2022 Champion Hurdle

[Ice]

Was devastated at his death. I know it happens but was one that really affected me. The way he would attack his fences made the heart soar.

I was always a Marlborough fan and backed him at kempton against gloria victis, my boy was hammered out of sight !

[Gloria Victis]

Remember it well. He was some sight round there.

Don't want to sidetrack from thread title as I could reminisce about him all day! So, don't laugh, but am considering backing Adagio at 40/1. Thought it was a cracking run yesterday for a 4yo carrying top weight,

[Istabraq]

Just a word of warning, I was fortunate to speak with Barry Geraghty some years ago and he explained in some detail that mares have the ability to literally pull up stumps when they age and there will be no warning.
In recent years Quevega was retired after losing a G1 race by half a length, Benie was beaten a similar distance in her last start but failed to reach the same levels at home and was sent to the breeding shed and they didn’t pursue with a racing recovery plan for Annie Power after her injury at a fairly young age.
Obviously no-one knows if Honeysuckle or Epatante are getting to that stage but they won’t be a million miles away, just worth considering when backing mares….

[Run4Home]

I don't think Klassical runs for Willie now in the Hattons Grace - it'll be Saldier and likely Burning Victory.
Makes Honeys job a bit easier

[Quevega]

I don't think Klassical runs for Willie now in the Hattons Grace - it'll be Saldier and likely Burning Victory.
Makes Honeys job a bit easier

Wouldn't surprise me if Klassical Dream makes his first appearance at the festival.
I'll have to back him after the punchestown demolition if he does.
But fully expect him to be bronco-ing all over the place.

[robith]

Hi all, first post so be gentle. I have a bit of a soft spot for Honey's stable mate Aspire Tower. I don't for a minute think he can beat an on form Honeysuckle but ran an, admittedly, well beaten 4th last season in his notoriously tricky 5yo career. HdB stable tour says staying hurdling and was half expecting to have seen him out by now so hope there is no injury issue. He always seems to put in one really chance ending jump which is frustrating as he can jump really well, but now out of his first season in open company am hoping he can have improved enough to get a bit closer. 50/1 not a bad e/w price in, what has been said, a pretty stale division.

Could you back on the day? I backed him on the day with Hills paying 5 places, drifted out to 50s with BOG, placed part returned me almost as much as my Honeysuckle ante posts

[jono]

Hi all, first post so be gentle. I have a bit of a soft spot for Honey's stable mate Aspire Tower. I don't for a minute think he can beat an on form Honeysuckle but ran an, admittedly, well beaten 4th last season in his notoriously tricky 5yo career. HdB stable tour says staying hurdling and was half expecting to have seen him out by now so hope there is no injury issue. He always seems to put in one really chance ending jump which is frustrating as he can jump really well, but now out of his first season in open company am hoping he can have improved enough to get a bit closer. 50/1 not a bad e/w price in, what has been said, a pretty stale division.

Welcome GV.
He's the bet in the race for me, at the prices. Or at least he was until he had no entry in the Fighting Fifth. Which was a potential target (was name checked but wasn't certain). He's one that i'll be waiting to see if he gets an early entry in the Christmas Leopardstown grade 1. That may be the time to back him.

[Middle_Of_March]

Echoes in rain was just completely out of her depth

I have to agree. There’s one thing being beat by the small field and the tactics and the pulling too hard etc but she was easily swept aside by the best two horses she’s ever faced (the first Grade 1 standard horses too). Her price and reputation was built on hype as to what she could be and it was exciting whilst it lasted but she was beaten so so easily that it simply just looks like a bubble burst.

She was a lively outsider that suddenly the market latched on to until suddenly she was a ridiculous price. I thought with Mullins comments re EIR and the winner that EIR would win on Sunday but to be beaten so easily.. I just think she’s 20lb shy of being a Champion Hurdle contender. We all wanted her to be really good to add something to a desperate division but she isn’t the answer unfortunately.

[Middle_Of_March]

Just a word of warning, I was fortunate to speak with Barry Geraghty some years ago and he explained in some detail that mares have the ability to literally pull up stumps when they age and there will be no warning.
In recent years Quevega was retired after losing a G1 race by half a length, Benie was beaten a similar distance in her last start but failed to reach the same levels at home and was sent to the breeding shed and they didn’t pursue with a racing recovery plan for Annie Power after her injury at a fairly young age.
Obviously no-one knows if Honeysuckle or Epatante are getting to that stage but they won’t be a million miles away, just worth considering when backing mares….

I’ve always remembered hearing this about Mares and tend to look out for it somewhat. Laurina obviously had her burst blood vessel issues but she looked a clear example of a Mare who’d gone at the game. Put The Kettle On looked the same on Sunday at a track she so famously loves. Her start before that at Sandown last season adds a little bit to that angle too. Until she proves she’s still the same horse, I’d be leaving her well alone for the CC.

[doctorwu]

Remember it well. He was some sight round there.

Don't want to sidetrack from thread title as I could reminisce about him all day! So, don't laugh, but am considering backing Adagio at 40/1. Thought it was a cracking run yesterday for a 4yo carrying top weight,

GV,
Was thinking the very same. Where else can they go??

[Spectre]

I make a book so you could argue that my opinion is redundant, but surely a bet at 7/4 on Honeysuckle is a much better bet than and each way bet on either Sharjah or Epatante?

7/4 Honeysuckle is just about the best bet available out there. Some may argue the 3/1 about Appreciate It is better, but he's still yet to jump a fence in public and there is the small chance he goes up in trip, so Honeysuckle having the measure of the above two horses, plus anything else that's been there before, and the new generation not looking up to scratch makes her a great bet in my opinion. In the days of bookies taking no chances I'm amazed she's still 7/4. Anything above evens is fine with me. If she happened to get turned over for fitness in the Hattons Grace, I'd just be looking for any immediate bookmaker reaction pushing her out slightly to top up in. If she wins though she goes 5/4 or perhaps evens.

Essentially the same stake on Honeysuckle to win, as opposed to an each way on either Sharjah or Epatante returns more, so I'm not really sure why anyone regards either of those two as value against Honey. She's the value.

[Winging The Last]

Did people think that Epatante struggled a bit on the gallop today? Was niggled to get upside the others and then to the front, and then was pushed harder to stay there alongside Mister Coffey who looked stronger.

Plus the other two that were running are stayers and they hardly did anything and she had to do a fair bit more to move past them.

On the other hand Monmiral looked supper strong.

Other things to take note from it:
Jonbon got very sweaty and was quite keen by himself. Nicky pretty much said he will stay at 2m this season.
Boothill absolutely ran all over Metier
And Enrilo looked very fit for the Ladbrokes

[Stormez]

Did people think that Epatante struggled a bit on the gallop today? Was niggled to get upside the others and then to the front, and then was pushed harder to stay there alongside Mister Coffey who looked stronger.

Plus the other two that were running are stayers and they hardly did anything and she had to do a fair bit more to move past them.

On the other hand Monmiral looked supper strong.

Other things to take note from it:
Jonbon got very sweaty and was quite keen by himself. Nicky pretty much said he will stay at 2m this season.
Boothill absolutely ran all over Metier
And Enrilo looked very fit for the Ladbrokes

I’d be very wary about taking anything from them to be honest.

[Winging The Last]

I’d be very wary about taking anything from them to be honest.

Yeah I agree I wouldn't normally but Epatate really did look sluggish against On The Blind Side, Brave Eagle & Mister Coffey. Plus Nicky said that he hadn't been over a hurdle yet this season at home and will hopefully get her over one in the next 10 days before the Fighting Fifth.

Also he said there was a change she won't make the 'Bus' if the weather stays the same

[Gloria Victis]

Hi Robith, think I did the same if memory serves me right, so yeah, definitely worth thinking about. Think my concern was that, as Jono said, I had read his early season target was likely to be the fighting fifth & was concerned of a price crash if he won that or ran well, but no entry so watch the entries I guess.