2025 Champion Hurdle

[Lobos]

BDA has also drifted for the Mares so perhaps the bookies are thinking she's more likely to run in the CH.

[ComplyOrDie]

Where do you think she'll have her prep COD? I'm hoping she goes International again but they do have Anzadam to place somewhere as well. Has to be odds on that State Man goes DRF and don't see Lossie running against him there. I'd rather they gave her a confidence booster at Cheltenham. She was brilliant there last year.

Not a clue.

If Willie now sees Anzadam as the Donnelly's best chance in the Champion Hurdle then he and Lossiemouth will avoid each other and I suspect Lossiemouth could meet State Man.

I think State Man is vulnerable and we've heard nothing about his well-being since that well below par run of his over Christmas.

[ComplyOrDie]

BDA has also drifted for the Mares so perhaps the bookies are thinking she's more likely to run in the CH.

I'm tempted to get her onside for the race, more as cover for my current Champion Hurdle bets!

[Lobos]

I'm tempted to get her onside for the race, more as cover for my current Champion Hurdle bets!

Paul saying..'By the end of the season there may be no Shame in getting beat by BDA' really stuck with me. I get the feeling he now thinks she's the one to beat in the CH.

[Lobos]

I'm tempted to get her onside for the race, more as cover for my current Champion Hurdle bets!

Another reason I did it. Already have Lossie and Anzadam at big prices so it's only really Constitution Hill now that I've not got on board. Very unlikely that'll happen now so I'll just clap the boy home should he win again in March.

[Carnage at Taunton]

Another reason I did it. Already have Lossie and Anzadam at big prices so it's only really Constitution Hill now that I've not got on board. Very unlikely that'll happen now so I'll just clap the boy home should he win again in March.

Nice prices in the Supreme that may help you get CH on side Lobos.
Fancy anything there for a double or two?

[Quevega]

Nico spoke well this morning to Oli Bell.
Never liked him though. Can you tell ?

One thing that annoyed me though (always at least one thing) was when he said C Hill was only 85% fit ! (one of my pet hates)
Oli Bell immediately took that as though it was a cold hard fact and didn't push back.

Obviously he couldn't have said - "How do you know that for sure, you silly cunt ?"
But he could have said "why run a horse at only 85% fitness ?"
or "What machine do you use to record this sort of thing ?"

Fucking Bell end - literally.

Bit of swearing for you all on a day without racing.

[Lobos]

Nice prices in the Supreme that may help you get CH on side Lobos.
Fancy anything there for a double or two?

Kel Histoire has impressed me the most of the ones we've seen this season and I reckon he's JP's number 1 for the race. That said, I can't get out of my head the demolition job Mundi served up . If he returns like that nothing will live with him.

[Lobos]

Nico spoke well this morning to Oli Bell.
Never liked him though. Can you tell ?

One thing that annoyed me though (always at least one thing) was when he said C Hill was only 85% fit ! (one of my pet hates)
Oli Bell immediately took that as though it was a cold hard fact and didn't push back.

Obviously he couldn't have said - "How do you know that for sure, you silly cunt ?"
But he could have said "why run a horse at only 85% fitness ?"
or "What machine do you use to record this sort of thing ?"

Fucking Bell end - literally.

Bit of swearing for you all on a day without racing.

Mind games. Willie and Paul said Lossiemouth ran flat and may have disliked Kempton so they are all at it.

Agree though, no way Henderson runs any of his 85% fit. He's a master of getting them ready at home.

[Ice]

Mind games. Willie and Paul said Lossiemouth ran flat and may have disliked Kempton so they are all at it.

Agree though, no way Henderson runs any of his 85% fit. He's a master of getting them ready at home.

I love it when people give a fitness percentage, absolute garbage !

[Carnage at Taunton]

Nico spoke well this morning to Oli Bell.
Never liked him though. Can you tell ?

One thing that annoyed me though (always at least one thing) was when he said C Hill was only 85% fit ! (one of my pet hates)
Oli Bell immediately took that as though it was a cold hard fact and didn't push back.

Obviously he couldn't have said - "How do you know that for sure, you silly cunt ?"
But he could have said "why run a horse at only 85% fitness ?"
or "What machine do you use to record this sort of thing ?"

Fucking Bell end - literally.

Bit of swearing for you all on a day without racing.

Just wouldn’t be the same!!

[Ice]

I've had a cough the last couple of days, I'm saying I'm 80 percent fit so I've got plenty to work on and will come on loads !

[ComplyOrDie]

Nico spoke well this morning to Oli Bell.
Never liked him though. Can you tell ?

One thing that annoyed me though (always at least one thing) was when he said C Hill was only 85% fit ! (one of my pet hates)

Given the proximity of Burdett Road I wouldn't find it inconceivable that Constitution Hill was 90% fit (I don't particularly like the saying either) and Lossiemouth underperformed (a but like a fair few of the Mullins lot during that period).

He was rated 175, Lossiemouth 160 (not sure if this includes the 7lbs), & Burdett Road was 142 before the race, so a 33lb difference between ConstitutionHill & Burdett Road, yet finished just 9 lengths in behind having set the race up for him and Lossiemouth.

I'm all for allowing improvement for Burdett Road but not 20lbs+!

It's not hard to imagine a world where he was not fully revved up after such a long lay off and Lossiemouth not being at her best.

I think it was on the Road To Cheltenham where they noted it was the fastest she had ever been over that first mile, and it showed!

I'm not sticking up for Nico, not after the Fighting Fifth debacle, they can both do one, but I do think it's a distinct possibility that what he said was probably correct, or not far off, at least.

[Quevega]

Given the proximity of Burdett Road I wouldn't find it inconceivable that Constitution Hill was 90% fit (I don't particularly like the saying either) and Lossiemouth underperformed (a but like a fair few of the Mullins lot during that period).

He was rated 175, Lossiemouth 160 (not sure if this includes the 7lbs), & Burdett Road was 142 before the race, so a 33lb difference between ConstitutionHill & Burdett Road, yet finished just 9 lengths in behind having set the race up for him and Lossiemouth.

I'm all for allowing improvement for Burdett Road but not 20lbs+!

It's not hard to imagine a world where he was not fully revved up after such a long lay off and Lossiemouth not being at her best.

I think it was on the Road To Cheltenham where they noted it was the fastest she had ever been over that first mile, and it showed!

I'm not sticking up for Nico, not after the Fighting Fifth debacle, they can both do one, but I do think it's a distinct possibility that what he said was probably correct, or not far off, at least.

There's always one.

What he said was nowhere near correct.
What he should have said was that the horse performed at "around 85%" of what we know he is capable of, and what he's done on his best days in the past.
Nothing to do with guessing his fitness level.

Burdett Road was close to them cos it was decent ground at Kempton and he's a decent flat horse and improving hurdler. He was also left in front till late on, at a pace he could obviously sustain on that ground on that track.

Kempton on decent ground will never be a track that the majority of the true NH types (Cheltenham champions) will perform their best on IMO.

[ComplyOrDie]

There's always one.

What he said was nowhere near correct.
What he should have said was that the horse performed at "around 85%" of what we know he is capable of, and what he's done on his best days in the past.
Nothing to do with guessing his fitness level.

Burdett Road was close to them cos it was decent ground at Kempton and he's a decent flat horse and improving hurdler. He was also left in front till late on, at a pace he could obviously sustain on that ground on that track.

Kempton on decent ground will never be a track that the majority of the true NH types (Cheltenham champions) will perform their best on IMO.

So the wording was incorrect in your opinion?

But do you not believe trainers know a horses level of fitness based on previous workouts etc... especially one as high profile as Constitution Hill.

Of course this could get mistaken for fitness when it's true regression.

We won't know if he is correct until his next run.

He'll have to come on a fair bit for the festival, IMO, which I hope is just fitness as opposed to regressing.

Agree regarding Kempton not being suitable for both Constitution Hill & Lossiemouth, but even so, 9 lengths to a 142 rated hurdler, having needed to be ridden to sustain, tells me it's either a fitness thing or regression.

Horses can have off days and not perform to their top level but horses coming back from a lay off are given the benefit of doubt for me and I'd put it more down to race fitness, until proven otherwise.