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The ACCBank Champion Hurdle may turn out to be one of the best races of the season with Sizing Europe, Punjabi and Sublimity possibly all taking part.
I’m not yet convinced they will send Sizing Europe fencing next year especially if he can win this easily. He looked a certaiinty before injuring himself before the second last at Cheltenham but there still was a long way to go. Having said that he has never at anytime been done for stamina or failed to find penty at the end of his races so he must have gone close at least.
Punjabi put up one of the best performances of the season when lumping a huge weight into second in the Tote Gold Trophy. He looks to be improving with every run and Nicky Henderson took him out of Aintree race to run in this. I think he has done so because he is improving and a couple of more weeks before asking him to run again could turn out to be a very wise move.
Sublimity for me was never going to get the trip at Cheltenham and anyone who thinks he was beaten because of any lack of fitness should just pack in gambling now. For the third time he has shown Cheltenham is not his course but round here he is a totally different proposition. Sublimity may go down as one of the wrost Champion Hurdle winners of all time but on a less demanding track he has loads of toe travels well and would give the best of them a run for their money.
I hope he runs as I think he” be a good test for both Sizing Europe and Punjabi and it should be a fascinating race.
Wouldnt totally write off Al Eile, Harchibald, Straw Bear or Catch Me if they stay in the race and run. Looks a real good race if all named run.
Looks potentially a really good race. If the price and ground are right I’ll be with Sublimity. He’s likely to have had an easier time since Cheltenham than Sizing Europe whose problem may or may not resurface.
Sublimity always has an easy time. Wouldnt be at all suprised if he doesnt run
Sublimity for me was never going to get the trip at Cheltenham and anyone who thinks he was beaten because of any lack of fitness should just pack in gambling now. For the third time he has shown Cheltenham is not his course but round here he is a totally different proposition
On one occasion he won and on another he was as "fat as a pig". On the third occasion he had a pretty hopeless build up (and ran better than i expected)
Round Punchestown hes a "different propostion"? Last time he ran there was two years ago and he was stuffed out of sight
I woudlnt disagree that he perhaps finds Cheltenham a bit much but there is precious little form to indicate that hes suited by any particular conditions anywhere
Al eile would appeal a lot more if it was left handed and i would ignore harchibald after that last run
Has to be Sizing for me , but whats the conclusion about his physical problem last time?
Be Great if all those horses do turn out.
I think SE could be a cracking bet. I am in the camp that says he was cantering in the Champion and going to win.
If he is 100 percent, which one assumes he will be, he could look a steal after the race. (Don’t they they all!)
Zip
It’s sizing up to be a great race to watch, but due to the gargantuan question marks surrounding most of the big players it’s got ‘no bet’ written all over it for me. Sublimity would be the safe bet for a place at least, but I’ve got no faith in his trainer whatsoever.
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of pace in the race, if I were connected to Al Eile I’d be making use of his 2m4 aptitude and his flat pace and playing a bit of ‘catch me if you can’, gradually winding the tempo up and trying to burn off his rivals.
If Sizing Europe is over his injury he’s at least half a stone better than everything else over two miles. I wouldn’t be backing anything else.
If Sizing Europe is over his injury he’s at least half a stone better than everything else over two miles. I wouldn’t be backing anything else.
He probably is marginally the best horse in the race, though I can’t see a piece of form that suggests he’s half a stone ahead of the rest. Stop the Champion Hurdle 2 out, Sublimity is going pretty well himself!
If Sizing Europe is over his injury he’s at least half a stone better than everything else over two miles. I wouldn’t be backing anything else.
He probably is marginally the best horse in the race, though I can’t see a piece of form that suggests he’s half a stone ahead of the rest. Stop the Champion Hurdle 2 out, Sublimity is going pretty well himself!
No don’t stop it two out… what happened after that was brilliant!!!!
Go on Katchit!!! .. they’re lucky the little tiger’s not going over to Ireland (although please don’t respond to this comment cos it’s kind of tongue in cheek, he isn’t going and so any further comment is simply hypothetical)
If Sizing Europe is over his injury he’s at least half a stone better than everything else over two miles. I wouldn’t be backing anything else.
He probably is marginally the best horse in the race, though I can’t see a piece of form that suggests he’s half a stone ahead of the rest. Stop the Champion Hurdle 2 out, Sublimity is going pretty well himself!
AIG form. I got him at 168+ for that. Katchit’s Champion Hurdle form to around 163. There is 5lbs ignoring the plus.
Its easy to forget that form given the Champion Hurdle, its also easy to give horses an inflated rating because they ran in the Champion hurdle. This years Champion Hurdle was extremely poor IMO and I expect Sizing Europe to put the record straight soon enough.
Why is he not going? Would have been a good chance to silent the doubters once and for all.
Why is he not going? Would have been a good chance to silent the doubters once and for all.
I think the view was always that we’d stop at Cheltenham this year… Alan’s really trying to protect him for the longer term…
We don’t feel we need to silence the doubters really, there are always going to be people who crab form (I’m sure I do it from time to time) but as it stands we went into the season to have a go at two things – the WBX million and the Champion Hurdle (the former cost us the Bula)… he won 3/5 this season and got the big one… he’ll come back next year and we’ll have a crack at retaining it
and don’t forget he’s still growing (he’ll reach 15 hands any day now)
Katchit won this years Champion Hurdle; therefore Katchit is THE Champion Hurdler 2008. [in my book anyway].
I’ll be there Tues to Fri – can’t wait. The most relaxed festival of all.
Just gutted that Sarah Floods has been knocked down – was great for that first post racing Guinness…..
I’ll be looking to see if De Valira can run a big race as a fresh horse.
If Sizing Europe is over his injury he’s at least half a stone better than everything else over two miles. I wouldn’t be backing anything else.
He probably is marginally the best horse in the race, though I can’t see a piece of form that suggests he’s half a stone ahead of the rest. Stop the Champion Hurdle 2 out, Sublimity is going pretty well himself!
AIG form. I got him at 168+ for that. Katchit’s Champion Hurdle form to around 163. There is 5lbs ignoring the plus.
Its easy to forget that form given the Champion Hurdle, its also easy to give horses an inflated rating because they ran in the Champion hurdle. This years Champion Hurdle was extremely poor IMO and I expect Sizing Europe to put the record straight soon enough.
Your figures are BS Flash the Champion Hurdle is a ton harder to win than a poxy AIG and that is what it was…….why do you need ratings to decide which horse is best…………you think SE is best then end of story……putting a figure on him and ramming down people throats wont help him win……………..I really hate it when people come on here and say my ratings make so and so best………….I want to know why people think a horse is best and not just because they put a number next to a horse.
You and any other ratings expert should concentrate on the reason you think one horse will win and why another will lose…..ratings don’t mean sh1t if the going changes or there is no pace setter…….one should not put any emphasis on ratings but look at each race in it’s entirety and try and work out who’s going to make it will it be a strong pace. slow pace…whatever and then work out who it will suit…….as I say ratings are for the birds…….example…..what was the ground like when you made them up……which horse did it suit best……..EG Kauto or Denman……..simple things like that can throw ratings out a mile………I hate the fooking useless things personally
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