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ATR stable tour says Nichols Canyon is heading the champion hurdle route. Interestingly it also says that Artic Fire could be campaigned over further. I watched the 2015 running earlier today and was staggered at the runners who won't be taking part this year, think only Faugheen, TNO and Artic Fire could take part next year as others are either injured or going chasing. Guess there will be a couple new kids including P&C and Hargam but could be another small field..
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I think TNO will go over further ...could be a very small field.Originally posted by TheRowebot View PostComment
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The new one was highly under impressive today, i never really rates the horse that highly, i believe the year he came close in the champion would never of happened if it wasn't for those tragic circumstances, outside of the festival he only runs against weak opposition and when it comes to Cheltenham surprise surprise hecomes up short certainly doesn't come into the reckoning for the champion again and for that matter the world hurdle either, I understand he's the star in twiston-davies yard but think he is one of the most over hyped about horses, i only see regression for the horse, certainly no improvementComment
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totally agree on the new one. Hes not up to the champion hurdle. Should be aimed at the world hurdle.Comment
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I agree re TNO having a World Hurdle bid, we're probably in for a poor renewal and I'm sure he'll stay, will probably be a shot price too....Comment
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The Bazza quootes regarding MTOY
"If you're looking for something to take on Faugheen then he definitely has the ability. He was only beaten a neck by Jezki [in the 2014 Champion Hurdle] and he pulled desperately hard that day. With age, if he learns to settle a bit that will be key for him."
"We won't know until he runs but he seems in good shape. I popped a few hurdles with him a few weeks ago and he seemed well."
Havent seen the interview but that sounds a lot less bullish than "the main threat to faugheen" and "retains all his ability" that got inserted in RP report.Comment
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To be fair the champion hurdle is normally my favourite race of the meet, however although i love all the build up and different views on it but as a betting aspect it is all over for me, bar an injury to Faugheen he has already won the race as far as I'm concerned, although i will be keeping an eye on his return in the morigana next monthComment
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It's certainly difficult to see anything getting near Faugheen, but it's still a horse race, and he's not the best jumper, but I wouldn't think of backing anything to beat him, if he stands up, and he's never fallen, then I think he wins. He's probably a bit stronger too this season so even more required to get near himComment
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Not sure what plan they have for the horse but Arctic Fire has to come into the equation.
He was only 1.5l behind Faugheen in last seasons Champion Hurdle, he reached for the last a bit and was staying on stronger than anything at the line.
I know Faugheen confirmed superiority at Punchestown but AF was having his seventh run of the season and coming off the back of a horrible fall at Aintree with the race as good as in the bag, it's possible he was over the top by then or still sore, we'll never know, but if they're planning keeping him at the minimum distance he would be a huge runner for me.....Comment
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Surprised to see no comments on this section yet, so what was everyone's reaction to Faugheen going down, will nichols canyon even be a contender for the champion, they've always said they'll go further with him but that display shows he certainly has the pace for 2 miles, but I can't help but look at how close wicklow brave was in 3rd and puts some doubt into the credentials of the race, personally for me i'd be steaming into the 2/1 bookies are now offering on Faugheen for the festival, i believe that has to be a one off and surely he hasn't lost his form after just one seasonComment
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My worry is that something could be amiss with Faugheen. He never seemed to be travelling to my eye and I can't believe even a race fit WB would get within 1 1/2 lengths of him if he ran his race.
I'm absolutely gutted though - Had a bad weekend punting and his defeat has just rounded it off
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After all he is just an animal, not the machine we have come to know him as, he's a horse just like we're humans and I suppose he is open to have an off day and i'm sure there is nothing more to it than that, i could be completely wrong and tomorrow morning we see in the racing post that Faugheen needs some form of minor op to correct what is wrong, but i just hope and i'm sure it was just an off day on his frist day backComment
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Was a very strange race. It has posed so many questions - was lack of fitness the cause despite recent reports to the contrary? What was with the head carriage and hanging? Proximity of Wicklow Brave, although race fit, has to detract from the form? Where next?
Ruby seemed genuinely shocked and Chapman on ATR stated Ricci was "devastated".Comment
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Saddly I watched the race on channel 4 and i was just waiting for them to go back to ireland to get the immediate aftermath and reactions from ruby and willie to see how they truly felt about it but it never came so now i can only go off written articles, it is true in the last two weeks all they have said is how good he looked in tbe yard and on the gallops, apparently far better than he looked last year, is it possible he conditioned too soon and perhaps he was ready to tace two weeks ago and was just too keen today hence thebad head carriage and no finishing turn of foot, it was from what i and everyone else was expecting, really has thrown a spanner in the works but hopefully something will come to light over the next 24 hours, hey even hurricane fly had his off days and look how great he was and how his grade one record standsComment
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Just been over everything for the last week and it's just article after article of ruby walsh saying he's better than ever and still improving, some interesting insight just now thought that head carriage today was due to some form of discomfort/injury which also led to him not having his turn of foot to kick on for home when ruby literally threw the kitchen sink at him to get up, I personally would have thought ruby would have known if something wasn't right and would have pulled him up rather than risking further injury to the horse just to maintain his unbeaten recordComment
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