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2017 Champion Hurdle

I'm disappointed he's going chasing but can see why they would go down that route.
 
Yup. Doesn't leave a very competitive market does it...

Faugheen (5/2)
Annie Power (4/1)
Altior (8/1)
Apples Jade (10/1)
VVM (16/1)
Yanworth (16/1)
Yorkhill (20/1)
Ivanovich Gorbatov (25/1)
Min (25/1)
Buveur D'air (25/1)
Arctic Fire (25/1)
33-1 bar

Any value in there at all? I suppose the only value is picking the actual runner although 4/1 about Annie Power when they could win a grade 1 30 mins later with her is just not a sensible bet.

Any news on Yanworth, before his neptune run he was thought of as a Champion Hurdler in waiting and he wasn't disgraced? IF this was the target that could be single figures on the day...

Apples Jade too... with the allowances she'd get? Not sure Gigginstown would aim her anywhere else but here would they? They wouldn't mess around with mares races and not heard her mentioned as a chaser? I guess IG would be speculative at 25s but really hard to get a grip on the form - they all beat each other over the year...
 
Apples Jade looked like a superstar last year but it's a big step up coming out of a 4yo season. I'm always wary of backing anything out of the triumph until their first run of the season to see how they've progressed. Personally I think there's no chance she'll go Mares Hurdle so this would seem the logical race. Same applies for Ivanovich Gorbatov and he has even more to prove.

Altior, Min and Yorkhill likely to go chasing. I really liked Buveur D'air last year so he is of definiate interest. However as the race revolves around Faugheen and Annie Power i'd only be wanting to have an EW play right now which leaves what I believe is fantastic value:

25/1 Arctic Fire

Second in the race 2 years ago and 2nd in the county the year before. Still only 7 years old. Regardless of what happens with the other Mullins runners as he's not in his 'first string' he won't be involved in the chopping and changing of races so he can go for the race best suited for him which I think is clearly this. They tried 3 miles with him last year and clearly the ground didn't suit but he's just far too keen, didn't settle at all and finished last plus he'll be ridden to follow home whoever Rubys ride is so looks ideal for a place
 
Only thing that'd put me off Arctic Fire is I'd feel only my place bet was live... just over 5/1 but Mullins will have at least one with more of a chance and because it won't be first string, although you won't get 5/1 to place, it isn't big enough to tempt me in at this time on its own.
 
True, I haven't backed him yet and will probably look at combining him in an each way double.

Right now an each way double of:

Arctic Fire 25/1 Champion Hurdle
Ar Mad 25/1 Champion Chase

Is my thinking. Then do an accumulator adding in:

Jezki 25/1 World Hurdle
Coneygree 14/1 Gold Cup

:)
 
jono said:
True, I haven't backed him yet and will probably look at combining him in an each way double.

Right now an each way double of:

Arctic Fire 25/1 Champion Hurdle
Ar Mad 25/1 Champion Chase

Is my thinking. Then do an accumulator adding in:

Jezki 25/1 World Hurdle
Coneygree 14/1 Gold Cup

:)
Click to expand...

:encouragement::D Superb bet in Mayo land
 
Just backed the double with Stan James, £5EW pays £260 if they place :encouragement:
 
At that return it can't be a bad bet really.

Might try and find my own 500+/1 bet now...
 
'Top-class hurdler Arctic Fire is not certain to return to the racecourse this season after failing to fully recover from an injury suffered earlier in the year.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date last season, winning the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse to record his first Grade One victory.

He disappointed when stepped up to three miles over Christmas, but chased home esteemed stable companion Faugheen in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January to set up a return to the Cheltenham Festival.

However, just days after defending champion Faugheen was ruled out of the Champion Hurdle, Arctic Fire - who was second in the two-mile showpiece last year - was found to have chipped a bone in his leg and he too missed the rest of the season.

Owner Nick Peacock said: "He hasn't gone back into training yet. He did go back briefly, but they found there was still a bit of heat in his leg. It's going to be a long road, unfortunately.

"Hopefully we'll get him back in the end. We'll see where are in a couple of months.

"He's on very light duties at the moment, on the walker and things like that."

Asked whether he thought Arctic Fire would return before the end of this season, the owner added: "I honestly don't know.

"I suppose if things go well, he could go back into training in January, but he wouldn't go back any earlier than that.

"It's going to be late in the season, if at all."
'

Taken from Sporting Life
 
Doesn't sound very optimistic at all...looks like that's the first antepost bet down the drain and it's not October yet :sorrow:

I thought the injury wasn't that serious last season, the perils of backing horses antepost after injury!
 
The first of many that'll be jono :highly_amused:

Apple's Jade at 8/1. Not a sniff of her going in the mares race for Gigginstown and won't go chasing. Trainer knows how to win it, and doesn't mind firing a few bullets at this if in different ownership. If you don't look at the Aintree form, her Triumph second might still be good enough if she showed natural improvement anyway? Obviously the Aintree form was incredible and that'd put her right in the mix? 8/1 isn't a big price so I am not sure I would put a bet on now, but as a potential winner, I can see it. Certainly would make it exciting to have two quality mares battling up the hill!
 
You would have to think as well if there was one owner in willies yard where he and ruby can't really dictate the running order it would be gigginstown as ruby can pick his horse for ricci or wylie as they don't need ruby as they have Bryan cooper
 
Yeh they made a point of it with Don Poli when he won the RSA chase. Mullins wanted Don Poli is the 4 miler bit they wouldn't bow down
 
Willie ...

Faugheen is back in and we don't think his injury will come back against him. We've had horses with that kind of small suspensory problem before and it's not a long-term thing. John Codd, who looks after him, is very happy," said Mullins.

"I would imagine that he will be going down that two/two-and-a-half-mile hurdle route. He can go out in trip to two-and-a-half and I suppose you'd be looking at the Hatton's Grace and Morgiana for the likes of him and Annie Power. They can go either way.

"She (Annie Power) looks fabulous and she put on a lot of weight over the summer.

"She is back in and I'd imagine that she will be kept to two/two and a half miles and will hopefully go back and defend her crown in Cheltenham."
 
So we can expect Annie Power and Faugheen to mop up all of the 2m and 2m4f hurdle races until March when Annie gets re-routed to the mares race after a mysterious knock.

In fairness, it makes a lot of sense to campaign them both at the Champion Hurdle and if they're both fit, that'll be one of those 'good problems' for connections.... Not so much for punters :) - How incredible if they both lined up!
 
If they are both trained for the CH and are both fit come the fes then the problem connections have is Faugheen only has one alternative which is the WH, and for me if you're going for the WH with him then you need at least one prep run that season at 3m, especially if the horse hasn't raced over the trip since his juvenile days, where as Annie two alternates, the mares and she probably could take in the WH without truly being aimed at it, she's bound to take in a 2m4f race throughout the season and she's been there before, imo I'm confident that she stays the trip, with Faugheen i'm not until I see it, this will be a big factor this season as through these two horses it effectively could displace a lot of other stable stars that we shouldn't be robbed of seeing in their proper races, for example Annie going in the mares would throw out the possibility of seeing Limini or Vroum Vroum Mag in the race, if she diverts to the world it could effect either shaneshill or Nichols canyon
 
This is set to be the saga of the winter I think. In my opinion, if faugheen comes back to form the he goes to the champion. I really can't see Annie Power going for the Mares after what she did last year. Is the target of the four championship races in RR's mind? Annie would have been an awesome winner of the world hurdle at her only previous attempt. Slight pocket talk as I need faugheen (ch), douvan (cc) and Annie (wh) to win for around 1k
 
Maybe they'll put Faugheen or Annie in the race that Arctic Fire tried over Christmas? The other can go for the Christmas Hurdle? I suppose they've got Nichols Canyon or Shaneshill for that race though (3mile)?
 
It clearly makes sense to campaign both for the Champion Hurdle at this early stage. Faugheen is coming back from an injury. Even though it shouldn't have a lasting effect it's still a question mark on him. Then you have Annie Power who has met a setback in each of her last 2 seasons, not being seen out until February last season and going straight to Cheltenham the year before. So training them with that race in mind makes a lot of sense as anything could happen. Plus they never upped Annie to 3m in her WH season so I don't think they would be too concerned doing it again to either horse. I'd expect both to have at least 1 races over 2m4 to keep options open.

However - I see zero chance they'll race each other though. There's just no evidence over the last 3-4 seasons that has any of Ricci's horses racing against eachother. Yes it's getting harder and harder every year to split his horses but they'll find a way (the Mares and WH give enough options). Add in the fact you have probably the most important factor in that Ruby will want to be on both horses come March, he's got such a huge influence in the yard there's no way he'll be willing to give one of them up. With the exception of the ever increasing regard that Douvan is held in these 2 horses are the most high profile in the whole yard!

Obviously the clear option to split them would seem to be CH and World Hurdle, either could do it but you'd think Faugheen would be given his chance in the WH this time. (also bear in mind in the latest article it was only Annie that got quoted as defending her crown i.e champion hurdle. Faugheen was just mentioned as going 2-2m4 in distance).

I actually think Thistlecrack plays a large part in the decision making here. It's unusual for it to be Mullins wanting to sidestep a hotpot favourite but I think whilst there's still the opportunity for Thistlecrack to revert back to hurdles, they won't target the World Hurdle with either horse as he just looks a sure thing in that division, i'd certainly be siding with Thistlecrack. If he does take to chasing though it makes the 3m hurdle division wide open and both Faugheen or Annie have the class to go very close in that even if the trip is too far.

If Thistlecrack did revert back to Hurdles i'd imagine they may put Annie in the Mares (with the line of 2m4 being her ideal trip and the Aintree Hurdle being her big target to regain that crown), leaving Faugheen to go CH
 
Good post jono. A lot does depend on Ruby!!! and Thistlecrack!

Not including suspension or injury, Ruby will ride Annie Power and Faugheen. (I'd also put Douvan, Yorkhill and Vautour in as guaranteed rides.)

For me it comes down to whether they feel Annie must defend her crown or not... I get the feeling if they can win the CH with her, they will. If the race was tomorrow, Mullins would have the first 3 home without needing Faugheen... leaving them to put the more talented horse of the two to go for the world hurdle. Faugheen looks like he stays further with his run style, they now fancy NC as a stayer and they surely will know if Faugheen could beat him at home. My gut tells me Faugheen is going for the world hurdle, even though the odds don't reflect that....
 
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