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If the horse goes and wins, which he well could, it will still have been a reckless decision.
Especially after last night, when we saw his true Flat potential, I would have expected a lot more enthusiasm towards a campaign on the level. But, as well all know, Nicky’s Champion Hurdle obsession is second to none and that race still comes first to him. Not enough to have lost Sir Gino through injury, now it’s the Hill’s turn.
My understanding is that Hendo is not a fan of the white hurdles and has the old style hurdles at Seven Barrows that he uses for schooling purposes.
If that is indeed the case, I fail to see what benefit bringing Yogi in will be if they are continuing to school him over those old style hurdles (which we have been told ad nauseam that he jumps perfectly fine).
If you are having to go to these lengths to try and convince yourself that a return to hurdling is the way to go then you really are just missing the very obvious point that the horse’s best interests are best served now by going flat racing.
I worry that with both the trainer and owner seemingly fully onboard with this idiocy then we really are potentially just playing Russian roulette with the horse’s life, because as Kempton starkly showed us yesterday, horses can be taken from connections on just their very first ever fall……CH has tempted fate 3 times now with absolutely no indication that he has learnt a damn thing from each of those falls…….if he goes for a 4th time, it could quite easily be the very last thing he ever does.
What is the obsession with the white hurdles?
They are also used at Leopardstown, right? Looking back at this year’s DRF (both days) I found out that there was only one faller over them a horse called Zillow ridden by a very inexperienced jockey. How come Irish trained horses have fewer jumping issues?
You book a P&O cruise to Perth (and hopefully back), but put thought in and cleverly make sure your cabin is as far away physically from anyone called Ricky or Lake. Anyway, on the first afternoon you stretch out your wasted and pallid corporeal form on the second class sun deck and as tanning ladies disperse, you spot your consultant heading for first class, and he says …
” I’m here thanks to your operation ”
and you shout..” LAKE ”
Anyway watching Hill runaway with the tarts was an almightily unusual experience for me. I rarely spy more than 1% of races I bet on – possibly the last race of the day if I am involved, but only if it is of interest – which it usually isn’t. l’m heavily into MUTE VISION – look and listen well – spending wasteful time watching horse races you are financially involved in is not only emotionally draining but counter productive if you are interested in profit – especially if you are mathematically based.
Given you are a compulsive, or an idealist, or perhaps an artist, or a penniless enthusiast, or the fast dying breed of Yankee man, go ahead and fill your eye boots.I made the unusual exception for Hill as I evidenced a large fly filling the ointment, just as Michael Douglas’s famous line disturbingly and irrationally entered the slow windmill of my mind.
‘This could be the bet of the century’ or if not – Lingfield car park on a wet Monday afternoon at 4.30 chucking out time, as Barry Dennis’s ghost heads home in front of you, and with your readies, for a medium but not rare steal and chips
Liverpool Echo….
Let’s face it – he was well prepared and unlike many – a very valuable horse !!!I am not sure there really is an issue except for the fact that the most high profile hurdler in Britain can’t seem to jump them properly.
From the limited data available from the short period they have been in place, there has been a reduction in the number of falls but whether that is a trend that will continue is anyones guess.
Why the hell has Henderson not got and not using white hurdles
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
“What is the obsession with the white hurdles?”
Because Constitution Hill can’t jump them or jump long as he did with the old style hurdles.
I’m not even sure courses in the UK are using the identical hurdles let alone in Ireland?
If you watch Chepstow yesterday you could see they looked dissimilar to Kempton’s and were far more forgiving.
Bit of action on CH on the Exchange this morning, not huge money but he’s being backed. My hunch is they are biased towards running him. If so I can’t understand what they’re waiting for in terms of confirming this – his jumping in schooling is either acceptable or it’s not, and it’s hardly likely to improve further at this stage. If he were mine I wouldn’t chance it, I’d focus on flat campaign, though I’m not sure a win in a C5 at Southwell means he’d be winning Group races. Only one way to find out – same ‘only one way’ logic applies to running at Cheltenham but less possibility of seeing him fall or worse.
“I’d focus on flat campaign, though I’m not sure a win in a C5 at Southwell means he’d be winning Group races.”
Exactly, I’ve heard of all sorts of flat races mentioned as possible targets, Breeders Cup Classic, Breeders Cup Turf, Melbourne Cup etc. All pie in the sky at this stage. I’ve seen the John Porter mentioned as an early target, can you imagine them waiting for that only for him to finish down the field having bypassed the Champion Hurdle, a race that is there for winning.
Michael Buckley said this morning he would like to run in the Champion Hurdle and then have a flat campaign, that makes sense to me although I still doubt he will run in the Champion.
Henderson stating on the front of the rp he won’t run unless there 100% confident , how the hell can you be , typical Henderson taking a positive note and turning it into a bloody tangled mess
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
One quote I’ve seen a few times “he’s a Jumps horse, that’s what he was bred for, he should go for the Champion Hurdle….”.
All too predictable from die hard National Hunt fans…….who don’t seem (or refuse) to realise there is a bigger more lucrative discipline available for him. The horse has basically told us that he could have decent future running on the Flat….Too often, a horse’s best interests are not served by their connections biases; whether that is trying a Jump horse on the Flat, or a Flat horse not being tried over jumps, when it appears they’re suited to it.
CH has possibly wasted his best years running over hurdles, when he could have been tried on the Flat and earning just as much, if not more money…..
Red rum was bred as a sprinter , should Ginger have forgotten the National and ran him in the Beverley Bullet … The hill can’t jump but he can run well on the flat it seems
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls and Gordon Elliot have all had there say and in agreement they would stay on the flat and not go champion hurdle.
Nicholls has said he has won a champion hurdle and has nothing to prove there, why risk the chance of another fallVf x
Elliott did say it tongue in cheek … , if the hill does tiny up his do the others run , common sense says to your going to tell your jockey to keep clear on case he brings you down if he falls however you,d also want to hustle him to get him to make that mistake …
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
To play Devil’s Advocate, VF, they would say that, though, wouldn’t they? All three have contenders in the big race; why would they want the best horse in the race, jumping frailties aside, there?
Of have him risk there horses if he falls and brings down/hampers them
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
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