2017 Stayers Hurdle

[gjt7756]

It's about March time we'll get a confirmed runner from Willie for this!! and I wouldn't say it's impossible for one of them to remain at home and be fresher for aintree or punchestown...?? Especially as wylie seems to have more horses coming through this year, wouldn't say Cheltenham is Nichols canyon most suited track, 3rd both runs, not form to knock but just not the one for me

[Kevloaf]

You'd need to have one that clearly doesn't handle Cheltenham to stay at home though surely and NC isn't that? LIke I said earlier, I'd prefer Shaneshill or Rawnaq myself but I think NC has no other potential target.

Looking again, it looks like Cole Harden at 33s is the first one on the oddschecker list you could say will defo have a go! (and that is without any knowledge about it going chasing?) .... whichever one Mullins picks is going to be SO short for this...

I'd take a bet with you know that NC turns up in this race

[Morning Glory]

I think Cole Harden is probably going chasing - from July

Greatrex said: "Cole Harden is still doing his recuperation on the walker. He will get checked out this week and we will be able to see where we go next. Touch wood, he seems OK at the moment.

"I think the plan is still to go novice chasing, but we will just take it day by day. There is no long-standing plan at the moment.

"I would like to to just find an easy novice chase somewhere as he's had hard races the last two seasons, so it would be good to start in an easy race and go from there."

[Morning Glory]

Has anyone heard how Jezki is, if he's come back as good as ever must be a cracking bet for this.

JEZKI is back in training with Jessica Harrington, who has nominated the Ryanair World Hurdle as the main objective this season.
The 2014 Champion Hurdle hero stepped up to three miles for the first time in the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle at the 2015 Punchestown festival and got one over on old rival Hurricane Fly, but missed the whole of last season after heat was found in his foreleg.
“Jezki is back with me and he looks great,” Harrington revealed to the Racing Post yesterday. “He is trotting away and everything seems to have cleared up perfectly. I couldn’t be happier with him at this stage.”
Jezki, who is still only eight, is priced between 12-1 and 20-1 for the World Hurdle next March and his season is likely to revolve around that date.
“I’d imagine he’ll be trained with the World Hurdle in mind. That is what is in my head at the moment anyway. But we will have to take one day at a time with him and we will not be rushing him,” Harrington added.
“It will be a gradual progression into proper work but it is a case of so far, so good.”

[Kevloaf]

Good find on both Morning Glory, I hadn't seen either of those.
16/1 for Jezki looks a very fair price

[gjt7756]

Agree great info there, he'd be a horse you'd want in one of your multiples at a price if he turns up for sure, but personally I have never backed the horse, just been one of those for me that I've always found a way for him to get beat before the off, that could all change now with a bit more digging into his world hurdle credentials, and wouldn't say Nichols canyon doesn't handle Cheltenham, more that it doesn't play to his strengths, I see him more as a horse for the start of the season on soft ground than one to be dependent upon come the festivities of the festivals, I know he won at both aintree and punchestown as a novice hurdler with great form beating three musketeers and alpha des obeaux, but potentially not the same horse now for me, and the way willies yard is going we have already seen and will see even more now I feel that good horses will stay at home and be trained at different targets that they shouldn't be, but if you was realistic about him bringing the bulk of his battalion over to Cheltenham then he would have 3 of the first 5 in the betting for every race and that would be a bit over kill for me as much as I love the trainer and his yard

[billymag]

Thanks for the info Morning Glory really appreciate it

[KingSprinterSacre]

Shaneshill at 16s would be the one who would interest me most at the minute for this

[Istabraq]

If she was certain to be heading this route Jennies Jewel looks to be value at 33s.
Winner of a big Royal Ascot handicap and got within 4l of VVM in the Long Walk last season this one seems to getting better with age.
I hate 10yo at Cheltenham but this one has certainly improved recently....

[jono]

I know the plan with Jennies Jewel was to retire her after her Punchestown run but then she's been out on the flat since so maybe that decision has been reversed?

[Faugheen_Machine]

I think she's entered for the Cesarewitch - an interesting entry as I had it in my head that she was in foal.

[Kevloaf]

Shaneshill at 16s would be the one who would interest me most at the minute for this

...and Rawnaq?

[paz247]

Wylie bought NC with the intention of him becoming the next Inglis Drever, so it makes sense to send him over further now, a full season trained as a stayer should see him in better light

[Old Vic]

Looking at market - will ANY of these actually run in it ?

Faugheen (4)
Thistlecrack (4)
Annie Power (8)
Nichols Canyon (10)
Vroum Vroum Mag (10)
Buveur Dair (14)
Alpha Des Obeaux (16)
Apples Jade (16)
Jers Girl (16)
Jezki (16)

[Kevloaf]

In my ever so humble opinion, 3 from that list:

Jezki, Nic Canyon, 1x Ricci horse.

Shaneshill probably needs a mention, and the World Hurdle winner 2017, Rawnaq.