2024 Triumph Hurdle (Juveniles)

[Eggs]

Think he just collided with a horse who stopped in its tracks at a hurdle, which may have just put him on the back foot for a moment and had to be niggled to regain momentum.

….Ruby Walsh suggesting that was exactly what happened.

[Carnage at Taunton]

Ah ok, thanks Gents

[Lbur4288]

I think Storm Heart looks as good as anything yet when you take into account he nearly got taken out of the race.

[jrjr]

Settled nicely for a juvenile, could well be the best of Willie’s to date.

[Eggs]

….Storm Heart a best 14-1 TH with 365 after that win.

…..365 now cut to 8-1, Sky the biggest at 12s.

(Edit; now into 8-1 best price).

[Eggs]

Willie Mullins’ Storm Heart made an impressive Irish debut when running away with the Tote.ie 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.

The gelding was a Flat winner in France before changing hands to join Mullins for Gigginstown House Stud.

Punchestown was his first run on Irish turf and, under Paul Townend, he was the 2-5 favourite in an 11-runner affair.

He travelled well throughout and was much the best, strolling easily clear to secure an unchallenged 22-length victory.

“It was a very good introduction, I didn’t expect that,” Mullins said.

“I was hoping he was all right, but he’s more than all right looking at that performance.

“Paul thought he was very brave too, as he got blinded at one or two hurdles. He lost his confidence for one or two but got it back. He took them on and he loves jumping.

“I would have said coming here there was huge improvement in him, and I hope there is.

“He’s probably good enough to go wherever we wanted.”

[Lobos]

A bit more....

Mullins added: "I wasn't sure where to put him. I ran three juveniles over Christmas, one won, the other got beaten - beaten too far out - and he was probably what I thought was the best of them and Storm Heart didn't look as fit as either of the other two and yet he put in a huge performance.
"For me that was a huge performance to come away from a field like that, experienced hurdlers. He got knocked down twice in the race; Paul said he was very brave, went down to the next hurdle, faced it and wanted to jump it so he looks a nice type of horse for the future."

Which one was he talking about as being 'the best of them'.....??

[DenmanSacre]

A bit more....

Mullins added: "I wasn't sure where to put him. I ran three juveniles over Christmas, one won, the other got beaten - beaten too far out - and he was probably what I thought was the best of them and Storm Heart didn't look as fit as either of the other two and yet he put in a huge performance.
"For me that was a huge performance to come away from a field like that, experienced hurdlers. He got knocked down twice in the race; Paul said he was very brave, went down to the next hurdle, faced it and wanted to jump it so he looks a nice type of horse for the future."

Which one was he talking about as being 'the best of them'.....??

Ethical Diamond

Think he was quoted in the week as saying he thought Ballyburn, Mirazur West and Ethical Diamond were his best novices.

[That Horse]

A bit more....

Mullins added: "I wasn't sure where to put him. I ran three juveniles over Christmas, one won, the other got beaten - beaten too far out - and he was probably what I thought was the best of them and Storm Heart didn't look as fit as either of the other two and yet he put in a huge performance.
"For me that was a huge performance to come away from a field like that, experienced hurdlers. He got knocked down twice in the race; Paul said he was very brave, went down to the next hurdle, faced it and wanted to jump it so he looks a nice type of horse for the future."

Which one was he talking about as being 'the best of them'.....??

I think I saw a quote on road to cheltenhams twitter where Willie said he thought ethical diamond was one of his top three horses this year.


EDIT - https://twitter.com/RoadCheltenham/s...vkL9Lr_NQ&s=19

[Eggs]

A bit more....

Mullins added: "I wasn't sure where to put him. I ran three juveniles over Christmas, one won, the other got beaten - beaten too far out - and he was probably what I thought was the best of them and Storm Heart didn't look as fit as either of the other two and yet he put in a huge performance.
"For me that was a huge performance to come away from a field like that, experienced hurdlers. He got knocked down twice in the race; Paul said he was very brave, went down to the next hurdle, faced it and wanted to jump it so he looks a nice type of horse for the future."

Which one was he talking about as being 'the best of them'.....??

….. does that suggest his best ones have now been out?

[Lobos]

Cheers guys. Definitely worth forgiving his run and have a saver on him on better ground next time.

[Exar Essay]

https://x.com/GeeGeeBanker/status/1742168817009078736?s=20

An interesting analysis of Storm Heart's victory which adds a bit of substance to his visually impressive debut.

[Eggs]

….Storm Heart now a best price 7-1.

[Lobos]

https://x.com/GeeGeeBanker/status/17...009078736?s=20

An interesting analysis of Storm Heart's victory which adds a bit of substance to his visually impressive debut.

Smart run.

I'd mark Sir Gerhard run up based on those figures as well.

[FredFlintstone]

NJ update on Sir Gino in his Unibet column

A very fair question and we’d have been awfully disappointed if he hadn’t won at Kempton. His jumping definitely needs to sharpen up, but we can easily sort that out. He’d only had one run in his life and, having come from France, I probably underestimated the education he had, or hadn’t had because I sort of thought he already knew it. We schooled him once, he was good, so I left it at that! He had been working like a very high-class horse and the form of the Kempton race has worked out well with the second winning at Ludlow today. He will have another couple of runs before Cheltenham, quite possibly at Kempton next week. We think, and hope, he is high class; at home he features pretty favourably with some of them.