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I have a theory about Celestial Halo.
PN would have him fit for this but with Cheltenham on his mind he wouldn’t be 110% like he will be in March. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s sent horses for races like this and overdid what he reckons is leaving something to work on.
I think he’s affected more than most horses would be and it takes tons of his performance unless he is 110% and would ignore this form.
Word perfect there Fist!I am dissapointed but not too downbeat,better ground will suit and i am still not convinced Khyber wants it too fast!Beaten fair and square today,but today is not the day that counts!Thank Goodness!
But then if he’d cantered all over the field today instead of getting cantered on, it’d be a different tune coming from the Celestial lobby, wouldn’t it?
It’s always nice having something to cling on to
Incidentally, Zaynar hacked up over 2m5f today and looked his usual lazy self in doing so, but had barely started running by the line. As it’s March that matters and presumably with so much more to still work on with Zaynar, does this make him an absolute certainty now, or do they only have alot more to work on when they get beat? There were no fitness cocerns before the race with CH were there?
You’re having it both ways, gents, but it’s only going one way at the moment.
Nicky Henderson set his sights firmly on Cheltenham after the performance and said: “I think he’s a Champion Hurdle horse, in fact I know he’s a Champion Hurdle horse.
“He can be a real character and is very lazy. He seems to go to sleep but we can put the cheekpieces back on at some stage.”
He added: “I have three horses to play around with for the Champion, but Zaynar does not need much more and will only have one more run before March.
"He has the experience for the Champion Hurdle
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So Celestial Halo has suddenly become a bad horse – much like he was last year, when Binocular thrashed him?
Also, if he doesn’t stay more than 2 miles, I’ll take up origami.
Zaynar is messing about over 2.5 miles because his stable has so much talent at the lesser trip, but he’ll be a sharper horse with the blinds reapplied, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see BG preferring him to Punjabi, come the big day.- Total Posts 17716
Nicky Henderson set his sights firmly on Cheltenham after the performance and said: “I think he’s a Champion Hurdle horse, in fact I know he’s a Champion Hurdle horse.
“He can be a real character and is very lazy. He seems to go to sleep but we can put the cheekpieces back on at some stage.”
He added: “I have three horses to play around with for the Champion, but Zaynar does not need much more and will only have one more run before March.
"He has the experience for the Champion Hurdle
It’s one thing being a Champion Hurdle horse but it’s a totally different thing winning one. At the end of the day I would imagine the owner is mega keen on running him in the CH. With that in mind, what Nicky and other trainers say and what they really think is not always the same. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when Frank Berry told him he wasn’t to run Binocular in the Triumph
In the meantime Nicky will be having the family silver on Binocular for the CH
I think the most important statement Nicky Henderson has made regarding his champion hurdle horses was. "Punjabi wouldn’t get 2 1/2 miles but I’m certain Binocular would" "I’m not going to run him over the trip but I think he’d get it"
A year ago if he had been thinking like that Binocular would most likely have run his normal race and won the Champion Hurdle. AP disappointed the horse by holding him up too long and he went flat after jumping the last. It wasn’t until half way up the run in did he start to pick up again…..anyone who doubts that should go back and look.
Knowing that this season puts a different reflection on things. I think AP will ride him like he would in any other race and instead of holding him up until after the last he’ll kick of the top bend and when he does nothing has a hope of going with him. Better you are 3 lengths in front going to the last than 3 lengths behind if your horse does stay.
All these tough staying types like Zaynar, Solwhit and Celestial Halo will be left floundering and fighting it out for the minor places. If there is a danger it remains to be Hurricane Fly if he’s as good as they say he is.
So Celestial Halo has suddenly become a bad horse – much like he was last year, when Binocular thrashed him?
Not at all, but he certainly hasn’t got any better if you look at Punjabis performance – a horse with tons more improvement in him come March. Besides, Binocular had the advantage of a run under his belt over Celestial Halo before last years 4 length defeat, so it was hardly inconcievable that CHalo would reverse that at Cheltenham with a gallop, and so it proved. Khyber Kim wont be a player but Punjabi, to name one, will have the measure of him once again IMO.
Zaynar is messing about over 2.5 miles because his stable has so much talent at the lesser trip, but he’ll be a sharper horse with the blinds reapplied, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see BG preferring him to Punjabi, come the big day.
Agreed.
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Look at what just happened. Khyber King beats Celestial Halo who was runner up in last years Champion Hurdle very easily and the bookies make him a 12/1 shot.
Zaynar beats Karabak who would be tailed of in a Champion Hurdle and then wins a 2m4f race against horses that would be lucky to win a decent handicap and they make him 4/1 favourite for the big one
If BG had the choice of 3 I know which he would ride and he wouldn’t have a moments hesitation in doing so.
The exciting aspect about the CH is that there looks to be a lot of class in the race, both from novices and the older horses.
Zaynar, Go Native, Hurricane Fly, Solwhit, Binocular, Celestial Halo, etc… are very good horses.
Looks like a very good race come March.
Who will win? ? ? I haven’t a clue.
- Total Posts 17716
I have a theory about Celestial Halo.
PN would have him fit for this but with Cheltenham on his mind he wouldn’t be 110% like he will be in March. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s sent horses for races like this and overdid what he reckons is leaving something to work on.
I think he’s affected more than most horses would be and it takes tons of his performance unless he is 110% and would ignore this form.
Word perfect there Fist!I am dissapointed but not too downbeat,better ground will suit and i am still not convinced Khyber wants it too fast!Beaten fair and square today,but today is not the day that counts!Thank Goodness!
But then if he’d cantered all over the field today instead of getting cantered on, it’d be a different tune coming from the Celestial lobby, wouldn’t it?
It’s always nice having something to cling on to
Incidentally, Zaynar hacked up over 2m5f today and looked his usual lazy self in doing so, but had barely started running by the line. As it’s March that matters and presumably with so much more to still work on with Zaynar, does this make him an absolute certainty now, or do they only have alot more to work on when they get beat? There were no fitness cocerns before the race with CH were there?
You’re having it both ways, gents, but it’s only going one way at the moment.
It’s got nothing to do with fitness concerns it’s understanding and watching how trainers go about their business. e.g. In recent years PN has never sent Kauto Star for any race 110% outside of the King George and Gold Cup bar once and that cost him dearly. You can add 10lbs to his performances between A and B so why should he do anything different with Celestial Halo?
With some horses you simply can’t keep them at the top of their game all season and expect to win at Cheltenham.
When you are thinking ahead there’s a very fine line between having them just fit enough to win and finding out later he could have done with another gallop or two.
I doubt if PN will be losing any sleep over that run today.
- Total Posts 17716
The exciting aspect about the CH is that there looks to be a lot of class in the race, both from novices and the older horses.
Zaynar, Go Native, Hurricane Fly, Solwhit, Binocular, Celestial Halo, etc… are very good horses.
Looks like a very good race come March.
Who will win? ? ? I haven’t a clue.
Drat! and there was I thinking you read my posts
KK whilst getting a few lbs thrashed 2 established champion hurdlers today however you want to look at it. He literally seems a different horse now and is finally showing much of his natural talent, opens up another door, though I’m sure people will just keep painting the picture they want to see
Why are people still talking about Binocular.
He flops at the festival….cant handle the course and had a dire start to his season
KK 2nd very impressive win at the course today … easily beat CH and Punjabi .. i was impressed
Zaynar won very very easily as well but does seem to do everything easily – Cape Tribulation came upsides today and for a few seconds it was a race – Zaynar just powered away.
One thing bugs me with him – in a fight how much would he find ? … might be one of those that the more races he has the less he finds in a fight – he look suspect for a few moments today almost as if he was half asleep
Thats a pretty blinkered view Wallace in fairness, 3rd 3/4 Length in champion hurdle is a flop? 3rd in champion and 2nd in a supreme is not handling the course and being caught out in a slowly run race is a dire start? He was in my view the least suited by that race. However, I wouldn’t want to take the prices about him right now but understadably the bookmakers are reluctant to lengthen him which is fair enough, though he does need to go out and prove something on his next run.
KK whilst getting a few lbs thrashed 2 established champion hurdlers today however you want to look at it. He literally seems a different horse now and is finally showing much of his natural talent, opens up another door, though I’m sure people will just keep painting the picture they want to see
It will be faster ground and a shorter trip in March and at the top level with such small margins between a host of horses that will be significant and it won’t enhance Khyber Kim’s claims.
We already KNOW Punjabi, Celestial Halo and Binocular are good enough to win a Champion Hurdle as they all crossed the line together in the last running. To write any of those horses off I think would be a big mistake. The likes of Khyber Kim and Zaynar are still the horses with it to prove.
Today just confirms the feeling that last years champion hurdle was a very average affair. Binocular has only ever really ran one good race, beating Celestial Halo on a flat speed track. Previous to that, he couldnt beat a chaser in captain cee bee in reciept of 8lbs on ground the winner hated. He was firmly put in his place last time out. A speed horse like him should be able to quicken off that pace.
Celestial Halo is a stayer who does not have the class to win a CH. Was anyone else severly dissapointed when Punjabi won last year. This is a horse who could only manage third in a poor affair the year before. IMO, he would have been beaten by an ageing Harchibald in the Christmas hurdle had he stayed on his feet.
No, none of last years crop are good enough. That leaves us with an excellent set of novices from last season. Karabak ran second in an excellent Ballymore properties last year. The form has since been franked by Diamiond Harry. Zaynar beat him easily, and was an impressive winner of a triumph over course and distance. Connections must be very tempted with a CH tilt.
Go Native is talented, but he was put in his place twice by Hurricane Fly, who in turn looks even more talented. Does anybody else get the feeling that he will be a machine once he encounters good ground? He is the one I want to be on at the moment.
My only other wish is that Dunguib was with a big stable who could afford to take the risk of sending him the champion route. I understand the position Philip Fenton is in, and thus it is impossible for him to entertain the idea. I really feel like a run in the Europe champion hurdle in January would be perfect for him. See how he fares against the big boys and use it as his prep for Cheltenham. If he wins on the bridle, go for the champion. If it is apparant he is not going to, then ease him down so as to not give him a hard race. Plenty of Novices have run in that race before.
You can add 10lbs to his performances between A and B so why should he do anything different with Celestial Halo?
Why would Henderson not be doing exactly the same with Zaynar? Seems people would rather make excuses for losers than laud the impressive winners when it suits them.
Come on fella – what’s it going to take for someone round here to say: "Well that was bloody disappointing!"
Regardless of how far away March is, CH had the benefit of a good blow and that wasn’t in the script. All of a sudden all the main races leading up to Cheltenham mean absolutely nothing!
IMO Khyber Kim has always been Champ Hurdle class if he’s playing, I think many of us (myself included) have just lost faith in him as he has had his share of problems, however today i think with the running of the race he was perfectly positioned throughout and he deserves credit.
Celestial Halo has lost no respect from me, he was still going when the rest were calling for a bus, and IMO it was a good but inconsistent one that beat him today. CHs cheltenham festival record is a 1st and a close 2nd. I’m still happy to take him against the field come march.
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