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2026 Champion Hurdle

I wonder if Nicky is going to be sitting at home tonight scrolling through what the Fatjockeys think he should do with the horse.

Some strong opinions here, I reckon a fair bit of pocket talk too.

Willie won't be as keen sending Lossiemouth after what he's no doubt just watched, and if he hasn't, he will do at some point. Ruby saw it.

Could you imagine. There'd be tears all over the place.

If the reason they don’t run Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle is because Constitution Hill lines up following a flat race prep (however impressive) having fallen in 3 of his 4 previous races over hurdles, the game really will be gone
 
Do you know when they say "what's best for the horse"
They can never know for sure what the horse thinks can they ?
But if you could ask that horse tonight, what do you think he would say ?
If he were smart enough I’d suspect he’d say that was a lot more fun than running in to those wooden branchy twiggy things but as he’s not I suspect he’s thinking when can I eat. The owner on the other hand is hopefully smart enough to know his horse isn’t smart enough to decide for himself.
 
I wonder if Nicky is going to be sitting at home tonight scrolling through what the Fatjockeys think he should do with the horse.

Some strong opinions here, I reckon a fair bit of pocket talk too.

Willie won't be as keen sending Lossiemouth after what he's no doubt just watched, and if he hasn't, he will do at some point. Ruby saw it.

Could you imagine. There'd be tears all over the place.
I hope he is scrolling on here, but of course he won’t be, well highly doubt it 😆

Of course pocket talk influences comments on here at times, only natural really
I sincerely hope in this case though that the horse and his welfare is the main influence.
 
I hope he is scrolling on here, but of course he won’t be, well highly doubt it 😆

Of course pocket talk influences comments on here at times, only natural really
I sincerely hope in this case though that the horse and his welfare is the main influence.
Ask him that too carnage.....😂
 
I hope he is scrolling on here, but of course he won’t be, well highly doubt it 😆

Of course pocket talk influences comments on here at times, only natural really
I sincerely hope in this case though that the horse and his welfare is the main influence.
Won’t run a horse on heavy at sandown but no problem with one that looks like he’s got Parkinson’s when he approaches a hurdle.
 
Yogi jumping guru Breisner was reported to be tutoring CH in his schooling sessions, was anything heard about how it was all going?
 
Yogi jumping guru Breisner was reported to be tutoring CH in his schooling sessions, was anything heard about how it was all going?
Nope but I can guarantee that if they say they are heading to the champion hurdle that the schooling has gone better than ever.
Something along the lines of .....

"He just seems to be loving it, and eating up the hurdles like he was back when he won the champion hurdle a couple of years back"
"He's almost telling us he wants to run" :ROFLMAO:

That would be classic, blame it on the horse. Win or Lose. :ROFLMAO:
 
For a big horse that has been jumping he has a lot of speed and is a joy to ride. It would have been very easy for me to blast off in front but I wanted to get in among them and give him an idea of what a Flat race is like because his next assignment, if he runs again on the Flat, will probably be in a Black Type race.”

A proud winning owner Michael Buckley was quick to thank the racegoers who packed the winners' enclosure to welcome Constitution Hill back.

“I’ve got to say when you hear people like this it makes me cry, it’s amazing. Nicky has always had this view that he was a special horse and today he has shown everybody. He is a little older than most horses that start out on the flat but he is something special.

Those quotes maybe leans towards the flat??
 
Yep, especially the last line of Murphy's
 
Has anyone actually got a book on the CH?? With him and the Lossiemouth saga it's been a complete shambles for a long time now and no one else has put their hats into the ring with any conviction imo. It's a total bag of crap.
I have got double figure prices on Con Hill, Anzadam and Brighterdaysahead but thats the lot for me. I think i have lost 4 from the race, William Munny, Irancy (yeah i know), Ballyburn and El Fabiolo. It's just been a minefield. I just threw my biggest bet each way at Brighterdaysahead as one last wild swing before she beat Lossiemouth and before Sir Gino got hurt. That one now looks a good bet but i am half expecting your boy to win it :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
I'm still banking on CH sticking to the flat, Lossiemouth connections being pussies again and going Mares, Anzadam being PT's ride in the County, BDA bringing her Cheltenham D game to the Festival again, last year's Turners form to continue and Golden Ace to finally be exposed as just a very lucky horse.

When all the above happens the great Alexei will come home alone to the Cheers of all Fat Jockey's.
 
I always forget which races geldings can and cant run in

Can they run in the arc?

Though i doubt hes near that level these days

Maybe 2 or 3 seasons ago he was
He can't run in an Arc. And he'd have never won an Arc, let's have a little bit of perspective here ffs
 
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You're in dangerous territory when you ask what's best for the horse as you could say jumping obstacles puts unnecessary risk on every horse in training.
 
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That being said, a great spectacle tonight and good to see him and all enjoy themselves. It was brilliant for the sport. Call the hurdles a day and have a fun flat campaign - plenty of fun to be had with him over the next couple of seasons and see how far he can go. Summer ground would catch him out I imagine but can see something like an Irish St Leger suiting well, and he could win some G2/3s maybe along the way
 
I wonder if Nicky is going to be sitting at home tonight scrolling through what the Fatjockeys think he should do with the horse.

Some strong opinions here, I reckon a fair bit of pocket talk too.

Willie won't be as keen sending Lossiemouth after what he's no doubt just watched, and if he hasn't, he will do at some point. Ruby saw it.

Could you imagine. There'd be tears all over the place.
I'm not sure why con hill winning a flat maiden would be a deciding factor in lossiemouths target 😂

Doesn't really change the fact he's fallen or been pulled up in his last four jumps races. And even if he stayed up at aintree, lossie was probably shorter than him in running and the more likely winner, albeit over further.

I dont think any serious trainer is going to be fearing con hill over jumps any more until he actually has a clear round and runs to his best. And does that two or three times in a row to show that actually staying on his feet wasnt a fluke.