County Hurdle 2013

[Morning Glory]

Not sure Charlie knows the rules ...spoiling the punt ? Ben light foot

Like Keighley, Jonjo O'Neill, Tom George and Charlie Longsdon will appear on our video page and while Jonjo was 1000/1 to answer my "What is your best chance of a win in one of the handicaps?" question, Longsdon was visibly jumping out of his seat to wax lyrical about Pendra.

JP McManus' five-year-old goes in the Coral Cup off a mark of 139 and Longsdon purred about his novice form, his work at home and how he'd be "disappointed if AP didn't ride him".

Seeing as JP has 12 entered in the contest, that could be some clue. But with so many choices running in green and gold in this and many handicaps, AP can't please everyone. But he might please someone, and it could be Charlie Longsdon.

[Morning Glory]

Irish well treated


Mullins' Tennis Cap (Coral Cup, Conditional Jockeys and Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle) is up just 2lb, with his Boylesports.com Hurdle victor Abbey Lane getting two more than that in the same three races.

[JohnC]

Forgotten Voice: Mordin thinks they should wait for Aintree ( is the plan anyway?)

FORGOTTEN VOICE (37) showed a tremendous turn of foot to sprint away from his rivals on the run in to take the Grade 2 Dovecote Novice Hurdle at Kempton. He was so full of run at the finish I'd be pretty confident he could have equalled his best flat speed rating of 39 if there'd been anything to push him.

This is a good-bodied, classy sort who clearly has a lot of ability. However it's worth bearing in mind that Forgotten Voice has had all sorts of training problems in his career. This may well mean he's at his best off a break.

Forgotten Voice's form figures on his first two starts off a long break or with a six week plus break thereafter read 1111327111. One of his losses was a half length second to multiple international Group 1 winner Gloria de Campeo. Another was when he hung just before being laid off for two years with leg trouble.

Trainer Nicky Henderson has won with two of his six Dovecote Hurdle winners that have gone on to run at Cheltenham (another one ran second). It's possible he now has Forgotten Voice in such good shape that he'll be able to show his best form there without a break. However if he were mine I'd be waiting for the valuable handicap hurdle for conditional riders and amateurs at the Aintree Festival. He'll be fresher for that race. In addition he's won all six times he's run on relatively flat, tight tracks like Aintree.

[Old Vic]

another great post from BJG of betfair on his blog


Ifandbutwhynot 20/1 ew Generally


Dont usually look at stats but seein it fits so many i'll chuck em in,

Based on the trends from the past 10 years you are looking for a horse:

· Aged 5 to 7 (ideally 5) X
· Carrying 10-10+ (not top weight) x
· Officially rated 130 to 140 X
· Finished in the first 3 last time out in last 70 days X
· Run at least 3 times this season & run in a handicap hurdle worth 16K+ X
· First or second season hurdlers X
· Run in 1 to 7 handicap hurdles X
· Won no more than 3 handicap hurdles (ideally won none) X
· Won a class 3 or higher hurdle X
· Finished in first 5 in Boylesports and/or Betfair H’cap Hurdles
· Tends to be held up X
· Trained by Paul Nicholls or in Ireland

Meets 10/12 of the trends

12Mar13 1:30 (Early closer) at Cheltenham, William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle Grade 1

13Mar13 2:06 (Early closer) at Cheltenham, Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (Registered Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle) Grade 1

15Mar13 2:08 (Early closer) at Cheltenham, Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle Grade 3

15Mar13 4:43 (Early closer) at Cheltenham, Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle


Has 4 entries but the 2 novice races are completely out surely and all of his races have been over 2m or 2m1 so it must be county hurdle you would think.

Seemed to need his first run of the season when a beaten fav in 3rd but as it turns out it was 2 130+ rated horses in front so prob nt as bad a run as it was thought at the time!

Then in a Novice hurdle at Newcastle on g/s beat the since very impressive and now 142 rated Eduard(2 wide margin wins and a close 3rd behind Melodic Rendevouz since), jumped and travelled well and showed guts to hold on at the finish!

Followed up that win next time out here at Chelt on soft ground(off 117) when giving 5lbs and an emphatic beating to Taneko Emery(off 112). Was hampered twice in that race and still was a very easy winner.

-Form has since been boosted massively with the 2nd Tameko Emery winning very easily on his next 2 runs and argubaly should have won the Welsh Champion hurdle and is now rated 141

-And Brick Red in 6th beaten 16l by Ifandbutwhynot giving away 1lb winning its next 3 starts and finishing 2nd in a G2 last weekend and now rated 146

Went on to go off favourite in a very warm Sandown Listed Hurdle off 130 next time out but disappointed when finishing 9th of 12 but i think it can be worth forgiving that run as the ground was very tacky and horses that were held up finished 7/8/9 so it was nt easy to come from the back

Bounced back to form last week with an easy win at Mussellburgh off 130, travelled well and quickened when asked to win by nearly 3l from Ultimate giving him 7lbs(Ultimate who was beat 8l by Swing Bowler off levels123 (And Swing Bowler now rated 138) Would probably put Ifbutandwhynot just ahead of it on revised ratings. A 5lb rise for last win does nt seem harsh and Timmy Murphy feels a race like the County will suit

Murphy told Racing UK: "The key to him is if he settles. We slowed up mid-race and I was a lot handier than I wanted to be.

"I think all those competitive two-mile handicaps like the County Hurdle will be right up his street, he loves passing horses and I think he's better left-handed."

and i think there is still some room to play the off a mark of 135 given his form with horses now rated high 130s and 140+

There is a slight worry he may not get in but represents a decent ew bet at 20/1 i think
Posted by SB at 4:39 PM No comments:

[Lester]

The camp ....Mr Mole has 10st 3lb at the moment in the County Hurdle and unless the weights go up I am unlikely to be riding as I do not want to be wasting hard to have to make light weights during the Festival.

[mayo]

Cap Heath

IFANDBUTWHYNOT (Trained by David O’Meara)

A favourite of this column all season and still worth following judged by his relatively comfortable win at Musselburgh on Wednesday when two and three-quarter lengths too good for Ultimate. He needs to settle and the one blip on his record this term when behind Petit Robin came when there was a lack of pace in the race. He should now be able to claim a place in the County Hurdle at next month’s Cheltenham Festival and the guaranteed dash there will be perfect for him.

[Hoof]

Too well handicapped

Court Minstrel: Could be County Hurdle-bound
The six-year-old novice is currently 71st on the list and while plenty above him have several other options, Williams and his team will be sweating come declaration time.

Court Minstrel was a close third to Dodging Bullets at Cheltenham in November and also finished fourth in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January.

"We'll aim him at the County Hurdle, that's where he will go," Williams told At The Races.

"He's a novice and he's only had three runs, which could be a bit of a tough one as it is a competitive handicap.

"He's a horse we think a lot of. I think he's well handicapped and if we get in the race and the ground dries then hopefully he goes there with a semblance of an each-way chance."

[Yeehaa]

Those looking for a runner of his who hasn't appeared in any of the previews or media tours might consider Edgardo Sol, who is capable of going close (again) in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.

[Morning Glory]

Irish times

Whatever the fate of Sir Des Champs in the Gold Cup, it could be a good day for the Gigginstown team since in addition to Toner D’Oudairies, they may also make a mark on the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle with Il Fenomeno.

[mayo]

Cooper was at it again when aboard 10/1 chance Ted Veale in the Vincent O'Brien Country Hurdle.
David Casey, stepping in as a late replacement for Paul Townend, rode a well-judged race from the front aboard Tennis Cap (11/1) and when he kicked on down the hill the move looked to have caught his rivals napping.
But the Tony Martin-trained winner cut through the chasing pack and loomed up behind Tennis Cap approaching the final flight.
Cooper was wise to make his challenge as late as possible because Ted Veale failed to find much for maximum pressure, but he did enough on the run-in to account for the runner-up by one and a half lengths.
Manyriverstocross (25/1) finished third, ahead of Shadow Catcher (16/1), with Tankero Emery fifth and Edgardo Sol rattling home for sixth.