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Only a few days away from leg 1 of the ultimate treble (Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup), what are the opinions now as we draw close.
Sizing Europe – Absolute joke of a price. He definitely has a touch of class and an engine on him but the bottom line is this horse bunny hops over the hurdles. I have never heard of a horse winning the champion hurdle who does not hurdle fast, low and fluent. 9/4 on Sizing Europe to become the first bunny hopping winner of the great race. Only one option for me and that is to hit the lay button.
Katchit – I think this one has a fair chance of placing but I expect at least one or two to finish in front of him. Very good horse but not quite at that top level.
Harchibald – Could not trust this bridle horse although entirely feasible that he could win the race. I couldnt bring myself to back him though at the same time couldnt rule him out.
Sublimity – Rumoured to be peaking at just the right time. Champion hurdle winners regulary throughout history win twice, destroyed the field last year, anyone who writes this horse off is mistaken.
Osana – Huge chance, improving all the time and probably the horse to beat.
My bets will be a lay of Sizing Europe and I think I will dutch Osana and Sublimity.
Will look at the outsiders in a bit more detail over the next few days and see if any of them can be fancied but at this stage, my opinion is as above.
Oh god. We have a Cheltenham section do we, I didnt realise. Im not sure If I will be able to handle being told off by a bunch of snobs.
I thought the old cheltenham talk looked a bit quiet on the forum.
I say it as I see it and speak from the heart Carvs. Hopefully my comments wont offend anyone but if they do hey ho.
Bunny hoppers do not win Champion hurdles. Plain and simple. I think Sizing Europe is vastly overhyped.
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Bunny hoppers do not win Champion hurdles. Plain and simple.
The layout of the course could be in the favourite’s favour, though. Most of the hurdles come in the first half of the race; by the time the field are really racing, from the top of the hill, there isn’t much jumping left to be done. It’s entirely possible that Sizing Europe could become detached early on through bad jumping, of course.
I couldn’t back Sizing Europe. The horse is too big, his jumping is too big: they were planning on sending him chasing this year – it doesn’t seem like the profile of a Champion Hurdle winner.
He got away with his jumping in the Greatwood, where he was a handicap ‘good thing’, everything tired on heavy ground and he could cruise up under a typical Timmy Murphy ride. It was a very different race to how the Champion Hurdle will be: Osana will run off and maintain a good pace (on better ground than in the Greatwood) and Sizing Europe will need to quicken and jump quickly to catch him – while surrounded by horses like Katchit and Harcibald who both jump brilliantly.
I’m mystified by this popular viewpoint that the form of Sublimity’s win last year is poor. He beat Hardy Eustace and Brave Inca, Straw Bear and the rest – who else was there to beat!?
And if the form is poor, then what is Sizing Europe’s like? He only beat Hardy Eustace too, when he was a year older and when they had officially gave-up on him over 2m.
So its got to be Sublimity for a place at 6/4 on Betfair. He’s as underrated as Voy Por Ustedes, who will also be a place bet for me.
Harchibald for me. Travels so well in his races that its impossible to see him being out of the first 3. People forget how good his form at cheltenham is……….that contraversial race 3 years ago was still a superb run, and add in a bula win. the 7/4 a place looks very tempting
Nice to see you Zoso
Now ith the niceties out the way let me explain something to you.
Sizing Europe may look to you like he is bunny hopping but that’s simply because of his exceptionally long stride. Most horses like him jump that bit higher as at is a natural thing to do. His high cruising speed emaphaising it as most horses he has met are going to slow for him.
The slowe he goes the more akward he looks but he doesn’t lose ground at his hurdles quite the opposite.I’ve watched this horse dozens of times and apart from getting too close to one in the AIG he jumped brilliantly that day……he’s gained ground at his hurdles against a Champion Hurdle winner not lost ground……Hurdle after hurdle his jockey was taking a pull he was going so well………you guys read something in a newspaper then come on here and repeat it because if it’s in the papers it must be true. Apart from 4th hurdle where he got to close to it he hasn’t lost a yard in the AIG
Since he came of age he has had one blip on his reacord when he fell in Ireland Aimaotov and the 2nd last….he’s jumped brilliantly all the way round clipped the top bar and came down but that is just one of those things….he looked spot on at it but obviously for got to bunny hop
This is one class horse and people will try and find ways to knock him……they will have to go some for him to come off the bridle and the faster they go the better he will jump……….lay him if you like it’s your cash but it wouldn’t be me……..apart from Katchit stealing a march on him damned if I can see anything who will outclass or outstay him…..He absolteley ate Osana alive and you are saying Osana has improved since…….beating a bunch of unfit horses doesn’t convince me of that……….I would give Osana no chance in the CH and he will be gone by the 3rd last IMO……….Making a fit Champion Hurdler look like a snail does tell me harse has improved and that’s exactly what SE did in the AIG………good luck to you mate you will need it. IMO
you guys read something in a newspaper then come on here and repeat it because if it’s in the papers it must be true. Apart from 4th hurdle where he got to close to it he hasn’t lost a yard in the AIG
I dont read newspapers and I dont read the racing post. I purposefully avoid reading (so called) respected judges opinions as I dont like my own mind to be influenced in any way. So im not entirely sure what I am meant to have read in a paper but I can assure you I havent read it.
Sizing Europe has chaser written all over him and he does not only appear to bunny hop his hurdles – he actually does bunny hop them, now he is obviously a very decent horse as he proved in the AIG but those bunny hops in the Champion hurdle will mean he is found out and beaten.
Strongest lay of the festival for me.
Sizing Europe is my banker of the festival. You must be mad to lay him he’s half a stone clear of everything else on this seasons form.
The ballooning hurdles thing is a bit of a myth. Yes he did it in Ireland but he was going too well pulling all the way and finding it too easy. He didn’t jump like that in the Greatwood and I don’t see him doing it on Tuesday. Even if he does he’s still good enough to win this renewal IMO.
I agree with marb. I wouldn’t worry about any other horse if I were riding Sizing Europe I’d just ride him similarly to how he was ridden in the AIG just let him use his stride and take his way into the race.
I actually think he’ll win by four lengths plus.
I may look extremely silly by Tuesday but at least I’m not aftertiming if he does.
I dont think im mad at all. Bunny hoppers do not win champion hurdles. My arguement seems very logical to me. This horse is not a fluent, low, fast hurdler whatever way you look at it. There is no way he is 1/2 stone clear of everything else, but if you believe that then you have to back him.
I will be very surprised if the winner does not come from Osana or Sublimity and if the price is short enough I may even have a little place lay of Sizing Europe just as a little speculative bonus.
you guys read something in a newspaper then come on here and repeat it because if it’s in the papers it must be true.
Yeah: we’re the brainwashed masses and you’re the only one who can see through ‘the matrix’.
Please: stop flattering yourself, and stop being a twat and accept that people can disagree with you for rational reasons which they have worked out for themselves.
I would like to applaud NWRA’s post.
I have read it, and almost feel compelled to repeat it verbatim, because it’s true.
Why does this remind me of Zoso’s Denman thread? And why do I think the result will be the same? There are a lot of horses at 2/1 next week I wouldn’t mind laying (Noland, Don’t Push It) but he’s not one of them.
I think it is a very valid arguement to claim that Sizing Europes hurdling so far is not as slick as one would hope for. The likes of sublimity and harchibald can take lengths out of other horses at each hurdle but Sizing Europe for me does spend a little too long in the race.
Despite this I think he deserves to be clear favourite and stil gonna take all the beating. Looks a very genuine sort and appears to have the natural class of a champion hurdlers.
I would love to see him win on Tuesday and then go chasing next year as he looks an ideal horse for a chasing career. Would be interesting to see a champion hudler switch codes again.
If you take Sizing Europe out of it, for whatever reason, then it looks a poor champion and every reason to suggest that Sublimity and Harchibald could well ‘battle’ it out after the last. They are the 2 class horses of the race as Katchit is surely going to find something too good for him on the day. To be honest I find it hard to assess Osana’s ability, his form could well mean he is a likely winner following the boylesports win but he wont have it his own way in the CH. I thought Katchit Kingwell run was about same level of form he has run to all season as Blythe Knight was returning from a lay-off
I’m surprised that no-one is mentioning blythe night as great each way value. He was on a lot of peoples short list at the beginning of the season. Ok a poor run at the back end of last year but that was easily excused by hard a season. He ran well i though against katchit on his return. Was travelling very nicely turning for home and entitled to be out battled as he surely needed the run.
had a tiny each way on Blythe Knight when I went to put my bet on Catch Me; spoke to someone the other day who said he thought BK was quite tenderly ridden last time,and 33/1 seemed a nice ew; would kick myself if he did do well as I intended to back John Quinn’s horses all season…there was a mention of a virus at Sizing Europes stable on another board; is this an old rumour?
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