2025 Champion Hurdle

[DenmanSacre]

Little surprised nothing has been made of the pace Lossiemouth set at the DRF. She was considered outpaced at Christmas behind Burdett Road over the first mile and a half. She had certainly now been taught to race at a quicker pace and to my eye Statement was starting to race at a pace outside his comfort zone and looked really tired at the end of the race. Provided she has got over her fall she is going to be a proper danger to Constitutional Hill in March.

There's a reason she fell IMO. There's going fast, then there's going that pace. We can't tell how she would have finished but I doubt it would have been quickly.

[Quevega]

Little surprised nothing has been made of the pace Lossiemouth set at the DRF. She was considered outpaced at Christmas behind Burdett Road over the first mile and a half. She had certainly now been taught to race at a quicker pace and to my eye Statement was starting to race at a pace outside his comfort zone and looked really tired at the end of the race. Provided she has got over her fall she is going to be a proper danger to Constitutional Hill in March.

I thought that was the only positive for her, as we will never know how the rest of that race may have panned out, but she definitely can go the gallop and was maybe just caught flat footed like Mullins suggested after Kempton. And agree on State Man, just listening to Dineen talking about him and I agree with him also. When he came home alone he just didn't look right.

[FinalFurlong91]

I thought that was the only positive for her, as we will never know how the rest of that race may have panned out, but she definitely can go the gallop and was maybe just caught flat footed like Mullins suggested after Kempton. And agree on State Man, just listening to Dineen talking about him and I agree with him also. When he came home alone he just didn't look right.

He just doesn't look the same horse this year

Not travelling with the same zest

It's probably not that surprising. Ran 5 times last season, 5 times the season before. All in grade 1s. These high level races take their toll on every horse in the end.

It probably tells us how weak the 2 mile hurdle division really is that a high 160s horse like state man has won 11 grade 1s.

The one time he faced a top notcher he got beaten on the snaff 9 lengths by con hill.

[Faugheen_Machine]

He just doesn't look the same horse this year

Not travelling with the same zest

It's probably not that surprising. Ran 5 times last season, 5 times the season before. All in grade 1s. These high level races take their toll on every horse in the end.

It probably tells us how weak the 2 mile hurdle division really is that a high 160s horse like state man has won 11 grade 1s.

The one time he faced a top notcher he got beaten on the snaff 9 lengths by con hill.

I had betfair on during the race and it was something like 1.9 Lossie, 2.12 State Man when she fell so the in running players weren't sure at that stage.

He looked to be travelling well to me, and much better than his run at Christmas. It's probably left as many questions as answers though with the way the race panned out

One thing....getting beaten 9 lengths by the best hurdler any of us have seen shouldn't be a sick to beat him with. That's fairly harsh

[Quevega]

I had betfair on during the race and it was something like 1.9 Lossie, 2.12 State Man when she fell so the in running players weren't sure at that stage.

He looked to be travelling well to me, and much better than his run at Christmas. It's probably left as many questions as answers though with the way the race panned out

One thing....getting beaten 9 lengths by the best hurdler any of us have seen shouldn't be a sick to beat him with. That's fairly harsh

Yeah - Judging horses against the best is deffo harsh.
I thought State Man travelled fine until after she fell, I just wasn't keen on the way he went over the last and up the run in. I know he didn't have to make an effort but I just felt the jockey wasn't sure what he'd have got if he had have asked. And the no hopers were closing fast. Made him look like he was tired, but may have been deceiving.
He hasn't got a prayer in my mind in March though.

Daddy Long Legs got raised 5lb for that also which I though was very harsh indeed.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Yeah - Judging horses against the best is deffo harsh.
I thought State Man travelled fine until after she fell, I just wasn't keen on the way he went over the last and up the run in. I know he didn't have to make an effort but I just felt the jockey wasn't sure what he'd have got if he had have asked. And the no hopers were closing fast. Made him look like he was tired, but may have been deceiving.
He hasn't got a prayer in my mind in March though.

Daddy Long Legs got raised 5lb for that also which I though was very harsh indeed.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with his price in the 48 hours before the race. That'll probably tell us everything we need to know.

No chance PT rides?

[Quevega]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with his price in the 48 hours before the race. That'll probably tell us everything we need to know.

No chance PT rides?

I'd imagine Paul would be more disappointed with her falling than anyone.
He's backed himself into a corner in a way.
And he's back to square one.

I'm not sure he's as cold as Ruby and more likely to take the safety first option. Probably State Man.

But if they both feel their usual self on the gallops on final work then the logical option is her IMO.
Just because of the relative form with C Hill and Cheltenham seeming to bring the best in her.

[Faugheen_Machine]

I'd imagine Paul would be more disappointed with her falling than anyone.
He's backed himself into a corner in a way.
And he's back to square one.

I'm not sure he's as cold as Ruby and more likely to take the safety first option. Probably State Man.

But if they both feel their usual self on the gallops on final work then the logical option is her IMO.
Just because of the relative form with C Hill and Cheltenham seeming to bring the best in her.

I think he'll pick them on their merits. Wouldn't like to bet which way he'd go though

[Carnage at Taunton]

Little surprised nothing has been made of the pace Lossiemouth set at the DRF. She was considered outpaced at Christmas behind Burdett Road over the first mile and a half. She had certainly now been taught to race at a quicker pace and to my eye Statement was starting to race at a pace outside his comfort zone and looked really tired at the end of the race. Provided she has got over her fall she is going to be a proper danger to Constitutional Hill in March.

I think the last thing she should do is go out front setting a pace, cos all Con hill will do as just sit on her tail and take it up whenever he’s asked to.
She would probably sit in behind though, and try and keep up and see if she can use her staying power at the end.
Whatever she does it’s hard imo to see her beating CH.
Be interesting though, and the race certainly needs her and also BDA, otherwise it’s a walkover virtually.

[RufusFlynn]

Yeah - Judging horses against the best is deffo harsh.
I thought State Man travelled fine until after she fell, I just wasn't keen on the way he went over the last and up the run in. I know he didn't have to make an effort but I just felt the jockey wasn't sure what he'd have got if he had have asked. And the no hopers were closing fast. Made him look like he was tired, but may have been deceiving.
He hasn't got a prayer in my mind in March though.

Daddy Long Legs got raised 5lb for that also which I though was very harsh indeed.

Do you not think he was just majorly inconvenienced by her fall? Did it not look like for a second or so that she could have taken him down with her?

That combined with Paul not needing to ride the finish meant that he looked to come home carefully.

Like others have said - no way of knowing how the race would have panned out but I think he's probably racing for third place if either of the mares come here in March.

[chunker86]

I think Paul pressed the off button on State Man after she fell - he just let him cruise round and have an easy run to the finish i wouldn't be reading anything into that and think he was travelling very nicely when she came down, as a State Man backer for that race i was pretty happy with how things were going for him - Lossie had quicked a bit off the bend and opened up a length or 2 advantage for 50 yards or so but he brought that back very easily and was sitting nicely on her quarters.

In fact I thought both were travelling very well when she came down - Kevin Blake on Betfair Podcast reckoned she got spooked by some Seaguls - she did prick her head just before the hurdle, but that's a bit of a stretch imo.

The only thing to take from the race was an improvement in both horses for a mile at being able to go a 2 mile championship pace - something neither showed at Christmas, but we didn't get to see if either could finish off their race.

Paul sticks with State Man imo - he's the form in the book and if Con Hill doesn't run to form he's the one who has proven he can run to the high 160s required to beat him, for all her promise Lossie is yet to show that on the track.

[TigerRolllllll]

interesting choice of words
prob Hints where Gordon wants to go

https://x.com/roadcheltenham/status/1887554048100082017?s=46

[TigerRolllllll]

Bit more…

https://x.com/roadcheltenham/status/1887552925917987297?s=46

[Lobos]

At The Races site has a bit more again than the above. Especially the bit where he says...

"You can't be anything but impressed with CH and you have to have the utmost respect for him. He's probably the one that we all have to beat"......

You get the feeling they are edging towards the 2m crown but obviously anything and everything can happen yet.

[TigerRolllllll]

At The Races site has a bit more again than the above. Especially the bit where he says...

"You can't be anything but impressed with CH and you have to have the utmost respect for him. He's probably the one that we all have to beat"......

You get the feeling they are edging towards the 2m crown but obviously anything and everything can happen yet.

Gordon will be desperate to go for it …,,he hasn’t had such a chance before & huge for him