2024 Champion Hurdle (Previously Constitution Hill thread)

[Lobos]

Scenes when Hendo forgets to enter him in the champion chase and he runs in the Ryanair….

Now you are being silly

[Lobos]

Game of opinions. That’s mine.

Absolutely. Nothing wrong with that. You could be right. Hope not though

[Always a Claimer]

Me too, Arkle is where I need him from pocket perspective and have covered CC with doubles. I have nothing on Champion Hurdle.

[Lobos]

Me too, Arkle is where I need him from pocket perspective and have covered CC with doubles. I have nothing on Champion Hurdle.

I just want him to go CC to be the GOAT. Bets go out the window for me with horses like him.

[jono]

Jono, imo the CC has absolutely fallen apart in the last two years and Energumene, whilst looking a brilliant winner on both occasions, has probably been flattered a little. The rain has come for him too so he has had everything in his favour. I wouldn't be afraid to take him on at all. As you say El Fabiolo is there too but it remains to be seen how strong the Novice Chase form is.
It's going to be very interesting indeed how next season pans out.

Certainly agree about both races falling apart to a degree.
And the rain suiting him both years.
I watched back this years race for the first time yesterday and he was deadly. It's pretty meaningless when it comes to what lies ahead but I don't think Edwardstone at his best would have been near him either.

There's every chance he regresses to some degree by next March, and decent ground would blunt him further.
But he sets a very high bar imo, the ratings suggest likewise (right up there with the best ratings in the race for a long time bar Sprinter).
And a horse I don't think all connected with CH will take lightly.

Will be interesting for sure.
I've had very few 'any race' bets for the past 2 seasons.
As the prices have more often than not been far too small.
But he's one that I will be making an exception.

[The Fellow]

Having been a bit of a sceptic after his initial run as a novice and i backed Jonbon to beat him in the Supreme , i have to say i was very impressed when he won the Supreme but still wondered if he could step up into open company and win a Champion hurdle , well he won that with some ease , and now on to chasing , i have no doubt he will be outstanding at that as well, good grief imagine if he was even better over fences

i have decided just to enjoy this horse , i'm not trying to guess his races, i'm not backing him , he might well be a horse of more than just a generation , he might be legendary status

[Eggs]

…10-1 Hills to win 2025 GC.

[Willdunn99]

I was a Lambourn open day today, and I heard someone say to Nicky H after Con hill was paraded,

“Can you just answer yes or no, is he going chasing next season ? “

his response “might be”

Not giving much away lol, but he did have a little smile on his face, which I took to mean Yes.

[Ice]

I was a Lambourn open day today, and I heard someone say to Nicky H after Con hill was paraded,

“Can you just answer yes or no, is he going chasing next season ? “

his response “might be”

Not giving much away lol, but he did have a little smile on his face, which I took to mean Yes.

Reading between the lines I'd say that's a maybe !

[Willdunn99]

Reading between the lines I'd say that's a maybe !

It’s not like I’m bias because I’ve backed for the Arkle already !

[Middle_Of_March]

For me he goes chasing.

And then it’s a case of Nicky Henderson being Nicky Henderson and I can’t see him risking his superstar in a champion chase when he doesn’t have to. It’ll be the safe approach, win an Arkle and then talk of champion chase or gold cup this time next year.

Id make it strong favourite he runs in the Arkle myself.

[Always a Claimer]

Very interesting interview with Henderson on ITV. No mention of chasing when talking about next years route - just mentioned the 3-4 obvious grade 1 hurdles and said "people might find that boring, we won't find that boring". Buckley wants to go chasing I suspect. Not quite as confident now on chasing. But if Buckley does get his way, there is ZERO chance of Champion Chase. Henderson is more risk averse than a Volvo engineer.

[Benjy23]

Glad I didn't get suckered into those length bets being discussed!

[Willdunn99]

Very interesting interview with Henderson on ITV. No mention of chasing when talking about next years route - just mentioned the 3-4 obvious grade 1 hurdles and said "people might find that boring, we won't find that boring". Buckley wants to go chasing I suspect. Not quite as confident now on chasing. But if Buckley does get his way, there is ZERO chance of Champion Chase. Henderson is more risk averse than a Volvo engineer.

Nico mentioned schooling and trying over fences after the race today.

I feel like Buckley and Nico are all for going chasing, whilst Henderson would be happy winning hurdle races for the next 2 to 3 years !

[Bollinger]

Very interesting interview with Henderson on ITV. No mention of chasing when talking about next years route - just mentioned the 3-4 obvious grade 1 hurdles and said "people might find that boring, we won't find that boring". Buckley wants to go chasing I suspect. Not quite as confident now on chasing. But if Buckley does get his way, there is ZERO chance of Champion Chase. Henderson is more risk averse than a Volvo engineer.

When you say there’s ‘ZERO chance’ of Constitution Hill in a Champion Chase, are you suggesting almost categorically that he’ll appear in an Arkle when he could be winning a 2nd Champion Hurdle about an hour and a half later on the Tuesday card??

That would be your assumption I’d guess?