2022 Champion Hurdle

[Supermaster]

Does today's Greatwood mean Adagio has improved past Quilixios?

[doctorwu]

EIR reminded me so much of Saint Roi last year. Talked up as a CH horse, but failed to settle and simply wasn't good enough. Its a big ask to improve a stone to become a contender even though they're trained by a maestro.

[Exar Essay]

Does anyone know anything of Aspire Tower’s well being?

HDB’s stable tour all but confirmed he’d stay hurdling. Also stated he’d be similarly campaigned to last year which means this is likely his spring goal.

4th last year as a 5yo and we all know about their record in the race. That’s a good effort in my book.

Nothing is emerging from the novice ranks on either side of the Irish Sea. From the juveniles, Zanahiyr and Quilixios look below the required standard. Monmiral and Adagio do look potential players, but again, we come back for the form of 5yo historically as well as Nicholl’s penchant for Aintree over Cheltenham.

So we’ve got Honeysuckle who is a tool, Sharjah who sets a good standard, and Epatante who had a poor year last year and may have suffered back issues. Not a great deal else.

On that basis, 50/1 looks big to me.

The negatives are that Punchestown atrocity LTO but HDB is happy to excuse. Also that HDB stable tour quote saying AT would be campaigned similarly this year yet he ran at the down royal October meet last year but not a peep thus far this campaign. I’ve found one entirely unsubstantiated tweet saying he’s out for the season but nothing from anyone of note.

[Zachx02]

Does anyone know anything of Aspire Tower’s well being?

HDB’s stable tour all but confirmed he’d stay hurdling. Also stated he’d be similarly campaigned to last year which means this is likely his spring goal.

4th last year as a 5yo and we all know about their record in the race. That’s a good effort in my book.

Nothing is emerging from the novice ranks on either side of the Irish Sea. From the juveniles, Zanahiyr and Quilixios look below the required standard. Monmiral and Adagio do look potential players, but again, we come back for the form of 5yo historically as well as Nicholl’s penchant for Aintree over Cheltenham.

So we’ve got Honeysuckle who is a tool, Sharjah who sets a good standard, and Epatante who had a poor year last year and may have suffered back issues. Not a great deal else.

On that basis, 50/1 looks big to me.

The negatives are that Punchestown atrocity LTO but HDB is happy to excuse. Also that HDB stable tour quote saying AT would be campaigned similarly this year yet he ran at the down royal October meet last year but not a peep thus far this campaign. I’ve found one entirely unsubstantiated tweet saying he’s out for the season but nothing from anyone of note.

All signs point to him being injured, I'd have thought henry would send him over for the fighting fifth but he doesnt even have an entry

[Kevloaf]

Echoes in Rain out to 25/1 with cashout.

That's about the right price for her now isn't it?

[Run4Home]

Echoes in Rain out to 25/1 with cashout.

That's about the right price for her now isn't it?

Probably too short on todays evidence.

[Lobos]

Paddy Power will surely be paying out on Honeysuckle soon won't they ?

[Bollinger]

Paddy Power will surely be paying out on Honeysuckle soon won't they ?

Just like they were with Epatante at about this exact stage a year ago……??!?

[Lobos]

Just like they were with Epatante at about this exact stage a year ago……??!?

Surely she had a few more challengers at that stage didn't she ? It seems more than one trainer is saying they are looking to avoid Honeysuckle this time around and who can blame them.

[riccirich]

Does today's Greatwood mean Adagio has improved past Quilixios?

I'd say its just as likely that quilixios just needed the run like a lot of de bromheads. Minella indo, ptko, telmesomethinggirl, magic daze to name a few who have also been below below par on seasonal debut.

[opatcho]

Surely she had a few more challengers at that stage didn't she ? It seems more than one trainer is saying they are looking to avoid Honeysuckle this time around and who can blame them.

I’m looking at the markets today and it has the same ‘desperate’ look and feel as this time last year, you had the supreme hopeful (Abaracabras) and ‘hype’ horse (Saint Roi) looking like weak challengers to the reigning champ. Goshen had lost twice over flat and was being messed about.

Must admit, those who got into Sharjah in win today double should be happy. If honeysuckle doesn’t make it to the fez, they are sitting on a bet. Although, would Mullins redirect one of his chase novice back over hurdles if that happened?

[Madmoose]

As I said a few pages back the outsider might be Aramon and I got him priced up at 50/1 with hills, won’t beat the fav but might be a nice ew bet.

[Lobos]

I’m looking at the markets today and it has the same ‘desperate’ look and feel as this time last year, you had the supreme hopeful (Abaracabras) and ‘hype’ horse (Saint Roi) looking like weak challengers to the reigning champ. Goshen had lost twice over flat and was being messed about.

Must admit, those who got into Sharjah in win today double should be happy. If honeysuckle doesn’t make it to the fez, they are sitting on a bet. Although, would Mullins redirect one of his chase novice back over hurdles if that happened?

Honeysuckle has missed the Fez once before so that's always a possibility and who knows, she may not come back the same this year. The division is super weak behind her though. If she missed the gaff, all sorts of handicappers/novices could take their chance. Could be quite exciting if that happened!

[SharpHat]

As I said a few pages back the outsider might be Aramon and I got him priced up at 50/1 with hills, won’t beat the fav but might be a nice ew bet.

If we knew he was back to his best id be all over that, giving nearly a stone and a beating to Petit Mouchoir last season was spectacular and would put him right in the mix, love the horse after he became abit of a FJ Galway punt last season

[Maxfield]

Looking at this race now it's looking easier and easier for Honeysuckle to retain her title and if she comes out and shows she still holds her same ability, I can see this field being no bigger than 10 runners, so with Honeysuckle covered in about 8 e/w doubles and Sharjah covered months ago, I've decided to go for a long shot, a horse who the trainer really thinks the world off and before the Supreme last year he looked to be a big danger to Appreicate It, but ran too bad to be true and the trainer said he wasn't right afterwards. Maybe he doesn't like Cheltenham, maybe he's just a mud lark, but I'm happy at the price to at least give him another chance this year.

Metier...!! Personally at 100/1 with Paddy's it's worth a small e.w stake as if he's as good as Harry Fry thinks and we can write off his last race, then he might prove Cheltenham was a one off bad performance. For now we at least know his target will be the Champion Hurdle and if Honeysuckle scares off most horses he might find that he only has to beat about 6 six horses to place. Or at worse he wins at few races in England and you can cash out...