Champion Hurdle 2021

[billymag]

Was it in print or on video aalowe9 please, just trying to find it

[Run4Home]

I think i heard or read an interview with Willie recently where he said that Saint Roi did the best piece of work that theyve seen on their gallops, did anyone else see this or have I misheard or made it up. Thanks for any help cheers

Think he said it numerous times - most recently Friday in his sporting life 5 to follow.
I don’t think it was ever though

[charlie]

I think i heard or read an interview with Willie recently where he said that Saint Roi did the best piece of work that theyve seen on their gallops, did anyone else see this or have I misheard or made it up. Thanks for any help cheers

I think it was he was the one working best on their gallops, not that he was the best horse that's ever graced their gallops

[Run4Home]

Yeah you’d assume he meant in the last pieces of work
prior to festival

[billymag]

Cheers, i remember hearing it thinking did he just say that!!! But could be remembering it wrong

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

It was just an unsatisfactory race wasn't it. Both of them clearly want a true run race to be seen at their best.

They both come out of it with some credit in my opinion though. Abacadabras has proven (to me at least) he can put is head down, and Saint Roi had the guts to battle back after the shocker of a ride Mark Walsh gave him.

The race itself will have no bearing (plus or minus) on the outcome in March, and didn't do anything to show where either are in the pecking order. The bookies still took the opportunity to cut both Epatante and Saldier though.

Agree with all this, as someone heavily involved with both Aba and Saint Roi most important thing for me was that Aba threw his hat back in the ring. By the way the price cut on Saldier at least was Oddschecker playing silly buggers, 25s still available

[Kevloaf]

Fair point Kev, it's not a deep division. Hard to 'conclusively' pinpoint what beats her (taking out Epatante) because I don't think we've seen some of (or certainly the best of) the main protagonists yet (we might not know who they are - this time last year Epatante was just an ordinary mare who finished down the field in the mares novice ).

Your question is a good one, but it's posed (forgive me if I've got this wrong) as if naming horses who could beat her over 2m is going to be really difficult cause she's such a great 2 miler?!? The question has to be taken in the context of over 2m and based on 2m form, not what she has achieved over intermediate trips, which has been brilliant.

I'd be surprised over 2m if Abacadabras, Saint Roi and Saldier weren't good enough to beat her. Aba has been talked about a lot and I think on better ground in a bigger field come March he'd be too quick for her. Same can be said for Saldier. Saint Roi is more of a question mark. Then you have others like Goshen, Sharjah (who I know she beat), improvers like Aspire Tower - even a BVD returning back to anywhere near his best could easily beat her over 2m, even at the age of 10. She only has to find one too good (if she turns up at all), and I don't think I've named a single horse that's not being aimed here specifically

Her only finding 1 too good, doesn't make 16/1 e/w a bad price?

Her not turning up would

And YES her 2 mile form puts her as placing in this race.
why on earth not?

This is the point that's been impossible for me to shake off. Whilst I personally think it's easy to not get carried away with her 2m form, and I 100% believe her optimum is intermediate trips, her base 2m form IS good enough to be in the mix for a CH, and without Epatante she almost is the one to beat on what we've seen.

I was convinced you were going to call me a c*nt then!!

I am being picky. For me the strength of that race and quality of the win was reflected in their eventual decision not to go here.

They may risk it and go here but I doubt it. Your namesake proved there's plenty of glory coming back to cheltenham time and time again and winning.

I do still think Mares Hurdle is where she'll end up though....as I agree with charlie that she'll be beaten along the way, I do think Saint Roi and Abacadabras would beat her at 2m.

Don’t get me wrong
I think they may go for the mares again
especially if epatante carries on her form.
although on paper before last year’s festival I’d have said the champion would have been a better option V taking on benie.
especially when the ground looked like coming up heavy.
but they’ll probably do the opposite this year.
which would make them cunts.
although to be fair to them it turned out well the last time.

I've backed the 16s tonight as this scenario is more likely than it was before todays Morgiana.... I can't see her being 16s after the Hattons Grace despite that making no sense because of the trip, I think she'll be cut for both if winning.

I'll be annoyed at them as well if they went CH this year but didn't last year, as what has really changed?! Plus I had the 40's last year

OMG, Kev's even writing my posts for me now ! Exactly this. I still think Epatante wins even with Honey in the race but she will be her biggest threat at level weight. I don't even think she'll need to win the ICH impressively. If she wins it, she goes to the English version, simple as. They simply won't miss out on this opportunity before going chasing next season. The only way she'll go Mares Hurdle again is if she loses fair and square in the Irish Churdle. She has to win the Hattons Grace first but I'm taking that as a given.

The planets are aligned, as I do now agree with this... I think an ICH win means she will go CH. My personal bets don't weigh themselves this way, but I definitely see this happening much more now than I did before.

[jack1092]

Henry now has a very good idea of how good the rest of the Irish are with both Aspire Tower and JTM . I'd imagine Honeysuckle would eat those two for breakfast at home which says it all. I still see Epatante and Honey as the big two come March. I say stop trying to convince yourself re the Darver Star angle Kev. Just get Honey on board before it's too late. She's currently at your sort of price.

She probably does eat them for breakfast at home. I'd say if you put Saint Roi or Aba up against them at home, they would too. How the race panned out today wouldn't necessarily mean Honey would've eaten them for breakfast today!

[opatcho]

Yup, agreeing with the above... Honey's connections must be thinking the same after seeing the 2-3 of the top Irish contenders come out

I think Honey would beat Aba now that I've seen him twice in open company. I've give Saint Roi another chance but he still need to prove himself as a 160 horse.
Saldier hasnt turned up, and there is a chance he doesnt

4-6 weeks ago there were a a few potential beast from Ireland.... however, from what I've seen so far I fairly confident Honey would beat these now

Epatante is the one to beat, i've already loaded up on her and its a question of covering that bet off whilst there's some decent value in the market for those that have yet to run. The problem with honey running in the CH is that I truely believe the middle distance mares race is her best trip, so coming over will disadvantage her and I think Epatante is the better jumper of the two

[charlie]

Her only finding 1 too good, doesn't make 16/1 e/w a bad price?

Does for me. 1pt EW 1/5 odds 3 places and I'll get back just over double my stake for 2nd or 3rd. That's a thoroughly unattractive return with the question marks that hang in the balance, IMO of course.

For the sake of the Champion Hurdle as a race, and being the best race it can possibly be, I'd love to see Honeysuckle perform a demolition job in the Irish Champion Hurdle, prove me wrong, and really give her connections the confidence to go here. It would make for a cracking addition to an uninspiring division, and perhaps then I'll wish id taken 16's like all you lot

I do agree with lots of what's said here though - no Epatante and suddenly this race becomes a very attractive option.

[Spectre]

It's very possible they take their chance in the Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle this season. They'll be tempted because they'll want to find out and not have regrets. She won't win it though. She wants further and her jumping isn't slick enough. I like to make a book, and unless there were mass withdrawals I'd happily leave her out of it.

[Saxon Warrior]

Does for me. 1pt EW 1/5 odds 3 places and I'll get back just over double my stake for 2nd or 3rd. That's a thoroughly unattractive return with the question marks that hang in the balance, IMO of course.

For the sake of the Champion Hurdle as a race, and being the best race it can possibly be, I'd love to see Honeysuckle perform a demolition job in the Irish Champion Hurdle, prove me wrong, and really give her connections the confidence to go here. It would make for a cracking addition to an uninspiring division, and perhaps then I'll wish id taken 16's like all you lot

I do agree with lots of what's said here though - no Epatante and suddenly this race becomes a very attractive option.

1/5th the odds, 1,2,3 is the reason that I wouldn't think of betting each-way months ahead of the Festival, unless the horse was at least 33/1, and more likely 50/1 or more..

[charlie]

1/5th the odds, 1,2,3 is the reason that I wouldn't think of betting each-way months ahead of the Festival, unless the horse was at least 33/1, and more likely 50/1 or more..

Yep, exactly my point

[The King Pimm]

No ones mentioned how poor Saint Roi’s hurdling was during the 1st mile, he was messy and guests at a few. He’s still young so hopefully will improve but his jumping will need to be slicker around Cheltenham

[charlie]

No ones mentioned how poor Saint Roi’s hurdling was during the 1st mile, he was messy and guests at a few. He’s still young so hopefully will improve but his jumping will need to be slicker around Cheltenham

As a backer of his I have to very reluctantly agree with you. He made a few fiddly mistakes prior to yesterday too, and I don't think he jumped that well yesterday either.

That being said, a stronger pace will help his jumping no end and he's proven he can jump round Cheltenham flawlessly - which is absolute scenes when it comes to his plus column - the big question is whether or not he can do it at a proper Championship pace. We didn't see that yesterday, so for me the Jurys out, but I am hopeful.