2024 Stayers Hurdle

[FinalFurlong91]

He's got no chance in this either though

Yeah the jockeys have figured him out now

Hassle him when he tries to get his breather in and he folds in the final half mile

[Benjy23]

Why doesn't Danny Mullins ride him anymore?

[charlie]

Why doesn't Danny Mullins ride him anymore?

Connections thought KD was a better jockey for fences, wouldn't be at all surprised to see DM rejoin him over hurdles.

Its impossible to say he didn't take to fences because he's put in a couple of good performances but he just looks a better hurdler

When he's on song at Cheltenham doing his thing out in front he pings hurdles and takes lengths out the field whereas he looks much more careful over fences.

The staying chase division looks red hot whereas the staying hurdle division looks more open, although stronger than previous years.

If FP does go back hurdling I suspect (but guessing) they might just freshen him up and go straight there.

[Benjy23]

Connections thought KD was a better jockey for fences, wouldn't be at all surprised to see DM rejoin him over hurdles.

Fair play. Seems a bit off to me that decision but I guess they can do what the want . He's arguably got a better record in chases than hurdles looking at his stats, and seemed to have a good relationship with the horse and had given him some cracking rides.

I backed him for this at a big price when they said he was going chasing, as a likely candidate to revert back to hurdles if he didn't take to chasing. I probably posted as much. Then I laid it off at an equally big price when I thought he'd taken to chasing, and also backed him for the BANC.

As you say, this does look a stronger renewal than recent years though, so I'm just going to leave him now I think.

[Exar Essay]

Funny how when he left the market to go chasing he was 25/1 in a weak looking renewal with this his only apparent destination. Now he's come back to the market (with his participation in some doubt still) after what would've been a failed chasing campaign and in a much stronger looking renewal and ... he's 25/1.

[Lobos]

Irish Point pushed out to 5/1 NRMB in Hills 'Specials' market.

[Lobos]

Gordon Elliott is planning on going gung-ho in search of a second Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after he said it was highly likely Teahupoo and Irish Point would join defending last year's winner Sire Du Berlais in the line-up.

[YoungHustler]

Gordon Elliott is planning on going gung-ho in search of a second Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after he said it was highly likely Teahupoo and Irish Point would join defending last year's winner Sire Du Berlais in the line-up.

Not sure if 'highly likely' was from another publication but RP has

Elliott said: "At the minute I'm probably leaning towards running both Teahupoo and Irish Point in the race. It's the right race for them both. The plan was always for Teahupoo to go straight there after the Hatton's Grace as we know he goes so well in fresh. He was a bit unlucky in the race last year and he'll go back there a year older and a year stronger this time. "Irish Point is a very good horse and couldn't have done much more than he did at Leopardstown. He saw out the trip well and he's young with a big future, we hope. I'm not sure I want to run him in the Galmoy at Gowran so he might go straight to Cheltenham if we decide to run him there. There aren't actually too many options for a horse like him."

[Lobos]

Great news. I'd have Irish point in a match over Teahupoo on what they've shown.

[Carnage at Taunton]

Great news. I'd have Irish point in a match over Teahupoo on what they've shown.

Depends on ground imo

[Craigy14]

I’m starting to really be drawn to Irish Point.

I think Elliott did the sensible thing with him last year not going to Cheltenham, although he was fairly highly tried coming second in the Royal Bond and the Lawlors and then fourth at the DRF. If I remember rightly he wasn’t the biggest and was always spoke as a ‘next year’ and beyond sort of horse from Robcour. He was only 4 turning 5 as a novice hurdler so his best days were always going to be ahead of him imo.

Go all the way back to his French NH flat racing days and his form there ties in with Il Est Francais, who could be regarded as the best novice chaser this season and was the best juvenile by some way in France.

The Xmas grade 1 he won over 3m was fairly slowly run and turned into a bit of a sprint from 2 out but looking at the stayers market is there anything that’s going to set the sort of fractions that Flooring Porter does? He acts on any ground as well so you don’t have the doubts as you would with Teahupoo. Theleme looks good but a French raider with no UK track experience is a slight niggle. Impaire is on the comeback trail having not looked quick enough for 2m, Sir G is a second thought going stayers although I have backed him and Crambo is the sort of UK improver.

I think Irish Point looks the best bet at this stage imo, I’ve missed all the better prices on him but if I was on anything 10/1+ I’d be delighted.

[charlie]

Great news. I'd have Irish point in a match over Teahupoo on what they've shown.

Me too. IP has shown himself to be ground versatile and looks to be on an upward curve. We don't know how good he is over 3m yet whereas im not convinced Teahupoo is an out and out stayer. Everything came right for him last year re conditions and he still didn't get the job done, but fair to counter that he's better fresh and Davy wasn't at his best, so he could easily produce a better performance this year and if he improves past an RPR of 163 he'll be bang there.

[YoungHustler]

The last thing I want is Irish Point running in this race as I had Theleme or Teahupoo as winners of this race and already have far too many bets on them!

You can't help but be impressed with Irish Point lto which Jack described as being like a piece of homework. But that race was run at a slow pace so IP still needs to prove he stays imo and I think Teahupoo still has the stronger form which is backed up by his higher RPRs, 4 out of his last 5 runs getting 160+. IP yet to get above 160. You may argue that IP has not had enough chances of getting a higher rating being a year younger but I see that Teahupoo got a 165 as a 5 year old. Also, Teahupoo is still only 7 and could now be at his strongest....that's what I'm hoping for anyway! Or a Theleme win.

[Carnage at Taunton]

I’m on IP, not on Teahupoo, so am hoping he turns up and proves the better of the two.
Although IP has form on soft I do think T is the better of the two on that sort of ground.
If it was good/soft I would be a tad more confident for IP.
Be very interesting if they both go for this.

[Eggs]

I’m on IP, not on Teahupoo, so am hoping he turns up and proves the better of the two.
Although IP has form on soft I do think T is the better of the two on that sort of ground.
If it was good/soft I would be a tad more confident for IP.
Be very interesting if they both go for this.

…the jockey’s decision will be of great interest.