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The horses at the top of the market all look of similair ability only standouts are Zaynar and Go Native who could both be anything.
Fist,That performance by Binoculer was poor,even Mcoy was very disapointed again and thats after better home reports.Zaynar is still to be beaten and is defintly 1st pick at hendos,you need a stayer in the champion like the old warrior Hardy eustace, Go Native needs good ground and when he gets it hes deadly as hes ran all over Binny the last two times.Between Zaynar and Go native for me,just depends on Carberry having the bawz to drop him on the line, Khyber kim has a similar profile to Go Native.
Whilst Binocular has not impressed this season I thought it was a pretty good effort on Saturday. That hurdle track at Sandown would make Sea Pigeon look like a slow old boat. Rooster Booster just scraped home in 2003 at Sandown before being simply devastating at Cheltenham and even last year Celestial Halo really struggled at Esher before going within a 18 inches of becoming the Champion. Binocular looked a fair bit pacier than CH or Rooster in that trial…couldn’t have that run as a negative.
True, but they were both small fields.
I was there when Rooster won and he must have been about 1/4. It was probably this race (the performance was marked down as disappointing in the press) that resulted in him going off at such a big price at Cheltenham as he had by miles the best form that year.
My point stands…the track makes horses look slow, even the very best ones, and Binocular looked fine to me.It’s obvious that the races Binocular has contested so far this season (Fighting Fifth, Xmas Hurdle and Contenders Hurdle) have been prep runs for the big one next month and in this context I wouldn’t take the form too literally, as he’s been gradually wound up for another tilt at the CH. His last run, albeit against lesser opposition, would have given much needed confidence. We must remember also that he is still only 6 y/o and has lots of improvement in him still.
One of the main attributes he has in his locker is the fact he jumps hurdles so well, nice and quick, especially at Cheltenham going left-handed. The only course he has made a few mistakes on was at Kempton where he inclined to jumped left.
This is a very classy and competitive renewal of the CH but I can only see the first four in the betting; Solwhit, Go Native, Zaynar and Binocular being involved in the finish, with the latter hopefully coming out on top equipped with the experience of last year’s close finish.
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If Binocular hasn’t been straight at least once this season I’d be amazed.
Zaynar will have this CH field in dire straits when his All-Systems-Go button is pushed at the final bend
Zaynar will have this CH field in dire straits when his All-Systems-Go button is pushed at the final bend
That "Go Button" will need to be operating a lot quicker and better than it did last time it was used (Against Cape Tribulation)
I was once again disapointed by Binoculars jumping on Saturday. Not quick over them like he was lasy year.
Zaynar will have this CH field in dire straits when his All-Systems-Go button is pushed at the final bend
That "Go Button" will need to be operating a lot quicker and better than it did last time it was used (Against Cape Tribulation)
I’m sure it will be. The impression I’ve had with Zaynar is that nothing appears to faze him apart from his laziness during running. When he snaps out of it and gets serious, this horse isn’t gonna stop.
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I can’t help but think that Zaynar is going to leave his supporters bitterly disappointed.
He won well enough last time, but conditions were ideal and he had 17lb in hand over runner-up Cape Tribulation. Overall it was a disappointing performance and there is little to recommend him on his Ascot run either. Karabak was both returning at a time when Alan King’s horses weren’t going particularly well and running over a wildly inadequate trip, so quite what a (less than impressive) six-length beating of him amounts to is anybody’s guess.
It would have been nice to have seen Walkon this year, just to give a little more substance to last year’s Triumph Hurdle form, but even there Zaynar wasn’t the best horse in the race (Starluck travelled all over everything before failing to stay).
I don’t think Zaynar is quick enough to win a Champion Hurdle – given the likely pace Go Native, Punjabi, Solwhit, Starluck and perhaps even Celestial Halo will be long gone before he gets going – and I don’t think he has the requisite ability. In fact, I’ve just talked myself in to laying the nuts off him.
even Celestial Halo will be long gone before he gets going
"even" Celestial Halo eh!
I don’t think Zaynar is quick enough to win a Champion Hurdle – given the likely pace Go Native, Punjabi, Solwhit, Starluck and perhaps even Celestial Halo will be long gone before he gets going – and I don’t think he has the requisite ability. In fact, I’ve just talked myself in to laying the nuts off him.
Zaynar definately has enough speed to be a contender surley? He beat Mourad into 3rd place last year who was rated 100+ on the flat. Watched that race again recently and Mourad was travelling sweeter than anything two furlongs out and stayed on superbly up the hill which can only suggest to me he got outpaced at some point during the final 2 furlongs. If not, wouldnt he have won the race and now be going for the champion and not the stayers?
I’m sticking with Binny anyhow. To me its not really a question if Binocular is the best horse in the race, most people would say if he can get back to his brilliant best he is and who better to get one ready?
His brilliant best has got him beat twice at the festival.
Not so brilliant then, is he?
If an inform Binocular is the best horse in the race, then surely Captain Cee Bee is the best hurdler in training, considering he gave Binocular 8lbs and a beating on unsuitable ground.
Now im a CCB fan, but I cant have that. Go Native is the most talented horse in the field, which just makes me weep all the more that Hurricane Fly won’t be there. Any sneaky rumours that he might make it? I had a small investment at 100 last night.
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If only using collateral form were that easy, shaund10.
And I very much doubt whether Hurricane Fly would be 100 if Willie Mullins suspected that he might just get him to Cheltenham (he’d have to be barmy to even try, given the horse’s potential and the risks inherent in contesting a championship race off such a lengthy and enforced layoff).
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