won by Celestial Halo and Captain Cee Bee) were stronger than last years low standard Champion Hurdle. That was the suspicion at the time and yesterdays race indicates that still further. Katchit could conceivably improve four or five pounds but he’s still not going to get near to either Binocular or Celestial Halo IMO. The others – Osana, Punjabi, Sublimity – decent as they are they weren’t good enough to win last years race so I can’t see them threatening this time around. Sizing Europe – He got injured in last years event fair enough, but he went out similarly on his seasonal reappearance behind the declining Hardy Eustace. That for me is very concerning as even half fit he should’ve beaten a 150 odd horse – look what Binocular did to similar animals at Ascot. Jered on good ground is still a bit unknown but he’s got a lot to find as has Snap Tie but the later might be capable of further improvment.Crack Away Jack will be suited by the race but doesn’t look quite good enough.
For me the first two home in the Boylesports are easily the most attractice propositions for the Champion Hurdle at this stage.
Celestial Halo’s best two performances have both been front running, obviously enjoys it. I can’t see a pacemaker helping him, if anything a hindrence. Wonder if Osana will be back.
Am a bit surprised Celestial Halo is still 16/1 for the Champion. Although I believe he was a bit flattered by getting an easy lead, has scope for improvement, especially at Cheltenham.
Mark
Value Is EverythingI pissed of to the beach so I can’t access the race to watch it again at tis time.
There was a point in the race where I thought Uh Uh you wouldn’t want to get that far behind in the Chamion Hurdle.
Celestial Halo worries me even more than Osana coming back. I don’t think he will win I wouldn’t give him a cat in hells chance, but he could spoil the race for some of the come from behind horses Binocular included.
He wasn’t fit on Saturday so imagine the pace he will set at Chelters in the hope of taking the sting out of the tails of the others.
Get too far behind and just getting back to them can use all your finishing speed and you still have to climb the hill.
I am totally convinced the winner will come from Binocular Sizing Europe Katchit ot Crack Away Jack. I don’t think that was anywhere near what he is capable of and we know he can come off a strong pace at Cheltenham.
I agree it isn’t a penalty kick it just looks like one.
If Binocular could do what he did to them yesterday in the Champion Hurdle he would need to be better than Istabraq Bula and Persian War put together…slight exageration.
Would love to see it but even I think he will have his work cut out to be as impressive as that on CH day..
Then we would have seen 3 wonder horses in a matter of 12 months namely Master Minded Zarkava and Binocular……..we have been lucky peope to have been around to see the first 2 it would be fantastic if we were to see another Champion of Champions in a short space of time.
Celestial Halo worries me even more than Osana coming back. I don’t think he will win I wouldn’t give him a cat in hells chance, but he could spoil the race for some of the come from behind horses Binocular included.
I disgree on that fists, I would definitely give Celestial Halo one hell of a chance, he is an opposite type of horse to binocular in that he is a stayer. ICheltenham is a track more suited to Celestial Halos style of running than binoculars, and what makes Celestial Halo so dangerous is that he doesnt have to rely on something else to set up a fast pace for him, he can do it himself.
Going the times of both yesterdays 2 mile hurdle races at ascot, and by the appearance of the horses moving on the ground, and how they finished, the ground would appear to have been good, and thus would not have been as much in celestial halos favour for making it a test, as cheltenham will probably be.
On the down side, by setting up a fast pace he will undoubtably give an advantage to horses coming from off the pace and there could be no guarantee that in a trully testing race that something like sizing europe couldnt cut him down in the dying strides, by coming from off that fast pace if still full of running from resting off it and finishing faster than CH who would be grinding out the last few furlongs.
I also disagree with an earlier statement that CH may have been flattered by getting an easy lead, thats the horses greatest strength, and I would say that if the opposition had have tried to go with him he’d have beaten them by even further. The CH team would actually want the other jockeys to try and take him on because he stays better than anything else in the field and lacks nothing in determination. I dont expect they will change tactics on celestial halo as he at his best the way he runs at the minute
Am I the only one worried about Sizing Europe not finishing his races?
I wouldn’t want to back him at Cheltenham with someone elses money.
Am I the only one worried about Sizing Europe not finishing his races?
I wouldn’t want to back him at Cheltenham with someone elses money.
Being a dab hand at spotting good horses
Ian I actually did spot Sizing Europe and thought he was a Champion Hurdle horse when he beat Big Zeb…..I did a summary way back and had him as the winner and Katchit as the main danger and backed them both at 16/1 and 12/1.To this day I still think had he not injurded himslef he would have won the Champion Hurdle last season.
He has the biggest stirde you can imagine on a racehorse and an engine to go with it.
He really does scare me and as I said earlier I have backed him to save my ass if Binny gets beaten.
There were a few but not too many people fancied him for the AIG here and he started 3rd fav that day. As you know he not only beat hem he did a Binocular on them.
Was Binny’s victory any more impressive than Sizing Europes? I would say not, both were very very impressive.
There is no doubt in my mind he would ave gone to Vheltenham with fout straight wins to his credit including kicking Osana in to touch albeit getting 6lbs.
Since then he was all but pulled up in the Champion Hurdle with apulled muscle in his back and he came back lloking all over the winner before blowing up 2 out against that old toughy Hardy Eustace.
By all means reserve judgment until he runs again but I think you are terribly wrong about him not getting home…He simply hasn’t had a chance to prove you wrong YET!!!!!!
That 8/1 will look good shortly IMO I still say he the one Binny has to beat and if they go to the last together….you tell me
Well, Katchit has still never finished outside the first six in his entire career!
I still can’t see him finishing outside the placings this year. Like I’ve said before, Cheltenham is a very unique test for any horse, more so at the end of a long, arduous season.
Katchit loves the place and performs well at that time of the year. The course plays to his strengths and against others.
Binocular has to prove he can reproduce that level of form around Prestbury Park. Nicky Henderson said after his Aintree success…
“We felt he’d learned from Cheltenham, and this was the obvious way to ride him today – have one crack at the other horse and try to do him for toe. Cheltenham was the first time AP had sat on him and we would possibly have left it longer if we had been taking on Celestial Halo there.”
The Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham will be a completely different test to Ascot. He’ll jump and travel, but when others make their move turning for home and build up some momentum, Binocular will need to fight to get past them up the hill.
He’s a huge talent, more than likely the best horse in the race and a worthy favourite, but it will be interesting to see how he copes around Cheltenham in a large, very competitive field.
AGREED, "Bosranic", if the Champion hurdle was run anywhere other than Cheltenham "Binocular" would be a Certainty! Unfortunately its not "Fist"! and dont forget that " i dont want to battle head carriage" of his.
Interesting comparisons with the legendary "Istabraq"! funny but physically
"Celestial Halo" looks more like "The Legend" than "Binocular" in my
opinion and both had stamina!Just out of curiosity, does anyone else think that Binocular would have won the 2008 Champ hurdle? I still think that he and Captain Cee Bee looked different class at chelters to anything in this years Champion. The pace of the 2008 would also have suited Binocular IMO more so than the supreme novice as it was faster and he was only caught up the run in, but had originally pulled away from the field and captain cee bee.
How good does the form of the Supreme Novice look now? There was a bit of a general consensus that it was weak at the time.
I agree the 2008 supreme was better than the champion (two seconds quicker actually) but think captain cee bee would have won with Snap Tie possibly second. Both were givin Binocular about 9 or 10 lbs which they wouldnt of had to do in the champion hurdle
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