2016 Champion Hurdle

[mayo]

My personal opinion is they will line up in what the bookmakers think this year. Vautour will take his chance at the gold cup, annie will get a cheltenham winner under her belt with the mares.

Then the year after if alls being well is when they have the crack at that. Faugheen - Champion Hurdle, Douvan - Champion Chase, Annie Power - World Hurdle, Djakadam/Vautour Gold Cup. Limini/Karalee will then take the mares race mantle from annie for a penalty kick cheltenham winner.

Vroom Vroom Mag to throw in the mix too.

[TheRowebot]

Ruby in his blog for Paddy Power..

Nobody was more surprised that Faugheen was beaten last Sunday but nobody should have been more prepared for it than me.

I just underestimated Nichols Canyon who I’d ridden to win three of his four Grade One races last year. He shouldn’t have been underestimated.

Their homework suggested that Faugheen was further forward than Nichols Canyon but it looks like the winner kept his performance for the racecourse. Faugheen jumped well but slightly missed the second last whereas Nichols Canyon winged it. That could have been the difference between winning and losing.

I can’t explain why Faugheen hung on the race to the line. He’s been 100 per cent since. Maybe Nichols Canyon was just sharper, more battle-hardened on the day. It was a very good performance and he got a great ride from David Mullins.

One thing’s for sure – I won’t be underestimating him again

[johnno]

Old Guard is being trained for Champion Hurdle and could be a lively outsider.

[Old Vic]

Reported Irving runs at Haydock ...make Fighting Fifth look a penalty kick for Artic Fire but PP 7/2 on that very off putting. Simalrly 5s on exchange about MTOY says he isnt going. Hargam ? Intense tango ew ?

[TheRowebot]

More from Ruby on the Morgiana in his Irish Examiner column:

Touching briefly on last weekend, it was obviously disappointing that Faugheen lost his unbeaten record to Nichols Canyon in the Morgiana Hurdle. I suppose he wasn’t as ready as we thought while Nichols Canyon was good to go.

I probably underestimated Nichols Canyon and I should have known better, but mistakes are made and these things happen.

[Istabraq]

Irving's name has been banded around as a possible Champion Hurdler but he made everything look hard yesterday, for me it's clear the left handed tracks cause problems for the horse he just doesn't look comfortable going that way.
If he were mine I'd be concentrating on big events at Kempton, Sandown, Ascot et all....

[MrMcGoldrick]

Irving's name has been banded around as a possible Champion Hurdler but he made everything look hard yesterday, for me it's clear the left handed tracks cause problems for the horse he just doesn't look comfortable going that way.
If he were mine I'd be concentrating on big events at Kempton, Sandown, Ascot et all....

Irving just doesn't look good enough for the championship races to me, I think he'd struggle to maintain positions with Top Notch, now he's had a run, plus on better ground, and he's arguably the fourth in the Hendo pecking order for that division.

[mayo]

if irving wins the champion hurdle ill give it up (probably said the same about dodging bullets in CC this time last year)

[TheRowebot]

Faugheen 5/2 with Ladbrokes from 1pm to 2pm today as part of Black Friday promotion..

[MrMcGoldrick]

Faugheen 5/2 with Ladbrokes from 1pm to 2pm today as part of Black Friday promotion..

Sorry I missed that, Lads obviously want to target Faugheen in the race but I think they may realise their mistake when the Mullins big guns start to run to their potential. I would have had a bundle on at 5/2 then laid some off, classic.

[TheRowebot]

Very impressive win from Arctic Fire in the Hattons Grace. Sort of a boost to Faugheen form but Wicklow was dissapoiting yesterday.

[oceans]

people need to start differentiate seasons form, horses don't always come out with the same mentality after a summer break. Saying that, Wicklow Brave finishing so close to Faugheen and NC says it all about the pace of that race and how unreliable the form is. With a proper pace upfront like yesterday's you see how he should've finished. The Morgiana was a muddling race which saw the invincible beaten due to tactics, fitness and jump mistakes, form of that race shouldn't amount to anything. We'll learn more about NC and Faugheen in their next start/s.

[TheRowebot]

I think you are right, the more you look at the morgiana, the more suspect it becomes. Ruby saying today you would be foolish to jump ship after one off day..

[mayo]

Artic fire did that very very well today.

[TheRowebot]

Was reported on the Final Furlong Podcast by Kevin Blake that Faugheen came back with a sore mouth after the Morgiana - this may have caused the hanging. Other rumours circulated around a back problem which I believe the horse has suffered from before. Robbie McNamara suggested that the back problem could have been the cause of the hanging which would have caused the mouth issue! The plot thickens..