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2016 Champion Hurdle

loveracing said:
Sorry to go off the subject guys, but did anyone notice the timing of Faugheen's loss to NC? It was still in the anti post stage when nrnb was not in play. - Odds go out with enough time for everyone to lump on(ap) knowing he would still win the CH.

Or is this me just having another dig?
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I love conspiracy theories.
I still believe Elvis is alive and well and running an Indian takeaway in Basildon....
 
Annie Power heads a final field of 13 for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday after every horse stood its ground at the 48-hour final declaration stage.

The mare was supplemented at the confirmation stage last Wednesdsay, as expected, due to an injury to last year's winner Faugheen who, like Annie Power, is owned by Rich Ricci.

Ruby Walsh will ride Annie Power, the number one for the Willie Mullins team with Paul Townend aboard Nichols Canyon.

Mullins is also represented by Sempre Medici, also carrying the Ricci colours.

Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Identity Thief, trained by Henry de Bromhead, is the other Irish-based runner.

The home team is headed by The New One, having his third run in the race for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Nicky Henderson is responsible for five of the starters - the long-absent My Tent Or Yours, last year's Triumph Hurdle winner Peace And Co, Hargam, Sign Of A Victory and Top Notch.

Lil Rockerfeller, who was the other supplementary entry, takes his chance for Neil King while Robert Walford's Camping Ground and the Paul Nicholls-trained Old Guard complete the list.

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Nicholls revealed he was disappointed with Old Guard's work on Saturday and a final decision about his participation will be made on Monday morning.

"I have declared Old Guard for the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday as he worked much better this morning," Nicholls told Betfair.

"But after he cooled off he was very slightly stiff behind for the second day running.

"My head lad Clifford Baker and I wonder if he has a minor muscular issue somewhere and we will be moving heaven and earth to get Old Guard spot on for Tuesday.

"But after speaking to his three owners earlier today I agreed that we will not be making a firm decision about his participation in the Champion Hurdle until he schools over eight flights of hurdles at home tomorrow morning.

"And if we are unhappy with Old Guard in any way after that then of course he will not be going to Cheltenham.

"But if he schools well and is fine afterwards then he has every chance of running the next day.

"By his usual standards it was a little disappointing and afterwards he showed minor signs of stiffness behind once he cooled off.

"But last night he was 100 per cent sound and again this morning before our vet Buffy Shirley-Beavan checked him over and gave him a clean bill of health before his work out.

"Either way we will keep people informed of the situation."
 
A bit shocked Camping Ground the top rated

HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER RTF% JOCKEY OR TS RPR
1 14-U15 Camping Ground45t 6 11-10 Robert Walford25 Leighton Aspell 163 123 167
13 1F-11 Annie Power27 8 11-3 W P Mullins86 R Walsh 162 144 168
5 11123/ My Tent Or Yours703h 9 11-10 Nicky Henderson67 Barry Geraghty 161 — —
6 1-1113 Nichols Canyon51 6 11-10 W P Mullins86 Paul Townend 161 147 171
11 15-121 The New One52 8 11-10 Nigel Twiston-Davies58 Sam Twiston-Davies 161 147 166
3 2-3112 Identity Thief77 6 11-10 Henry De Bromhead B J Cooper 159 135 168
12 2-2251 Top Notch26 5 11-10 Nicky Henderson67 Daryl Jacob 158 134 166
2 36-433 Hargam80 5 11-10 Nicky Henderson67 Mark Walsh 157 146 163
4 331231 Lil Rockerfeller16p 5 11-10 Neil King75 Trevor Whelan 157 116 160
7 3-1114 Old Guard80 5 11-10 Paul Nicholls50 Nick Scholfield 157 142 164
8 111-63 Peace And Co38 5 11-10 Nicky Henderson67 Nico de Boinville 157 102 151
9 1-4211 Sempre Medici31t 6 11-10 W P Mullins86 David Mullins 157 134 163
10 442-45 Sign Of A Victory80 7 11-10 Nicky Henderson67 Andrew Tinkler 153 147 158
 
Does Camping Ground need it soft ?

Think he is flattered by that rating tbh.
 
The more I look at this race the more I think Nichols Canyon is the one plus ew on P & C, at least they have been campaigned at or around the trip, unlike AP and MTOY, if either of those win it will be the worst champion hurdle since Katchit, imv
 
PM riding SM just said on ATR, "he hasn't had any hard races as such and hopefully be going there as a fresh horse and at a big price e/w or better".
 
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MrMcGoldrick said:
The more I look at this race the more I think Nichols Canyon is the one plus ew on P & C, at least they have been campaigned at or around the trip, unlike AP and MTOY, if either of those win it will be the worst champion hurdle since Katchit, imv
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I think it already is the worse renewal since Katchit.
I will be breaking the golden rule in this and backing a 5yo, despite going close in a Triumph I think Hargam has enough speed to stay with these and he is my very tentative e/w selection
 
Istabraq said:
I think it already is the worse renewal since Katchit.
I will be breaking the golden rule in this and backing a 5yo, despite going close in a Triumph I think Hargam has enough speed to stay with these and he is my very tentative e/w selection
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I can see the logic Isty, just needs the ground to harden up then must be a player
 
Istabraq said:
I think it already is the worse renewal since Katchit.
I will be breaking the golden rule in this and backing a 5yo, despite going close in a Triumph I think Hargam has enough speed to stay with these and he is my very tentative e/w selection
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You could be right Ista. Mark Walsh got nailed on the line twice at Limerick today but these things have a way of levelling out.
 
Old Guard out now. I think this might be fought out by The New One and Hargam. The Christmas Hurdle forrn behind Faugheen is I think better that that of AP and NC who both would have been in different races if the great one turned up.

Peace & Co under Nico could improve. Daryl didnt have the hands for him.

Its been the year of the comeback but too much to ask MTOY to do this.

Top Notch is just a little below his name.
 
Sign of a victory at 100/1 tipped by Tony Calvin on Racing UK.

Meanwhile Nevison is advising punters to do the Mullins 25/1 four timer.

Different strokes for different folks.
 
Henderson

I’m really looking forward to saddling our five runners in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at 3:30pm and nothing has really changed in their condition since we spoke in the live Q & A session last Wednesday.

Daryl Jacob has opted to ride TOP NOTCH (16/1) and I think the ground will suit him well. He’s a good solid guy who’s got the form, his Triumph Hurdle run last year was excellent, and he comes in this off the back of a nice little win in the Morebattle at Musselburgh. To be frank he’s just a real good honest person.

It is a very open year and my other guys have a little more talent if you like, but on the other hand have more questions marks against them. That’s why Top Notch and HARGAM (25/1) are there as they’re definitely the more straightforward ones. What we’ve got is two ‘Steady Eddies’ and you can be fairly confident they are going to run their race but whether they’re quite good enough is the big debate, however in an open year they could very easily be up to the job.

MY TENT OR YOURS (11/1) and PEACE AND CO (25/1) have got to come through very odd preparations; one with no race at all and the other off the back of two disasters. It’s wild, it’s wacky, it’s everything that says you can’t do it but we’ve got to try as there’s nowhere else to go. If there was an alternative next weekend Tent would be fit for it, don’t get me wrong, but this isn’t an ordinary race, it’s the Stan James Champion Hurdle!

Peace And Co has had a small wind procedure since his latest run and is in very good shape now. I have got an inkling he could run a very big race. You might just see the original Peace And Co that won the Triumph last year. I’m not sure how much impact the wind procedure will have made but I think a few other issues that have now been ironed out have ensured he is definitely more comfortable in himself and I think there are a lot of things which might be in his favour. I’d definitely be more optimistic than I was a fortnight ago and even more so than I was three weeks ago and ten times more optimistic than I was a month ago!
 
Since Faugheen and Arctic Fire's injuries I haven't had a clue who I'm backing for this but finally nailed my colours to the mast and I'm forgiving Nichols Canyon his run the last day and trusting Willie will have him freshened up for this. Took 13/2 last night.
 
Despite all pre race fears ( including my own) that this was going to be a poor renewal it seems to have turned out to exactly the opposite. Annie broke the track record triggering plenty of debate about the accuracy of the going stick. Either way it was a magnificent performance with the right three horses filling the spaces behind. That may have been MTOY best ever showing - I suspect the 2 and 3 probably also broke the old track record. It was fantastic sport.

I added the post race quotes to http://www.fatjockey.com/cheltenham...nham_races.php?2016-Champion-Hurdle-Result-84

Willie was talking about Gold Cup and emulating Dawn Run.

I think I would like to see Annie vs the Machine at least once first though. Douvan vs Faugheen vs Annie vs Vautour would have been some Champion Hurdle.
 
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