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So, is there anyone who thinks there’s a horse out there that’ll be Hurricane Fly in this?
Snoab
Twitter=@PGHenn
So don't run, just like the others always do
There is a tiny part of me that thinks Binocular could yet win another.
Apart from that… no. Can’t see any of the novices getting past him.
On current form,
Hurricane Fly
is the big dog and cannot be beaten, he travels so well and his speed is scary.
I have not been impressed with the new breed of hurdlers coming through via the juveniles, only
Zarkandar
stands out, but i do not think he could beat
Hurricane Fly
.
From the open division,
Spirit Son
and
Al Ferof
look about the best, but i have a feeling
Al Ferof
will go chasing over 2m net season as
Nicholls
sees
Zarkandar
and
Sam Winner
as his next big hurdlers in the 2m division.
A lot can happen in a year, and only 1 of the field from the previous Champion Hurdle returned this year, in K
hyber Kim
, which shows we cannot second guess what will be back this next year? Maybe
Binocular
, who on his best day is the only known horse i believe is capable of matching
Hurricane Fly
.
If i was to do a forecast now, my top 2 would beHurricane Fly
and
Spirit Son
On current form,
Hurricane Fly
is the big dog and cannot be beaten, he travels so well and his speed is scary.
I have not been impressed with the new breed of hurdlers coming through via the juveniles, only
Zarkandar
stands out, but i do not think he could beat
Hurricane Fly
.
From the open division,
Spirit Son
and
Al Ferof
look about the best, but i have a feeling
Al Ferof
will go chasing over 2m net season as
Nicholls
sees
Zarkandar
and
Sam Winner
as his next big hurdlers in the 2m division.
A lot can happen in a year, and only 1 of the field from the previous Champion Hurdle returned this year, in K
hyber Kim
, which shows we cannot second guess what will be back this next year? Maybe
Binocular
, who on his best day is the only known horse i believe is capable of matching
Hurricane Fly
.
If i was to do a forecast now, my top 2 would beHurricane Fly
and
Spirit Son
Nicholls said pre-Cheltenham that Sam Winner will be going chasing in the Autumn, but to be honest I would fancy his chances over 2 1/2 or 3 miles rather than 2, he seems like a stayer. He seems to hit flat spots in his races and then stays on at the finish, as he did in the Triumph.
In terms of the Champion Hurdle 2012, I can’t look past Hurricane Fly to be honest, he is seriously special. Binocular, given previous form may have a chance with him, but it’s whether the real Binocular turns up. He travels ominously well in his races and can find seemingly unlimited speed when asked.
From this years novice form, I feel Zarkander and Spirit Son would be the only 2m hurdlers from the 2010/11 novice division that will progress enough to be of Champion Hurdle standard.
Can’t see the fly getting beat.But will OSCARS WELL go for Champion hurdle he could get a place.
If Hurricane Fly turns up I’d expect him to win but March is a long way away!
Out of the others at the moment i think Thousand Stars could be good value at 33s for a place.
Hurricane Fly, Spirit Son, Zarkandar will be the 3 come March. I think Spirit Son could be the one to give H Fly the most to do & will be backing him soon. He will mop up the big 2 mile hurdle races over here. Hurricane Fly is something special though would like to somehow get both on side. Wishful thinking haha
peddlers cross?
i was there on the tuesday and backed hurricane fly but peddlers scared the shite out me
if his chasing campaign doesn’t start well he could revert to hurdling and on softer ground could get even closer
none of the others need bother turning up
It’s got to be Hurricane Fly’s again, sheer class! I can’t see Binocular ever reaching the heights we’ve seen him hit again. All the best of the rest from last year all appear to be going novice chasing and the trendlines show that novices stepping up for the first time have a shocking record in the race. If he stays fit he wins
Dethroning a top notch Champion Hurdler is never easy.
Persian War held the title for 3 years. It took a combination of time and a the brilliant Bula to dethrone him. Plus his mad owner demanding he ran in everything going shortened his racing lifespan.
See You Then made the Champion Hurdle his own dodgy legs and all.
Istabraq was something else he was virtually unbeatable but again time took it’s toll.
I wouldn’t take anything away from Binocular he should have won 2 Champion Hurdles and he was probably up there with the greats but clearly something physical went very wrong with him.
Whether he could have handled Hurricane Fly or not is another matter.
Looking back at the build up to last year race we had more realistic contenders than I can remember in any previous year. At least 6 horses were fancied and even those who were in one camp must have thought once or twice about jumping ship and switching loyalties.
Unfortunately this year it has a look of a Hurricane Fly benefit about it.
Perhaps the Supreme came a week or 2 or even a race too to soon for the inexperience Spirit Son but I’d fancy the Champion Hurdle isn’t his type of race. I get the impression he’ll be better over a bit further and everything would happen half a length too quick for him at Cheltenham.
He’s cracking horse but lacks that tiny bit of class that separates the men from the boys. Even with improvement I can see him reaching the heights Binocular did.
It doesn’t leave much and as Hurricane Fly has only just arrived and it’s unlikely anything can improve through the ranks to beat him.
He looks a banker to become the next duel winner of the race
Zarkandar to make a good effort against the more experienced horses. He actually ran his triumph race only a second slowly than hurricane flys champion time but the triumph was 1/2 furlong longer than the champion hurdle. So with that in mind and his relations plus hurricane fly not always guarantied to be fit I think he has a strong chance obviously ruby will be retained by mullins but Daryl jacob has won on Zarkandar twice already and prob knows him better than ruby which showed at aintree when he won but was a very laboured win. As for alforof he ll be chasing this year but his time in the supreme novices time was a second quicker than the champion hurdle which would of made things very interesting. But the way he jumped and stayed in that he needs a trip and fences which he is bred for
possible one from way out left field but does anyone think on softer ground that pittoni could make up into a champion hurdle horse.charles byrnes looks to be campaigning this one in a similar sort of way to solwhit a few years back.he’s entered in the morgiana hurdle shortly.likely to get his ground there in his first match with hurricane fly.has a lot to find on figures but is definitely still improving.shrewd trainer and connections too
HF was very fragile last year. Not much point in backing him yet at 2.75 as I doubt if he will be odds on on the day. Oscars Well at 25/1 e/w looks better value.
If the Fly turns up obviously he will take some beating however I cannot have him as unbeatable!
I personally believe Binocular will have a very good season again and the one i think could trouble them both is Zarkander.
Horse was mightily impressive last season in the Triumph and with a very short campaign this year he will arrive at the Festival fresher than most. Could possibly just about be good enough IMO
Did you see what Hurricane Fly did to Binocular at Punchestown last season?
I don’t see it as regards Zarkandar either. He looked one paced at Aintree where Grandouet was hacking all over him two out. I know Paul Nicholls frequently has his horses sent for wind operations but Zarkandar will have to have had a rocket inserted up his backside if he’s going to overturn Hurricane Fly.
The only danger to Hurricane Fly is himself. I’d say he’s even more of a certainty than Big Bucks for their respective Cheltenham targets should they both turn up fit and healthy. The paucity of opposition in the 2 mile division to HF is clear for all to see now that the likes of Peddlers Cross, Menorah and Solwhit are going chasing. The horses being put up as potential challengers are not in the same class at all – Zarkandar, Oscars Well, The Real Article (couldn’t win the Galway Hurdle ffs!). Big Bucks could have more on his plate this season with Oscar Whiskey and Thousand Stars.
Imperial Call: If you rewatch the Aintree race you will see that Grandouet was tiring hence why he fell
Also, Zarkandar will turn up the fresher horse as he is only having the one prep race, you can also check out the Triumph time, was very good and compares favourably to the Champion Hurdle time
Good luck though
Grandouet didn’t fall, he was brought down and Barry had barely gone for him. It’s impossible to be certain but I think he’d have won cosily that day. At Punchestown he beat Alan King’s horse who ran Zarkandar to a length and a quarter by 9L.
The reality is that Palawi had got Zarkandar hard at it turning in at Liverpool. Palawi wouldn’t get Hurricane Fly out of a hack canter. People spent all of last season trying to find holes in Hurricane Fly and there were none. He’s a horse who was bordering on group class over 10f on the flat (beat a Champion Stakes winner) and he has the stamina to win a Hattons Grace Hurdle over 2m4 on soft ground. If he stays sound he could emulate Istabraq such is his class.
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