2025 Champion Hurdle

[TigerRolllllll]

To add

I think BDA wins it if goes

State Man & Lossie can’t go that pace …so it’s all about CH

CH hasn’t run at level to beat her since he last won champion hurdle ….he’d have to be at his best ever level & it’s still possible she could find 7 pounds or so to match that given allowance advantage

let’s say it’s 50/50….,the exchange prices are value as she’d be what 5-2 max on day

[TigerRolllllll]

One more note…..,Gordon says he will announce week before & we know Willie will be last min

if Gordon goes for it, Willie knows she can’t run the pace & Mares suddenly looks very tempting

They can always go Ch Hurdle a year later

[Lobos]

Agree with all that Tiger. Incidentally, the last massively controversial decision they made was putting Delta Work in against your namesake. Still feel the pain/anger now.

Just hope they do the right thing this time.

[TigerRolllllll]

Agree with all that Tiger. Incidentally, the last massively controversial decision they made was putting Delta Work in against your namesake. Still feel the pain/anger now.

Just hope they do the right thing this time.

Was there with my Tiger scarf on too ….very sad day

[Carnage at Taunton]

To add

I think BDA wins it if goes

State Man & Lossie can’t go that pace …so it’s all about CH

CH hasn’t run at level to beat her since he last won champion hurdle ….he’d have to be at his best ever level & it’s still possible she could find 7 pounds or so to match that given allowance advantage

let’s say it’s 50/50….,the exchange prices are value as she’d be what 5-2 max on day

Im not predicting whether CH will run near his best or that BDA will repeat his Xmas performance, just have no real strong feelings on those happening…… or not.
Just want to see the best hurdlers around in the top race around.
And see how it pans out.
We could have a few exciting days in the lead up!!
Be brilliant.

[Craigy14]

I see James Owen is still aiming Burdett Road here.

Does this sway any thoughts for Elliott? Thinking along the lines of, he loves to front run at a decent pace. Will Gordon bother with KOK if BDA does come this way? If they do come this way with both does Burdett Road upset KOK up front and in turn harm BDA’s chances?

[Quevega]

I see James Owen is still aiming Burdett Road here.

Does this sway any thoughts for Elliott? Thinking along the lines of, he loves to front run at a decent pace. Will Gordon bother with KOK if BDA does come this way? If they do come this way with both does Burdett Road upset KOK up front and in turn harm BDA’s chances?

Should help really
they won’t be worried about king getting upset
although they’ll want control on the front end for sure.

[Craigy14]

Should help really
they won’t be worried about king getting upset
although they’ll want control on the front end for sure.

Aye was just thinking when I read it. I thought the same that something else adding pace can’t be a bad thing.

Surely longer they take her into the race the better. Long way from home up the hill even on the old course.

[Quevega]

Aye was just thinking when I read it. I thought the same that something else adding pace can’t be a bad thing.

Surely longer they take her into the race the better. Long way from home up the hill even on the old course.

Exactly
the risk is not controlling the pace though
So Burdett could hamper a little but they’d just send kingsfield on if it slowed

[Exar Essay]

Also worth thinking of the converse - who would pace set in the Mares? It takes a good one to set a pace for her, does Gordon have a mare capable of running a 2 mile time trial at the speed she’d want it?

And if not, will the others sit behind her no matter what? You’d guess so.

The more I think on it, the more the Churdle is the best fit for her.

[Craigy14]

Also worth thinking of the converse - who would pace set in the Mares? It takes a good one to set a pace for her, does Gordon have a mare capable of running a 2 mile time trial at the speed she’d want it?

And if not, will the others sit behind her no matter what? You’d guess so.

The more I think on it, the more the Churdle is the best fit for her.

As Q said the other day though, at Xmas she maintained that pace when KOK faded. I think the champion does suit more in that extra half mile may stretch the limits. She’d have to set her own fractions. I don’t think she has a turn of foot, she just has a very very high cruising speed and able to maintain that.

[Studfarm254]

Also worth thinking of the converse - who would pace set in the Mares? It takes a good one to set a pace for her, does Gordon have a mare capable of running a 2 mile time trial at the speed she’d want it?

And if not, will the others sit behind her no matter what? You’d guess so.

The more I think on it, the more the Churdle is the best fit for her.

Personally I’d be completely shocked if she doesn’t go mares hurdle this year. The best fit would mean the one she’s the most chance of winning surely. What’s she going to be for the mares on the day 4/9? And if she’s declared for the champion hurdle 9/4 roughly? She’s only 6 and will want to break her Cheltenham duck this season and fully prove herself at the track given Golden ace beat her last year. Then next year then can start thinking about the champion hurdle if she wins well. The only way I see her running in the champ hurdle this season is if something happens to Constitution Hill

[Exar Essay]

As Q said the other day though, at Xmas she maintained that pace when KOK faded. I think the champion does suit more in that extra half mile may stretch the limits. She’d have to set her own fractions. I don’t think she has a turn of foot, she just has a very very high cruising speed and able to maintain that.

I thought it was interesting that Gordon said she was idle and repeated again that she’s better with a lead. In the recent Racing TV stable tour.

I’m not sure where she ends up, but I think the Champion Hurdle would be better suited to her strengths.

[Quevega]

I thought it was interesting that Gordon said she was idle and repeated again that she’s better with a lead. In the recent Racing TV stable tour.

I’m not sure where she ends up, but I think the Champion Hurdle would be better suited to her strengths.

I think that's the reasoning they may go with.

And underneath that - what Skelton said yesterday. similar to what I and others have said in other discussions on here.

That None of them have ever won a champion hurdle but have won multiple cheltenham festival races.
This might be their best chance.
The horse has no fucking clue what she's running for.

I think the race in Dublin helped them as had Lossie beat State Man easily I think they may have gone the other way.

If they do go mares after all this then I'll be as disgusted with them as I've made clear before.
Would be embarassing.

[Eggs]

https://cheltenham.attheraces.com/features/fitzy's-focus