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I think we will know our fate on touching down at the 3rd last Gaz.
Noel has got to take the bull by the horns here and use his speed early to try and steal amatch on them like Binocular did in the Champion Hurdle. He has both speed and stamina but if they don’t use it and try to play cat and mmouse with Cue Card and Menorah they will lose.
Pretty sure PN realisies that and he be ridden as suggested and should have these puppy dogs gasping for air when it matters.
Just hope the girlfriend doesn’t miss her jewlerry before I can get it back out of the pawn shop
Joking of course but I have had a bit more on than I should have…fingers crossed buddy!
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If you can excuse Clerk’s Choice poor run at Haydock on sticky ground then he represents the value in the race at 12/1.
His form at Cheltenham compares favourably with Cue Card and Menorah with his winning time some 7 seconds faster than Cue Card (albeit carrying 9 pounds less)on the same ground and 13 seconds faster than Menorah (carrying 1 stone less than Menorah) good/soft
On official ratings he is within 2 or 3 pounds of anything else in the field.
I wouldn’t try and put you off SP but I had a long serious look at this horse and muy opinion is your nuts
3 runs back after winning at Stratford against some fairly moderate horses he would have been 100/1 going into a race like this.
You really can’t compare the times without looking at all the facts. Barizan was in Clerk’s race which goes along way to explaing why it was very fast but on the day he was only an average 8 to 10 secs faster than Russian War who while decent was totally outclassed by Grand Cue on the same day Menorah won in an average 7 secs faster than that winner did.
Cue Card on the day he raced comes out best of all because he was 4.4 slow in comparison to Agean Dawn who was 17 secs slow. Like for like that was one helluva performance for a young horse.
They may call it good to firm but was it GOOD/firm or good/FIRM and that’s what messes up times all the time.
Should run well the horse but beat this lot? need to sprout wind and fly across the course to get his head in front I’m afraid. EW? why not something usually gives and one of the fancied ones could esaily be so knackered he’d be run out the places.
Cue Card’s performance in the International this afternoon will go along way to deciding what his Festival assignment will be.
He is a best priced 14/1 for the Champion Hurdle, with Menorah 9/1 and Silviniaco Conti 10/1.
Compare that with the prices for the International, where Cue Card and Menorah are 2/1, Silviniaco Conti on 3/1.
The way I see it, if Cue Card wins tomorrow that 14/1 will certainly evaporate and the prices will flip-flop. He’s favourite for the race today, but outsider of the three for the Champion.
If you fancy him for the International, take the 14/1 because victory will almost certainly see him take the Champion Hurdle route. Connections are already very bullish about his chances.
That being said, a victory for any of the ‘big three’ will see their price plummet.
Another aspect to consider is that if he does win, what will that do to the Supreme market? He is currently a warm favourite for the race, with the next best priced up at double figures.
I like the look of Kid Cassidy, thus far. He could return at Kempton over Christmas and if Cue Card is being aimed at the Champion, victory could see him push for favouritism. I have taken the 20/1.
Of course, if Cue Card is well held and connections target the Supreme, it will prove that the horse is far from infallible.
An interesting race on so many levels – I will look at their respective efforts last time out. What a race…what a days racing.
This is a cracking renewal and I’m very much looking forward to this much anticipated clash.
Cue Card has looked every inch a top class performer and he could be a bit special.
He beat a very decent field in last seasons Champion Bumper and has taken the transistion to hurdling in his stride. He pulled hard over two miles-four on his seasonal debut at Aintree, but still won on the bridle, and posted a similar performance over two miles at Cheltenham.
He has yet to be asked a serious question, but his enthustiastic nature is a sure sign that he will fight if push comes to shove. He is fast over his obstacles, although he has shown his inexperience, but he appears to be a natural and it’s reassuring that in a race where there is no obvious pace, he has quickened well off a steady gallop before.
The same can be said about Menorah, who put up an impressive weight-carrying performance when winning the Greatwood last time out off a steady pace.
He is another who appears to thrive around Cheltenham and really comes into his own up that hill, where he displayed such battling qualities last month and when landing the Supreme in March.
He does have a tendancy to hit the odd obstacle when a race gets serious and there will be no room for error against two promising young talents.
Silviniaco Conti could not have been more impressive when landing the Ascot Hurdle, with some high profile names trailing.
He is another who appears to enjoy his racing and like Cue Card, is fast, if slightly more fluent, over his obstacles.
His defeat of Captain Chris and Frascati Park in the Persian War represents decent form, with the former acquitting himself well on his chasing bow (Loosen My Load behind) and the latter beating the highly regarded Sprinter Sacre next time.
The one worry I have about the Paul Nicholls-trained horse is that he appears to thrive off a fast pace. Unless one of the outsiders fancy their moment in the spotlight, that looks highly unlikely here. He has never encountered horses with the speed of Menorah and Cue Card before.
If he’s thereabouts at the finish, I’m sure his trainer will be delighted. The fast and furious pace of a Champion Hurdle will suit him much better.
I think Cue Card will hold too many aces for the tough, battle-hardened Menorah.
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Can’t see that the Greatwood was run at a steady pace (even though Mike Cattermole called it such), it’s been a feature of Menorah’s career that he needs a strongly run race, and his T/S figure for the race shows he ran within 1 pip of his fastest.
His biggest problem today (imo) may well be the lack of pace, and it wouldn’t surprise to see him force it. Even though his 2 main rivals have won over further, there are indications they’ve both got more speed than he, and it’ll need a real canny ride from RJ to negate it.
Given the make up of today’s race, I’d slightly favour Silviniaco C, but I wouldn’t dream of betting on it.This is a good race to test one’s methods on. At first glance it appears that these three will carve the race up between them.
Menorah/Silviniaco Conti/Cue Card.
However, I see no value in backing any one of those three to win. Even a book on them is not worth the risk. A book on the rest of the fieldwould
be worth the risk. That type of bet does not appeal to me though. A small win on both Cristal Bonus & Astracad could tempt me.
I figure Menorah is the c/f horse in the race and as such is worthy of a hefty place only bet. It is 1.4 at present.- Total Posts 17716
Very interesting race, if I could get out I’d back Silviniaco Conti, should tell us a lot and will probably be happiest if cue card does it well.
Nicene Creed being used as a pacemaker, according to Channel 4.
Can’t believe I didn’t take that into consideration.
Should make things interesting…
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Menorah looked good but it’s debateable whether he’s beat a real class animal yet (none of them previous champion hurdle contenders).
I would think Cue Card was a banker for the supreme on that performance.
Im a massive fan of Silviniaco Conti, and i think he will take the race.
I think the race will go a long way to prove that he will be top class. The signs that he is top class are there already, and i have harped on about him enough, but he is a big favourite of mine already, really like the horse, he is special.
Easy Tiger! I reckon for as much as this is an interesting race,there is no Champion hurdle winner in it,under the conditions of the race i would expect
Menorah
to get Cue card off the bridle and win,Cue Card should stay novice hurdling this season as he is still on the weak side,he has that i dont want to fight head carriage too! This Silviniaco Conti looks more like a 3 miler than a 2 miler to me and to see Ladbrokes only offer 8/1 about him for the Champion hurdle astounds me!
If i ruled the world,every day would be the first day of spring!
Cue cards Head carriage says it all!I don’t beleive Silviniaco Conti ran to his very best there.
The mistake at the first – although it couldn’t have come at a better time – seemed to curb his enthusiasm slightly, for me.
Menorahs’s obviously very good. Cue card a bridle horse in the top flight? Maybe a bit harsh…
Despite the presence of the pacemaker, the rest of the field generally ignored him and it wasn’t a strongly run race.
Menorah had too much speed and Cue Card could still prove vulnerable over two miles in the novice division if a classy, speedier novice announces himself before then – remember Dunguib? Still, a good performance from one so inexperienced.
He still remains a horse of immense potential, although that head carriage is a slight worry.
As predicted, the race would not be run to suit Silviniaco Conti and he could be closer come March off a stronger pace.
If Paul Nicholls gives him the thumbs up for the Champion Hurdle, I’ll have a few quid on ew.
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Well done BigPhill on picking Menorah, you’re a shrewd judge!
I personally dont think Silviniaco Conti has lost anything in defeat there, especially with the rave reviews Cue Card has been receiving this year, and giving him weight today too.
However, Menorah, definite player for the CH come March, a very decent horse, and that turn of foot was excellent today.
Very good horse.
Didn’t think the race would suit Menorah, was a bit of a muddling race, however, you cannot be impressed by that performance. Cue Card will have learned a lot from that race today.
JohnJ
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Cue Card was always a awory being a Cheltenham Bumper winner and if SC is a 2 1/2 mie horse then while ma comnntender nI doubt if it’s acrual Champion Hurdle winning form.
The fact they have made the horse 7/2 favourite is only beacuse the race has just finsihed and people will want to back him. That’s the mug punters price.
The real price will show up in the next week or two.
Only takes any of 3 Binocular, Hurricane Fly and Peddlars Cross to win a decent race and he’ll be deposed as fav.
Those bookies really are better at jokes than Morcambe and Wise ever were.
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