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2017 Champion Hurdle

For me I just can't see it, Faugheen for me has to run in the CH regardless, he without doubt wins the race for me every time, I believe that then leaves the running order as Limini for the mares, Vroum Vroum Mag for the Ryan Air and then for history to be made with Annie Power winning the CH and WH in consecutive seasons as a mare, I think the thought of that will appeal to ricci and to Ruby...!!
 
Ruby might also be happy defending the CH on the mare and Faugheen taking a more conventional route of stepping up in trip as he gets older.... the easier the CH is looking on paper, the more likely AP defends her crown.

Faugheen would win over 2m against anything and if my hunch is wrong, I'll not be disappointed because Faugheen does absolutely belong in this race.
 
Found a bit on Peace & Co

IF Nicky Henderson produced the training performance of the campaign to get Sprinter Sacre back on track last term, he might have to go one better if Peace And Co is to return to the level that had connections dreaming he could be the next Seven Barrows superstar.He led home a memorable 1-2-3 for the trainer in the Triumph Hurdle in 2015 but failed to fire last season when he was expected to develop into a Champion Hurdle horse.

The plan is to remain over hurdles this term, and Henderson said: “He clearly has a ton of talent but he can be his own worst enemy at times and we’re going to continue to experiment and tinker with things at home with a view to getting him back to his best.“He’s had a wind procedure this summer and I sincerely hope we can manage to get the real Peace And Co back for his owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.
“Interestingly, his mark is now down to 149 so if we can get him back on song we may try to go for a big handicap.”
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What kind of handicaps you think he has in mind? He'd surely only be able to take 1 before his rating went back up if they had any hope of him being a champion hurdle contender ?
 
Kevloaf said:
What kind of handicaps you think he has in mind? He'd surely only be able to take 1 before his rating went back up if they had any hope of him being a champion hurdle contender ?
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Greatwood or that big Handicap at Ascot
 
IF they teach Peace & Co to settle wonder if he might be a World Hurdle horse.
 
Yeah I'm not buying the wind op answer, if there were breathing issues they would have known about them long before the Summer and done the op earlier, he was just too bad to be true last season and as mayo said the fact the horse couldn't settle would look to be a more obvious issue....
 
Couldn't see peace and co as a WH horse myself, think that would take some improvement and a huge training performance
 
gjt7756 said:
Couldn't see peace and co as a WH horse myself, think that would take some improvement and a huge training performance
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Triumph horses don't make Champion hurdlers, 4yo with the stamina needed for 2m 1f on the new course wont have the speed to win over 2m on the less demanding old course when a year or more older, far more likely they end up World hurdle contenders....
 
I don't think the horse has it in him to suddenly bounce back to form, something clearly amiss last season but he wouldn't be the first exciting juvenile hurdler not to progress and go on, you go through the recent winners and nothing jumps of the page, the best being zarkandar then country wide flame, neither are prolific winners or went on to win anything much bigger, I remember really liking tiger roll and he's done nothing since but disappoint
 
I'd say Our Conor jumps off the page from recent Triumphs, but a lot of that is unknown potential so you make a good point. Some interesting horses from a few years back... Celestial Halo, Walkon, Zaynar, Grandouet, Katchit, Grumeti.

This year Apple's Jade and IG are very exciting, but I have a feeling we might never see a performance like that Aintree one again from AJ. I hope I am wrong thouugh!

When is the likely earliest class going to be?
 
I think apples Jade form from aintree wasn't all that far off what she potentially could be, she went straight into the triumph if I remember correctly due to injury so now prep run and still put in a bold show to place, then at aintree on her second run back she ran a blinder, but you have to factor in with aintree performances I feel is how much some horses have left out on the hill where they've put so much effort in, could you say ivanovich gorbatov would have been closer if he hadn't had more runs than apples Jade... all unknown questions for now
 
Faugheen slightly pushed out and Annie's slightly brought in by Paddy Power in the betting
 
paz247 said:
Faugheen slightly pushed out and Annie's slightly brought in by Paddy Power in the betting
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Again... WillHill standout at 4s for Annie... she just HAS to defend her crown, she HAS to!
 
I'm warming to the idea of apples Jade even more now, I have Faugheen in all my ante post multiples but with the rumour mill starting early about the world hurdle my hands are starting to twitch and I'm comparing Annie powers form from when she first set out over hurdles apples Jade is looking a real good prospect for the CH in my eyes, especially at 10/1, if she was up against Annie her legs are 4 years fresher, apples Jade could go from the from dictating the pace and could burn Annie of up the hill by galloping her into the ground, definitely my bet for now as it looks as if she only has the one target....
 
I think Apples Jade looked sensational at Aintree but I am always wary of any Triumph horse dropping back to the Champion Hurdle a year later.
Triumph horses are all stamina and need further so unless you feel the horse didn't stay the Triumph trip and needs more a test of speed then she's set to struggle if going that route....
 
I agree with that Ista and I think AJ is the Ryanair World Hurdle horse this season! A live candidate in either but if AJ did get aimed at this I think Mullins would do everything in his power to make sure one of HIS won it... and with his fire power I think he'd have her covered. Boring but this is gonna be a back the fav race for me, whichever Mullins horse it is
 
It's a good point ista and one that I generally follow as triumph hurdle runners tend to follow the same pattern, I just feel with her it could buck the trend, just taking Annie power as an example hadn't run over 2 miles for 2 years, 2nd in a world hurdle over 3 miles, her very next run was over 2m 4f and you could argue that was more impressive if you follow the form of the horses behind, 4 lengths to MTOY in CH and 18 lengths at aintree, like wise Nichols canyon was 5 lengths adrift in the CH but 27 lengths off the pace at aintree, technically Annie isn't a 2 miler, but she won the CH and in a record time.... I see Elliot as taking the CH route with her regardless of who represents Mullins on the day, and she'd be a dam sight shorter than 10/1, not saying she'd best Faugheen but I feel she's a value bet if Faugheen doesn't turn up
 
It used to be the 5yo rule in Champion Hurdle but I was convinced that age isn't the issue it's the fact 4yo go for the Triumph and horses that go close in that race have plenty of stamina and less speed.
What remains to be seen is whether any Fred Winter horses head for the Champion Hurdle as these 4yo horses run on the less demanding old course where speed is needed.....
 
Champion Hurdle winning Mares like buses - none for ages then two in a row :confused:
 
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