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“North South divide yet again. So much for levelling up….”
Somehow, I doubt that HMG have got involved
Might be that with the weather the safer bet is Sandown to be on … might be , I’m sure a certain Mr Henderson will be happy , I doubt he knows where Wetherby is
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Not sure if Henderson will run CH now as it will only be 17 days gap to boxing day. I wouldn’t if he was mine.
I can’t see him running Henderson didn’t seem overly concerned he would be going straight to Kempton, what difference is it likely to make. Might make for a better Fighting Fifth.
The more I know the less I understand.
“I can’t see him running Henderson didn’t seem overly concerned he would be going straight to Kempton, what difference is it likely to make. Might make for a better Fighting Fifth.”
They reopen the entries don’t they? I wonder if Irish Point or Pied Piper will go, or perhaps Zanahiyr will step on a stone tomorrow.
Even though the race is re-opened you would have to doubt that regardless of who actually ends up running (be it just the original decs or any additions), none of them realistically will come anywhere remotely close to giving him a hard enough race to where losing an additional week of recovery time before the Christmas Hurdle would be an issue.
Even if he wasn’t as far forward for his seasonl debut this year when compared to last, he could run a stone or more below form and they would still have trouble getting him off the bridle. Could understand Hendo’s reluctance to do both races if one of Mullins two were coming over for Kempton but is he really saying that having only 17 days to recover after a spin round Sandown compared to 24 days after Newcastle is going to be a big enough problem that they think it will be better to go straight to Kempton instead?
If they follow last year’s Champion Hurdle route it will be the thick end of 3 months before we see him again after Christmas anyway.
Bear in mind that the race we all know as the Bula Hurdle has been moved from the December meeting to the one at the end of January, so there is another option for CH.
And as an extra incentive for Henderson to run him there, the race will be sponsored by his friends at Unibet and it’s worth £125k.
Chuck him in the Betfair Hurdle and lets see if he can emulate what the truly great Champion Hurdlers back in the day did in winning those big handicaps under top weight……..and then I rejoined everybody back down here on planet Earth
In truth, there are more than a few races he could run in but most are not going to be under the exact conditions that Hendo (or the other top trainers of G1 horses) would want, i.e. level weights (aka a reverse handicap for those other runners rated 14lbs+ inferior) with just a handful of runners in an uncompetitive race where they will just have a nice day out and a glorified schooling session with a nice pay day to boot.
Not CH’s fault that he is miles better than the current English ‘opposition’ but I grow tired of hearing a trainer(s) trot out the ‘not enough options to run him in’ reasons when we know full well that for Champion Hurdle contenders the well trodden route is the Figthing Fifth/Christmas Hurdle/Champion Hurdle……maybe if they turned them into G1 limited handicaps it might make them somewhat more competitive and force the good horses to take each other on pre Cheltenham.
Realise none of that is anywhere near realistic but hey……..
Personally, I would be very surprised if his first run in 2024 is anywhere other than the Champion Hurdle itself.
If he is desparate to get a run into Shishkin run him in this.
The more I know the less I understand.
It sounds like he will:
https://www.racingtv.com/news/rearranged-fighting-fifth-enters-the-equation-for-shishkin
Makes sense the Tingle Creek will be a thrash over fences but the Fighting Fifth will be a nice hack around.
The more I know the less I understand.
Shishkin gets his run, Constitution Hill will wait till Christmas and Henderson won’t recieve critism with Shishkin as a substitute.
Hendo already has Jonbon for the Tingle Creek. Given the paucity of top class two mile hurdlers, Shishkin could well land the Fighting Fifth, without being subjected to a hard race.
If he doesn’t plant himself and give them half a furlong ahead start he’d stand a chance
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
A scenario for sh*ts and giggles:
Cue Shishkin hosing up at Sandown and Hendo doing an about face and saying that he could now be a 2m hurdler, he goes for the King George anyway even though there is only 17 days between the races (and because CH is running in the Christmas Hurdle) but then flatly refuses to start in the King George.
They then re-direct him to the Bula only for him to get beat there after getting outpaced down the hill and staying on up it to finish 2nd, afterwards Hendo decides he needs to be stepped up in trip and will now be aimed at the Stayers Hurdle, which he finishes a staying on 3rd after getting outpaced down the hill.
They elect to try and win back to back Aintree Bowl’s and this time Ahoy Senor gets his revenge, where once again Shishkin is outpaced but stays on just failing to reel back the winner. Hendo states he needs to be upped in trip and nominates the Coral Gold Cup as his starting point leading to a tilt at the 2025 Grand National, which he goes on to finish a staying on 2nd in after….yes you guessed it…getting outpaced at a critical part of the race.
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