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I was begining to thank we were going to see a Binocular total domination of the Champion Hurdle for the next couple of seasons but Hurrican Fly has really come of age.
It could be argued that the form book through Solwhit says Hurricane Fly still has a lot to find but he was where he wanted to be when he wanted to be yesterday and you can toss the form book away come next March.
I’d still fancy Binocular to burn him out from the top of the hill now Nicky knows how the horse should be ridden but I wouldn’t argue with anyone who disagrees. There’s just no way of telling until the big day which will come out on top but it will take a huge performance to lower Binocular’s colours.
As far as Dunguib goes dare I say it…he simply doesn’t have the speed to cope and even if it had been hock deep I doubt If he would have lived with HF or Solwhit.
Disaapointed! but hopefully his trainer will now wake up and smell the roses.
I doubt if there’s a horse in training who moves better than Dunguib when he’s within his own sphere. When I realised how old he was I said he should perhaps go for the CH. Well the way it turned out there was no need and we now know this horse will never win a Champion Hurdle.
However his appearrance alone would have had me heading for the first schooling fence and if this trainer doesn’t send him chasing now I think we’ll be robbed of seeing something really special.
He surely now must be aimed at the Arkle or even better the RSA and all being well we might just see him run in the Gold Cup the following year.
Great performance by Hurricane Fly
As far as Dunguib goes dare I say it…he simply doesn’t have the speed to cope and even if it had been hock deep I doubt If he would have lived with HF or Solwhit.
Disaapointed! but hopefully his trainer will now wake up and smell the roses.
I doubt if there’s a horse in training who moves better than Dunguib when he’s within his own sphere. When I realised how old he was I said he should perhaps go for the CH. Well the way it turned out there was no need and we now know this horse will never win a Champion Hurdle.
However his appearrance alone would have had me heading for the first schooling fence and if this trainer doesn’t send him chasing now I think we’ll be robbed of seeing something really special.
He surely now must be aimed at the Arkle or even better the RSA and all being well we might just see him run in the Gold Cup the following year.
REPLY
As one of his biggest fans, he’s been my banker at both Festivals I have to admit he seems to have been very over-rated. The first time any seeds of doubt were sewn in my mind on the eve of The Supreme, when I watched his defeat by On Raglan Road, check my old post, I can’t find it but it’s there somewhere. Dig the video of the On Raglan Road and out and have a look, Dunguib shows that usual crusing motion as he closes in on ORR yet he finds very little when asked. Could he just be another bridle horse or just not very brave?
I’d be a lot richer if I had paid more attention to that first bumper run and not got sucked in to what I fear was hype and I appologise to those who I encouaged to join the masses. "He’s not The Messiah, He’s a ——- —— boy." Fill in your own blanksPS I’ve never thought he’d make up into a chaser, I’d be more inclined to go for a flat campaign
On the form book the one stand out horse today looks to be Blazing Tempo, either the 1st or 3rd in her last race would be a very hot favourite in this race yet she’s 16-1 , get on!
I’ll have to back Hardy Eustace against the field he meets today.As far as Dunguib goes dare I say it…he simply doesn’t have the speed to cope and even if it had been hock deep I doubt If he would have lived with HF or Solwhit.
Disaapointed! but hopefully his trainer will now wake up and smell the roses.
I doubt if there’s a horse in training who moves better than Dunguib when he’s within his own sphere. When I realised how old he was I said he should perhaps go for the CH. Well the way it turned out there was no need and we now know this horse will never win a Champion Hurdle.
However his appearrance alone would have had me heading for the first schooling fence and if this trainer doesn’t send him chasing now I think we’ll be robbed of seeing something really special.
He surely now must be aimed at the Arkle or even better the RSA and all being well we might just see him run in the Gold Cup the following year.
REPLY
As one of his biggest fans, he’s been my banker at both Festivals I have to admit he seems to have been very over-rated. The first time any seeds of doubt were sewn in my mind on the eve of The Supreme, when I watched his defeat by On Raglan Road, check my old post, I can’t find it but it’s there somewhere. Dig the video of the On Raglan Road and out and have a look, Dunguib shows that usual crusing motion as he closes in on ORR yet he finds very little when asked. Could he just be another bridle horse or just not very brave?
I’d be a lot richer if I had paid more attention to that first bumper run and not got sucked in to what I fear was hype and I appologise to those who I encouaged to join the masses. "He’s not The Messiah, He’s a ——- —— boy." Fill in your own blanksPS I’ve never thought he’d make up into a chaser, I’d be more inclined to go for a flat campaign
On the form book the one stand out horse today looks to be Blazing Tempo, either the 1st or 3rd in her last race would be a very hot favourite in this race yet she’s 16-1 , get on!
I’ll have to back Hardy Eustace against the field he meets today.Not sure why this On Raglan Road piece of form keeps cropping up? Perhaps Dunguib didn’t find much off the bridle that day but it was his first run so I don’t think it is very relevant now. Dunguib found plenty when storming away with the Festival Bumper. He has been beaten the last twice by better horses.
THe relevance is the possibility he’s a bridle horse. Harcibald cruised away from Rooster Booster in a similar way that Dunguib cruised away from the Festival Bumper field …it may well turn out that Harcibald is the better of the two….shock horror!
I’ll stick with that until Dunguib fights back once headed in a quality race or cruises up to horse of Hardy Eustace’s stature in a CHInteresting looking at the ante-post fall out for next year’s Champion Hurdle. Hurricane Fly is 6/1 and Thousand Stars is 50/1 yet Hurricane Fly has a fragile profile and remains unproven on the track. Added to that not inconceivable that Thousand Stars would have been even closer with Ruby Walsh on board.
Interesting looking at the ante-post fall out for next year’s Champion Hurdle. Hurricane Fly is 6/1 and Thousand Stars is 50/1 yet Hurricane Fly has a fragile profile and remains unproven on the track. Added to that not inconceivable that Thousand Stars would have been even closer with Ruby Walsh on board.
I understand the "Ruby factor" but would be a great shame if Katie lost the ride next year, I though she was outstanding in defeat
Baraizan was very impressive, ruuning on strongly even at the end after making it all, an punching in a fast time. I though AP gave him a poor ride at Aintree, didn’t let him go. A serious contender for next year’s CH, IMO
Interesting looking at the ante-post fall out for next year’s Champion Hurdle. Hurricane Fly is 6/1 and Thousand Stars is 50/1 yet Hurricane Fly has a fragile profile and remains unproven on the track. Added to that not inconceivable that Thousand Stars would have been even closer with Ruby Walsh on board.
I understand the "Ruby factor" but would be a great shame if Katie lost the ride next year, I though she was outstanding in defeat
There’s the potential that HF vs Binny could be the Kauto vs Denman of hurdles – BUT! – there’s also a decent chance that the two horses could do themselves a mischief before next years Champion Hurdle, so it really is all to play for.
Katie Walsh and Thousand Stars seem to get on really well, so it would be a shame to separate the two.
Twitter=@PGHenn
So don't run, just like the others always do
How game is Barizan, must be a very fit horse to keep up that for 2m, excellent performance!
I have to say Tony O’Heir’s commentary throughout the festival was dire. I cannot understand how RTE have not found a better racing commentator.
JohnJ.
Had a brilliant 4 days over there as usual, albeit scrambling by on the betting. A few reflections..
Dunguib is never going to be a championship 2 mile hurdler – none of the previous Cheltenham bumper winners were and he is no different. Most Cheltenham bumper winners end up as 3 milers and he looks the same. Indeed many (Hairy Molly, Liberman, Joe Cullen etc., end up being rather moderate).
Arvika Ligeonneire was deeply impressive on Friday and looks a potentially decent 2 – 2.5 mile novice chaser.
How much of a stone-cold certainty must 1000 stars have been for the County Hurdle. Great ride from Katie Walsh to finish on the heels of Hurricane Fly and Solwhit.
Quevega a machine but don’t think Bensalem had the best of passages and is surely worth giving a crack at Big Bucks.
On The Fringe – great performance for a 5 year old to win a champion hunter chase. This must be a decent horse.
Arkle form not really working out yet. Sizing, Osana and Somersby all beaten subsequently. Wouldn’t really fancy any of these for QMCC next year. Forpadytheplasterer surely worth a try at 3m.
Great to see WoA carried out on his shield, but Planet of Sound given a great ride by Dickie Johnson – he clearly haad no stamina concerns. Denman ran some race to be third given he must have gone half a furlong further than the others. The Welsh National would be where I’d aim him these days…
Said it before but Des Scahill a terrible commentator – misses things continually – surely time for some new blood?
And finally jeers to the Naas Gardai for closing the Craddockstown Lane to pedestrians – surely people should be allowed a safe route to walk out to the course – thankfully they seemed to have relented by Friday evening when the youngsters all use it to get back.
John, he was as bad as ever this week, he just can’t commentate,can he?
Didn’t have as many highlights this week as previous years, but a few things stood out!
The continuing rise of Paul Townend was great to see, as was the return of Hurricane Fly. Hope he stays fit for next season, if he does, the Champion Hurdle should be a cracker. It was also great to see War of Attrition bow out with a brave effort! Forpady ran his heart out again, he’ll win a big one soon hopefully, and the same can be said for Deutchsland and Bensalem.
VtC,
Ruby Walsh corrected him on a number of occasions. I think the rest of the team are excellent. Ted Walsh, Robert Hall, Tracy Piggott, Brian Gleeson and Johnny from the exchanges all played a blinder and Ruby for that matter. RTE should stop the interruptions from Nuacht, what’s TG4 for?????
JohnJ
John,
Not Ted Walsh’s biggest fan, but big fan of Gleesons, a gut I’ve always liked. I’d like to see more of him over here! Only seen the others in snippets, but certainly seemed to be ok to me! I wasn’t watching the full coverage last week, but got some if it through a link. I can only assume interruptions have been driving you up the wall. Never fun!
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