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2026 Champion Hurdle

BigL said:
If she was as good as you think she is then don't you think Mullins Townend ricci etc would all be saying she will be going champion hurdle. Here's a little quote from the owner himself...... "Maybe she's just a very good mare"
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Rich isn’t one to talk up his horses at all, never has been, she’ll go unbeaten in Ireland until March & it won’t be very hard for Paul to pick his Champion Hurdle horse.

Not sure how you can knock her, she’s about as consistent a horse as you’ll come across & for a mare that’s a bit special.
 
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BigL said:
If she was as good as you think she is then don't you think Mullins Townend ricci etc would all be saying she will be going champion hurdle. Here's a little quote from the owner himself...... "Maybe she's just a very good mare"
Click to expand...
I don't think they would commit to anything after last year. From the get go, Willie has said he won't be drawn in on her target and won't speculate. I think it all depends on Anzadam now.
 
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She will run in the champion hurdle but she's not quick enough at 2 mile to win
 
BigL said:
She will run in the champion hurdle but she's not quick enough at 2 mile to win
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Well that depends on who turns up on the day of course
Right now there’s 3 that stick out as potentially quicker than her, one just out of novice company that has never ran over hurdles at 2m, another that’s had a long lay off and no way of knowing how good he may or may not be at this level,and one that’s proved quicker but has had problems and fallen twice and ran badly last time we saw him.
I don’t see any others that are anywhere near the class of Lossiemouth.
Should become clearer after next weekend when hopefully all 3 turn up at Newcastle, but until then at least, Lossiemouth is rightfully fav.
 
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To me it seems like they will campaign her for champ hurdle, but the way they talk they’re looking for any excuse to move back to the mares, they don’t seem confident at all. I hold a champ hurdle docket, but she’s more of a cert in the mares.
 
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Kauto’s star said:
To me it seems like they will campaign her for champ hurdle, but the way they talk they’re looking for any excuse to move back to the mares, they don’t seem confident at all. I hold a champ hurdle docket, but she’s more of a cert in the mares.
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I agree with this. Anzadam is there next week as a yard stick. If he runs to form and gets well beaten by either Constitution Hill or The New Lion, then Closutton will be thinking Mares for Lossiemouth in my opinion.

Willie always goes for the race he can win. He’d rather have a 4/7 and 20/1 shot across the two races, than he would a pair of 3/1 and 6/1 shots.
 
Exar Essay said:
I agree with this. Anzadam is there next week as a yard stick. If he runs to form and gets well beaten by either Constitution Hill or The New Lion, then Closutton will be thinking Mares for Lossiemouth in my opinion.

Willie always goes for the race he can win. He’d rather have a 4/7 and 20/1 shot across the two races, than he would a pair of 3/1 and 6/1 shots.
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What you are saying is, it's been Willies plan all along to get Ballyburn as his Champion Hurdle horse...😉
 
Thought Lulamba was already in the entries? Wouldn't need to be supplemented
 
Didn’t think he was sorry

Presumed because they lost his novice status as a chaser they were definitely going down that road

Never know with Henderson these days
 
Has there actually been any horse supplemented? As Betfair have re-opened their market:

The New Lion 5/4
Constitution Hill 6/4
Anzadam 3/1
Golden Ace 14/1
 
….P Mullins;

With State Man on the sidelines, Willie seems to leaning towards Leopardstown at Christmas now, understandably, and she looks like she might be stepping in for her stablemate this season. Is that how you would read it?

I would imagine so. Obviously Anzadam goes for the Fighting Fifth on Saturday but he'll have to step up. With State Man out, Lossiemouth probably becomes the de facto number one at the moment.

Kempton didn't really seem to suit her last year, but Leopardstown at Christmas is a very fast race as well. It’s on the inside track and usually on the driest ground of the week.

So that will be fascinating to watch again, but I just think she didn't turn up in the Christmas Hurdle last season. I don't think there was anything about the way we were training her, settling her, I just think on the day it didn’t happen.

It wasn't Constitution Hill setting the fractions, it was Burdett Road. If she couldn't hang on to him, to me, she just was having an off day. I'd just be drawing a line through Kempton, and hopefully she can step into State Man’s shoes for us - but they are very big boots to fill.
 
I cannot wait for Saturday and I’m very confident there will be a new champion hurdle favourite after the race , I just think and hope conny is back to his best , and hope nico takes it up from the tapes and dictates the pace
 
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Same here, the Fighting Fifth is one of the highlights of the season, been looking forward to this race for a while and counting down the week

I said somewhere at the start of the season that I would be all over The New Lion if Dan Skelton rode the horse similar to what Ruby did on Faugheen, from the front.
I love the way this horse hurdles, its been a whilst since I saw a horse 'grab the hurdle' - thats what I call it anyway. I know con hill is quick but he tends to be big at them whereas TNL low and quick. Not sure if this makes any sense lol

I think Dan will need to play this tactical this weekend against Con Hill. He was good against Jonbon, taking it up down the back when Jonbin made a mistake and adding more pressure. Not sure where the pace will come from this weekend, maybe Nico goes out? If not, would want to see Dan take this up and TNL hurdling them quick and sharp, put the pressure on Con Hill - one mistake is likely going to end the race for him given whats happened previously and feel Nico will just try and get him finishing a race.

I wouldnt rule out Con Hill if he was beaten by a short distance, but he ran very well and appeared to gain confidence back over hurdles.

I can see Dan being roofless here, his horse stays, so just go all out and pressure con hill on his return back

** you watch the TNL get battered, and thats another 'Ballymore' horse beaten in open company
 
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