Champion Hurdle 2021

[Faugheen_Machine]

....speaking on ATR yesterday, Hayley Moore said something along the lines of: ‘there are horses who are good on the flat but not good over hurdles and there are horses who are good over hurdles but not on the flat. Goshen is one of the latter. We are not worried, we are happy with him.’

I thought during the race that he was looking round for a hurdle. That explains it.

[KingSprinterSacre]

Saint Roi entered in the grade 3 at Tipp on Sunday. Felix desjy also entered.

https://www.irishracing.com/card?race=Tipperary_Sun_4th_Oct_2020_1_35&prc=078&prd=202010041335

[Kevloaf]

Saint Roi entered in the grade 3 at Tipp on Sunday. Felix desjy also entered.

https://www.irishracing.com/card?rac...d=202010041335

He will need to be winning that, and winning it well to justify my optimistic and lofty aspirations for him.

He has to be better than horses like Chosen Mate, Wonder Laish and Felix Desjy - anything other than a win I won't be pleased.




He ran Arctic Fire and Wicklow Brave in it a couple of years back. Nothing last year, Coquin Mans and Ivan Grozny the year before that.



Gut reaction is that it isn't where you'd send your obvious Champion Hurdle contender (albeit some nice winners of the race like Jezki, Bedrock(lol)


However, he does have to progress still, so hopefully this is the first stepping stone towards the improvement he does need to find! Have to say though, if he's beaten..... he'll be my first pick for the County Hurdle repeat

[Lobos]

He will need to be winning that, and winning it well to justify my optimistic and lofty aspirations for him.

He has to be better than horses like Chosen Mate, Wonder Laish and Felix Desjy - anything other than a win I won't be pleased.

Agree. Nice to see him start off over minimum distance and in a decent looking race. It's a good starting point .

[Hardy Eustace]

Very interesting. I sort of hope he doesn't run, oddly enough. I could be putting 2 and 2 together here and getting 5, I hope I am, but I saw a short racing tv clip with Willie Mullins the other day, he was saying how well his horses had done over summer, how they had done 'too well' and wouldn't be ready to run in September and some may not be ready by October. Obviously, there could be exceptions and he could be further along than some of the others but there is a bit of nagging doubt in my head that they are running him half-fit to preserve his handicap mark.

I accept he has to start somewhere but is it too early?? I could be reading too much into it, he has got to start somewhere and we will be in October by the time he runs. It is just a small nagging doubt.

Would love to be wrong.

[ComplyOrDie]

Very interesting. I sort of hope he doesn't run, oddly enough. I could be putting 2 and 2 together here and getting 5, I hope I am, but I saw a short racing tv clip with Willie Mullins the other day, he was saying how well his horses had done over summer, how they had done 'too well' and wouldn't be ready to run in September and some may not be ready by October. Obviously, there could be exceptions and he could be further along than some of the others but there is a bit of nagging doubt in my head that they are running him half-fit to preserve his handicap mark.

I accept he has to start somewhere but is it too early?? I could be reading too much into it, he has got to start somewhere and we will be in October by the time he runs. It is just a small nagging doubt.

Would love to be wrong.

I'd imagine this doesn't apply to every horse Willie has. I don't think he'd be sticking him out if he wasn't fit, especially if he was a potential Champion Hurdle contender.

[Lobos]

Very interesting. I sort of hope he doesn't run, oddly enough. I could be putting 2 and 2 together here and getting 5, I hope I am, but I saw a short racing tv clip with Willie Mullins the other day, he was saying how well his horses had done over summer, how they had done 'too well' and wouldn't be ready to run in September and some may not be ready by October. Obviously, there could be exceptions and he could be further along than some of the others but there is a bit of nagging doubt in my head that they are running him half-fit to preserve his handicap mark.

I accept he has to start somewhere but is it too early?? I could be reading too much into it, he has got to start somewhere and we will be in October by the time he runs. It is just a small nagging doubt.

Would love to be wrong.

Not sure they'd risk running him unfit. That could lead to injuries. Easy enough to get him beat if they wish.

[Hardy Eustace]

I'd imagine this doesn't apply to every horse Willie has. I don't think he'd be sticking him out if he wasn't fit, especially if he was a potential Champion Hurdle contender.

I suppose that is the doubt, are they viewing him as a potential Champ Hurdle horse or a County Hurdle horse?

[Hardy Eustace]

Not sure they'd risk running him unfit. That could lead to injuries. Easy enough to get him beat if they wish.

Very true. They could always get his mark down running in handicaps and this is a graded race.

[Faugheen_Machine]

It looks like a nice race to start in. All being well, he'll win and go on to better things. Good to see some of the bigger names getting entered up.

[Saxon Warrior]

It looks like a nice race to start in. All being well, he'll win and go on to better things. Good to see some of the bigger names getting entered up.

Yes, October and quality entries, its what we have all been waiting for.

[Kevloaf]

For me it's qute blatent, if he doesn't win this Grade 3, he won't be good enough to win the Champion Hurdle. Unless he falls at the last when 10+ clear or some sort of freak result.... but honestly, if he comes off the bridle I'll be a bit disappointed.

I think he should be miles clear of those horses. I hope he is.
I'm now nervous, I didn't expect it to be tested so early

[Quevega]

For me it's qute blatent, if he doesn't win this Grade 3, he won't be good enough to win the Champion Hurdle. Unless he falls at the last when 10+ clear or some sort of freak result.... but honestly, if he comes off the bridle I'll be a bit disappointed.

I think he should be miles clear of those horses. I hope he is.
I'm now nervous, I didn't expect it to be tested so early

Petit Mouchoir came third last year, behind Plinth ??
Year before that Bedrock beat Plinth ?? followed by wicklow brave & Arctic fire.

Might be worth not taking too much notice of whatever the result.

[Kevloaf]

Petit Mouchoir came third last year, behind Plinth ??
Year before that Bedrock beat Plinth ?? followed by wicklow brave & Arctic fire.

Might be worth not taking too much notice of whatever the result.

After those results though, people would rightly have written off all those horses as CH horses?




Now I won't be cashing any out regardless of the result, but I'll stop talking about him as a Champion Hurdle horse and will have to admit I was wrong

[Ray]

Back him with your chest kevloaf, dont s**t urself