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Ginger- some interesting points . Yes it’s a good match up etc, BUT- 5 runners in a Champion Hurdle of which only 3 have a chance of winning-come on . Based on today’s trainer attitudes of “don’t run if there’s an easier race” , the likes of Flakey Dove, Beech Road etc would never have won. I like competitive racing with good betting opportunities- that means 8 or more runners in proper Championship races . The sport needs good betting turnover – Constitution Hill is a great horse to watch, as is Galopin , but exhibition races and 1-2 shots winning is what is putting people off Cheltenham. Of course opinions differ.
Then there is the matter of the Supreme and the Brown Advisory with 4 UK challengers in total. I mean apart from Ballyburn most of the Irish 3m novices I haven’t heard of, yet no Handstands, Jingko Blue, Springwell Bay, Inthewaterside, Masaccio to take him on . In The Supreme, Kopek looks exceptional, yet Willie still enters 7 or 8 once or twice raced novice hurdle winners- the Brits don’t even bother . Forty years ago there were 30 runners – it was won by a Scottish horse who’d been winning races up at Ayr- beating a 7/4 shot trained by Willie’s dad who had finished 2nd in an Irish Champion hurdle. The novice race at Kelso won by Jet Vegas contained a stack of horses who could have run in the Supreme.
As for Brighterdaysahead being one of the best mares we have ever seen- hardly. She might be- but she was beaten by Golden Ace last year. You can’t give her that accolade based on one freakish run- beating an out of form State Man and 3 or 4 nonentities . For me, she’s more likely to be another Apples Jade but if she beats Constitution on Tuesday, I will say fair play, she must be very very good.Mullins and Ricci will look a bit foolish if after talking up Lossiemouth for the Champion Hurdle all year, they back down at the 11th hour and take the soft option instead. So much for their two year plan.
I suppose their way of thinking is if they run State Man and Lossiemouth in the Champion, they risk winning no races (and Townend obviously cannot ride both of them). Whereas if they split them up, they know Lossiemouth will canter all over Jade De Grugy.
Unfortunately it looks as if there will be four odds on chances on the opening day. In previous eras, there would not have been four at the whole festival. But I suppose there are question marks against at least three of them.
Must admit i took another look at Day one last night and thought to myself that it’s likely i’ll only bet on 4 of the races, on the day.
Odds on shots dont interest me from a betting perspective and if a race only has 5 or 6 in it, each way will be limited to 1st 2.
Not that i wont enjoy CH putting the others to the sword, far from it
“Based on today’s trainer attitudes of “don’t run if there’s an easier race” , the likes of Flakey Dove, Beech Road etc would never have won. I like competitive racing with good betting opportunities- that means 8 or more runners in proper Championship races . The sport needs good betting turnover – Constitution Hill is a great horse to watch, as is Galopin , but exhibition races and 1-2 shots winning is what is putting people off Cheltenham. Of course opinions differ”.
BHL.
It was well worth Beech Road’s connections having a go. Because there was only one horse with a big chance of winning – the 11/8 fav Kribensis. ie If just one horse ran below form it was an open contest. The second favourite was 6/1.
In Flakey Dove’s year the favourite was Oh So Risky and he didn’t have that big a chance @ 9/4 with the joint second favs @ 13/2. Flakey Dove herself was only 9/1.You’re not comparing like with like.
Those two races were nothing like this year’s Champion. Constitution Hill and Brighterdaysahead aren’t just your normal Champion Hurdle favourite and second favourite. Both have form good enough to win the vast majority of Champion Hurdles… And if they don’t perform you’ve still got State Man.
By “good betting opportunities” I presume you want horses at bigger prices. Simple then, back the outsider of the five. Beech Road was 50/1. Individual 50/1 outsiders in 5 runner races have just the same chance as 50/1 shots in “competitive” races. Fact is there are “good betting opportunities” of backing horses at shorter odds. How often will The Hill be available near Evens or BDA in future races be available @ around 11/4?
There have been many Champion Hurdles in the past that fit the “competitive” criteria. ie They would be races equivalent to replacing The Hill and BDA with multiple horses at “good betting opportunity” prices. Far more open contests, but they were not “proper championship races” because the quality was not there.
Value Is EverythingThere needs to be a ratings ceiling introduced for that race!
If this was The O’Leary’s I would say it’s typical of them. I sincerely hoped Rich Rici was a bit different and wanted what’s best for racing. What does he enjoy about seeing her stroll round in the mares!
This is exactly the problem the chief exec needs to be addressing to redress the issue of people not bothering with it.
Can see both sides of the argument.
Lossiemouth likes Cheltenham, have a go at the Champion Hurdle.
versus
Lossiemouth took a crashing fall last time, not an ideal preparation for the Champion Hurdle.
Also we don’t know how well she has been going at home since her fall.
Tizz, Ricci doesn’t get a say in it.
Its always been Mullins/Ruby and now Mullins/Townend that decide for himGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
In previous years that may have been the case, Nathan.
I think Ricci had a lot of say in this decision.As Mike says, Lossiemouth didn’t just fall. It was a bad fall.
If she was both going and jumping as well as ever at home, I think she’d be running in the Champion… And given how State Man has run on his last two starts – unless SM is working better now (which I doubt) – am sure Mullins would’ve preferred to run Lossiemouth in the Champion too if everything was A1 with her.What I take from this decision is the likelihood of Lossiemouth not being at her best in the Mares is fairly high. Although she has quite a lot in hand anyway, so does not need to be at her best to win.
Value Is EverythingLike when Vautour wasn’t at his his in the Ryanair before producing one of the best performances ever
A winner is a winner and Lossiemouth has a better chance in the Mares than the Champion.
Quevega a prime example. Mullins had horses for the Champion with her so a no brainer for Ruby to want her to run in the Mare
Maybe Ricci has a say but I doubt Mullins listens, he nods his head and does what he does. Ricci says himself when Chapman asked ages ago. “Why would I tell Willie what to do”Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I think it’s the right decision regards Lossiemouth considering the crunching fall last time and having already been beaten by a semi fit CH on good ground.
If there is any chance she’ll be cautious over the first few hurdles this week, her race would’ve been over after 3 furlongs in the Champion.
The Mares is often run at a more cumbersome pace which’ll give her more time to find her feet.It’s great to see Golden Ace and Burdett road turn up though and the pace is sure to be thunderous with the latter combined with the Gigginstown pair.
I fancied Golden Ace to sneak 3rd the other week; was 40s with 365 at the time; wish i’d placed a small wager now.
Doubt i’ll even bet in the race, now that it’s first 2 only.
A watching brief on the day and just enjoy the race, me thinks.The Donnelly’s are more important to Willie going forwards than Ricci imo. The time when Ricci was the big owner in the yard has long gone when you consider the domination of the festival they used to have with the likes of Douvan, Vautour, Faugheen, Annie Power etc, these days its not of that ilk and other owners have more money and better connections. If they wanted Townend on State Man then its a done deal. The jockey thing appears to be important to Ricci too potentially a big factor in why Energumene and Gaelic Warrior are being kept apart.
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