• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

2026 Champion Hurdle

for me, con hill shouldn’t be asked to jump another hurdle

imagine the headlines and subsequent guilt if they send Con Hill back out, falls and dies, or causes noticeable injury to Nico

This has now gone past “it all part of the game, which comes with risks”. The horses is unable to jump hurdle safely

Try him over flats, and then plan a route to retirement
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lobos, Danman, Parachute Paddy and 5 others
Is there any chance a facile victory for Ballyburn tomorrow sends him this direction? Ruby and Patrick are both convinced he’s not a stayers hurdle horse.
 
Exar Essay said:
Is there any chance a facile victory for Ballyburn tomorrow sends him this direction? Ruby and Patrick are both convinced he’s not a stayers hurdle horse.
Click to expand...
Think Ruby was pretty dismissive that he'd have the speed for 2m.
 
darlojim said:
Think Ruby was pretty dismissive that he'd have the speed for 2m.
Click to expand...
I’d have said so too against Con Hill or State Man, but would be surprised if he couldn’t live with today’s speed.

Obviously Lossie has a super chance on the Mares and knowing Willie, he’ll probably try to maximise his chances of winning both.
 
Exar Essay said:
I’d have said so too against Con Hill or State Man, but would be surprised if he couldn’t live with today’s speed.

Obviously Lossie has a super chance on the Mares and knowing Willie, he’ll probably try to maximise his chances of winning both.
Click to expand...

If she goes to Christmas and wins, then all goes well at the DRF, it will be a travesty for racing if she doesnt end up in the CH.

He's now got a decent deputy in the Mares with JDG after her chasing debut where albeit she jumped OK, she didn't seem to excel and improve for fences, and with already being commented on about reverting back to hurdles for March, I'll be surprised if that isnt the case if Lossie is A1 from now until the Spring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Quevega
Wodooh over the Mares C&D is probably a tougher rival than she'll face in the Champion Hurdle at the moment...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Quevega
Time to pull up stumps with Con Hill. He is the wonder horse that never was. Ever since his debut, people have been predicting that this could happen with the way he attacks his hurdles. This isn't a new thing for him because he has always got away with it until last years Champion Hurdle but when it did happen, it switched the light off in his head and he clearly can't mentally recover now. The thing must be petrified every time it sees a hurdle. More than happy to throw away my bet if he was either retired or sent to the flat. Imagine the crowd he would draw at an Ascot etc. The only issue he would have in racing in the Summer is the potential for fast ground but when all is said and done, just retire him from a jumps career Nicky, he will always be an enigma and a 'what could have been' but better that than dead or a dead jockey. Fair play to Nico for keep having the balls to get on him but enough is enough now.
 
Exar Essay said:
Reading that … the double with Lossie in the Mares seems a good related bet?
Click to expand...
I like that one.
Odddog said:
I think TNL got very lonely in front and I wouldn't give up on him just yet. He is a horse who finds plenty when eyeballing a rival and I think he just lost concentration at the 2nd last. I'd go to Kempton for the Christmas Hurdle and drop him in.
Click to expand...
absolutely. CH falling early left him in front for far too long. He’s was idling and playing about all the way. I don’t think that the plan was to go out and make it. They would’ve learnt a lot from today
 
Would the new lion won if the stayed up ? Yes he was being pushed along, but we know he has good stamina.....
 
BigL said:
Would the new lion won if the stayed up ? Yes he was being pushed along, but we know he has good stamina.....
Click to expand...
A lot of people think he was beaten when he fell and i wouldn't be overly confident he'd have won but like you say, he has stamina and he finds so he may well have still done the business. If i wasn't already on, at decent prices, i wouldn't be going in again though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigL
Danman said:
A lot of people think he was beaten when he fell and i wouldn't be overly confident he'd have won but like you say, he has stamina and he finds so he may well have still done the business. If i wasn't already on, at decent prices, i wouldn't be going in again though.
Click to expand...
He may have won but he would have been all out to beat golden ace. Yeah I wouldn't be backing him after that. Not sure lossie will win either. Could be worth playing a decent price here
 
  • Like
Reactions: Danman
BigL said:
He may have won but he would have been all out to beat golden ace. Yeah I wouldn't be backing him after that. Not sure lossie will win either. Could be worth playing a decent price here
Click to expand...
To be fair, i totally agree with you here, if he'd have won it would have been hard work and wouldn't be a champion hurdle winning performance, even though he'd have beaten the reigning champion hurdler ! Him and lossie don't look 2 milers so definitely value around, I'm gonna have to have me a couple of quid on golden ace, maybe the luckiest horse around but sometimes better to be lucky than good and to be fair she's pretty good, as well !
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigL
Yeah she could win for sure, maybe William munny, we haven't seen him this year yet and needs to improve but he did run second to the aeroplane that is kopek des bordes. Can't make a case for anything else really
 
BigL said:
Yeah she could win for sure, maybe William munny, we haven't seen him this year yet and needs to improve but he did run second to the aeroplane that is kopek des bordes. Can't make a case for anything else really
Click to expand...
The race is definitely a right conundrum now ! Just reading dan skelton's comments, he seems pretty confident about the new lion.
 
BigL said:
Would the new lion won if the stayed up ? Yes he was being pushed along, but we know he has good stamina.....
Click to expand...

I'm not sure on this also

One things for certain, he wouldn't have won by anything more than say 2L that's for sure, which makes his current price stinky, as it has been all summer
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigL
darlojim said:
I'm not sure on this also

One things for certain, he wouldn't have won by anything more than say 2L that's for sure, which makes his current price stinky, as it has been all summer
Click to expand...
If he'd have beaten the reigning champion hurdler today by 2 lengths, you'd normally think 4/1 for the following years race would be value but you're right, the price stinks and he hasn't even beaten the reigning champion hurdler by 2 lengths !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom