2015 Champion Hurdle

[mayo]

2015 Champion Hurdle

Vautour or Faugheen ?

Asked whether a Stan James Champion Hurdle bid would be considered for Vautour, Mullins told At The Races: "We have to look at that. It's always nice to have a Champion Hurdle horse.

"Hurricane Fly is not getting any younger and Un De Sceaux still has to prove he's a Champion Hurdle contender. The way he (Un De Sceaux) jumped his hurdles in France, he might be a chaser, and a very good one.

"Faugheen doesn't strike me as a Champion Hurdle horse, but who knows. He's possibly good enough to come back to two miles because he can keep up such a good gallop and maybe he'd be better jumping at two miles.

"They are all things we are going to have to decide and we'll make a decision on that during the summer.

"I would imagine one of them will be kept for a Champion Hurdle campaign next year."

[Old Vic]

He is going to keep the two of these and Annie Power apart next year. He probably doesnt know himself yet where they will end up.

Henderson should have a strong novice chase team next year if josses hill, vaniteaux & whisper all switch. I am presuming MTOY will stay over hurdles but who knows.

UDS off to France again ...not sure what to make of his campaign. He got a lump of weight of Gemix last time and not sure what conditions are this time around.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

I am guessing AP will be pushing MTOY to go down the Arkle route ?

[paz247]

I am guessing AP will be pushing MTOY to go down the Arkle route ?

Watched ATR the other day and AP was talking about MTOY, Henderson believes this horse can win a champion hurdle

[mayo]

Watched ATR the other day and AP was talking about MTOY, Henderson believes this horse can win a champion hurdle

also mentioned hin for new Haydock race

Haydock Park will this year stage a new race on Betfair Chase day which has been designed to attract Champion Hurdle hopefuls.

The £100,000 Betfair Price Rush Hurdle on November 22 will be a class two weight-for-age affair and will be run over two miles.

Trainer Nicky Henderson said: "This is very welcome news and I shall be talking to my owners about potential runners in the race.

"We have a number of candidates, including My Tent Or Yours."

[Faugheen_Machine]

I'm already up to my neck on Faugheen. It's going to be a long 6 months ahead and I'm sure Willie will give me a few sleepless nights before March!

[Morning Glory]

I'm already up to my neck on Faugheen. It's going to be a long 6 months ahead and I'm sure Willie will give me a few sleepless nights before March!

Welcome FM ...if he gets there he will probably give you at least one scare on way round prestbury too ! If they get the jumping sorted he does seem to have some engine.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Thanks MG.

I'll try and post my thoughts as the season progresses. I'll be at Cheltenham for the Tuesday and Wednesday this year, so hopefully I'll see Faugheen give me a run for my money.

[Old Vic]

Welcome from me too FM

Tuesday and Wednesday's are great days at the Festival. Books seem to have differing views on the race which is nice to see. Paddy Power definitely ducking Faugheen. They seem to have a better insight into the Mullins yard than most with Ruby blogging for them etc.

[paz247]

Hi FM and welcome. Rich Ricci states that Faugheen deserves a crack at the Champion Hurdle but there is a lot of competitions, including Jezki who he was impressed with last season and TNO, still a bit of thinking to do as Willie also has Un De Sceaux

[Old Vic]

Hi FM and welcome. Rich Ricci states that Faugheen deserves a crack at the Champion Hurdle but there is a lot of competitions, including Jezki who he was impressed with last season and TNO, still a bit of thinking to do as Willie also has Un De Sceaux

Yep. Paddy Power seem to have UDS lined up for the Arkle - worst price in village a 5/1 for that race and joint best price at 14s for Champion Hurdle.

Jezki is still young enough to be improving too.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Did anyone hear the Ricci interview on ATR? My mate said he got the impression that Faugheen would be aimed at the world hurdle.

[Old Vic]

Did anyone hear the Ricci interview on ATR? My mate said he got the impression that Faugheen would be aimed at the world hurdle.

Interview is here http://www.fatjockey.com/forum/showt...3043#post13043

...impossible to read Mullins & co

[Faugheen_Machine]

Cheers Old Vic. As you say, impossible to tell from that.

[Hoof]

I will be pretty surprised if Vautour isnt given a shout at the Champion Hurdle.

Found this piece on betfair/timeform on times.

It all made for a fast and furious Champion Hurdle, won by Jezki from My Tent Or Yours, with a sectional from 3 out (approximately 4f from home, according to Google Earth) of 53.4s for the first two and 53.1s for The New One. That is slightly quicker than par, even after the conditions have been taken into account, and more than 2.0s quicker than even the fastest finish in the race recently (55.5s by Hurricane Fly in 2011).

It makes for an intriguing comparison with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which opened the card. The impressive winner of that race, Vautour, ran the race notably efficiently (54.7s from 3 out), while some of those behind him flagged late on having tried to keep up.

This is where Vautour’s times would have placed him in the Champion Hurdle field: 4 lengths behind at the second; 5 lengths behind at the fourth; dead level at three out (approaching which stage the Champion Hurdle steadied briefly); a length down two out; and 5 lengths down at the last.

Vautour would have been just behind fourth-placed Hurricane Fly by the line on hand times. That is pretty good for a horse who is a novice, and who was by no means all out to win, and it is a bit more to be expected than the results in 2013, when the Champion Hurdlers went too fast mid-race and came back significantly slower than the novices.

It must, of course, be wondered what might have happened had The New One not been hampered early on in the Champion Hurdle, something which obstacle-to-obstacle sectionals alone cannot answer. He closed up a bit in the part of the race when the good pace briefly slackened, and he made up only about a length and a half from three out. But he made up more ground than that from the last, having been caught flat-footed, and was undeniably finishing best.

We can look forward with relish to the rematches between Jezki, My Tent Or Yours and The New One already, and further ahead to Vautour testing their mettle also.