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2017 Champion Hurdle

I've not read anything Mayo. I regularly search Twitter to see if there's any news on Altior and there's nothing confirmed on there. Plenty of people seem to think he should go over fences - I'm not one of them though.
 
On Altior, if he does get confirmed for the Champiion Hurdle, what price do you think he will be? They'll clip him in to 5s or 6s. That is surely too short? Faugheen and Annie Power have been there and done it and at least one of them will turn up. I could see Altior being around 5/1 on the day? Would certainly put me off now, although I have missed the nice 10's that were around as I thought he would go chasing but I feel like my hunch was wrong now.
 
Personally I've stuck to Faugheen, 2/1 is too big for me, especially when doubled up with gold cup horses thistlecrack, coneygree and don Cossack at 8/1 and above I'm looking forward to the best week of 2017 already!! Willie might be training them both (Annie power) for the race in case one comes out injured, but if they are both fit then Annie power just doesn't run even though she's defending champ, she's a penalty kick for any other race and ruby just wouldn't allow it, also all thoughts of Faugheen going over fences can just be quashed in my opinion, that horse will stay over hurdles, and at 2 miles
 
I do think this year season there is the biggest chance yet that two superstars from the Mullins yard will face each other.

It would be disgraceful for the Champion Hurdler to not defend the crown and it would be awful if Faugheen who was odds on wasn't given opportunity to regain it.

I will probably look stupid come March, when "xxxx hasn't had the ideal prep so we'll take on the slightly 'on paper' easier option" BUT, I think Mullins will campaign them both for it, obviously keeping them apart, and then Ricci will decide he wants them both to go for it... you know what, I have already changed my mind, there is just no chance of this happening is there. I think Annie will have a 'niggle' keeping her out until the new year, they'll get a penalty kick prep run in and go for the mares hurdle saying that she didn't have an ideal prep for the CH.
That'll leave VVM for Ricci in the World Hurdle too and I have disappointed myself whilst plodding through this. Might get on the treble though! Surely the most likely at this stage?
 
I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed when vroum vroum mag didn't line up in the Ryan air back in March, however we all now know why she went hurdling for the festival with vatour dropping back into that race, so it would be interesting if they aimed her at hurdles again this year with the likes of limini coming through, and I would have thought either shaneshill (my personal choice) or Nichols canyon goes for the world which for me leaves VVM to go chasing and Annie power for the mares and the Machine to regain his CH Crown
 
If both fit surely Annie Power or Faugheen will be split ? Annie is the one with unfinished business in the World Hurdle ?
 
Mullins was really negative about her staying the World Hurdle trip if you go back through last years. They can't send the Champion Hurdler for the World Hurdle. They'd never be forgiven and they would care, they just couldn't justify it. Part of me could see them saying that she didn't have a good prep, so they'll take on the mares, and part of me (expects) her to line up in the CH. I'd be more worried about Faugheen going up to 3 miles than Annie Power.

I am with you regarding the Ryanair gjt, VVM would mop that up no bother with a mares allowance...
 
Kevloaf said:
Mullins was really negative about her staying the World Hurdle trip if you go back through last years. They can't send the Champion Hurdler for the World Hurdle. They'd never be forgiven and they would care, they just couldn't justify it. Part of me could see them saying that she didn't have a good prep, so they'll take on the mares, and part of me (expects) her to line up in the CH. I'd be more worried about Faugheen going up to 3 miles than Annie Power.

I am with you regarding the Ryanair gjt, VVM would mop that up no bother with a mares allowance...
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Not sure I fully buy into the "doesn't stay" argument - without More of That she would have won her only previous attempt by about 4 lengths!
 
Ye I think often when a horse is second over a staying trip people are quick to assume it doesn't stay... I should probably have elaborated a bit more about what Mullins said, from memory it was that he would have doubts about her staying the trip with the prep she had, had and if they were to aim her at the World Hurdle she would need to be campaigned for it all season....

That stuck in my head and I whittled it down to "negative about staying the World Hurdle trip" which isn't actually what was said. However, Patrick Mullins said she'll be campaigned with the CH in mind...
 
Kevloaf said:
I do think this year season there is the biggest chance yet that two superstars from the Mullins yard will face each other.
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That would signal a complete strategy change for Ricci Kevloaf.
What disappoints more than anything is the misleading tripe he speaks throughout the Winter only to retract previous statements/advice come March.
I think the entire racing world would love to see Annie and Faugheen face off in the Champion, though I suspect they'll argue that Faugheen has lost a yard, needs further and will be aimed at the World hurdle....
 
That would be a very viable opinion Ista, that is until Faugheen comes out in November wins the Morgiana at punchestown (while carrying a lot of condition) and then becomes the odds on fav for the champion hurdle again, and to add to that we won't see Annie power till Jan/Feb time where she hacks up in a canter and is favourite for at least 3 different markets because they don't know where to place her....
 
Yep I can see that gjt.
Didn't Faugheen win a 3m PTP on his first ever public appearance ?
AP is that little bit more flexible being a mare, there's the mares race, the world hurdle or the champion hurdle, I can't see under any circumstances Ricci running the pair against each other so I'm prepared for the lies that will come, maybe lies is unfair, but I'm prepared for the PR machine that will kick into overdrive over the next 6 months that will result in this pair avoiding each other.....
 
Faugheen should be given the chance to regain the crown and Annie defend it, both will be 9 come the fest and will be the last chance I think for both of them to be in it as can't see them going for it the season after aged 10? Out of the two I think Faugheen is most likely to miss out after the injury he sustained, I read a report about it and it basically said that the chance of repeat injury is quite high if returned to normal workload. At this moment I would say both will line up if fit and well
 
:D

The Gold Cup is the one race eluding both Ricci and Willie. If Thistlecrack is going the Coneygree route might one of these two ? The mare would be following in anothers footsteps.
 
I can't see that being even a faint possibility, Djakadam will more than likely go to the GC with Douvan stepping up in trip next year after trouncing this seasons champion chase, Vatour goes to the opposite race at the fes which comes out of willies mouth first, however I think they will not want to show themselves up like last year and will be a lot more straightforward with their talking about horses and targets, Faugheen for the CH barring injury, Annie for the mares, in my opinion possibly limini may get stepped up and possibly take on the boys, but in what race who knows... Oh and don't forget Vroum Vroum Mag, and that's only the names that cream of the top and are just riccis horses, don't forget the wylies with for me the impressive black Hercules, bellshill, yorkhill and the mountains of bumper horses Willie had last year, Augusta Kate, bcardays, invitation only, and that only names a few, thought last year was hard, well can't wait for this one!!
 
I do (unfortunately) agree Ista, and I backed Faugheen at 10/1 for the World Hurdle in case it plays out like you said. As I have said a few times already, I think Faughen CH and Annie for the mares with a "interupted prep" is the most likely, although Thistlecrack going chasing certainly opens up the World Hurdle and you'd think any one of F, AP or VVM if properly aimed at it would be a worthy fave.

I also agree that I think after the Vautour incident, they'll be more careful this year regarding targets. Mullins will say he doesn't know, Ricci will say what he thinks but this time maybe be a little bit more reserved OR forceful about where he wants his horses, and ultimately, Ruby will decide a few days before who is most likely to give him a Cheltenham winner.
 
what Ricci said



The eight-year-old was unable to defend his crown at this year's Cheltenham Festival after suffering a suspensory ligament injury in the build-up to the race.

Owner Rich Ricci said: "If (his injury) had happened around Christmas time, we probably could have made Cheltenham, but unfortunately it happened in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

"He is in great form and will be back this season. We will just have to figure out where he and Annie Power run.

"I'm of two minds. No mare has ever won the Champion Hurdle twice, and Faugheen deserves his chance to defend his crown as well.

"They could both obviously stay a trip and do three miles as well, depending if Thistlecrack goes chasing or not. Who knows, they have both got to get there first, but they are in good order.

"He (Faugheen) won over three miles at Limerick as a novice. It is interesting. It is such a long way from here to there and I will probably get murdered for saying something that changes my mind later on, but you have to consider it."
 
That doesn't sound like Ricci wants to have them both in the same race, if he is "of two minds"... let alone Ruby or Mullins.
 
Ricci never wants two runners in the same race. I can only think of a small number of occasions and none when both runners were at the head of the market.
 
I think Annie has to go for the world hurdle, probably not too the liking of ruby as he will see a potentially good ride missed up on either shaneshill or Nichols canyon in the race, but I know who I'd be on, the mare!!
 
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