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2016 World Hurdle

For the second season in succession, Saphir Du Rheu has reverted to hurdles after beginning the campaign over fences and even the return to jumping the smaller obstacles failed to pay dividends when the Hennessy fifth trailed home 31 lengths adrift of Thistlecrack in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

That performance prompted Nicholls to take remedial action and the Champion Trainer is hopeful that the operation, coupled with better ground, will help the supremely talented seven-year-old to get his career back on track.

"He's had his soft palate cauterised," he revealed.

"Both at Newbury and Ascot he stopped too quickly for my liking. We thought we might as well get it done. I'm sure he wants better ground, he's by Al Namix who tend to, so we've just put a line through what he's done so far this season and hope we get a better performance from him at Cheltenham and in the spring. On better ground I think we'll get a different horse altogether.

"The obvious route at the moment is the World Hurdle - it would be pointless running him in the Gold Cup against those horses in the form that he is in. He was second in the race last year, and I think we'll get a different performance when we get there on better ground."

Saphir Du Rheu is expected to be joined in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle by Aux Ptit Soins, the winner of last season's Coral Hurdle on his debut and, to date, sole start for the stable but it has not been plain sailing with the six-year-old.

"He's a very talented horse," Nicholls told At The Races.

"He's just turned the corner with his problems and he's been back with us a fortnight. He's started two canters every day up the hill. The problem is that there are only eight weeks to go before the World Hurdle and it's going to be a rush to get him there.

"We can give him a couple of racecourse gallops. He's a very clean-winded horse and hopefully we can get him right for it, but there are a couple of opportunities after Cheltenham and I have said to John [Hales] we could look at the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil. He won't be far off being right for Cheltenham but I've only got eight weeks and that isn't ideal.

"You have to crack on. It's not like he is just coming out of a field. He's had some exercise on a water treadmill with Lisa Hales - actually, I think it was Clare Dyson who did that - so we're not starting with him from out of a field, but he has had two lots of surgery in the autumn - one on the tooth and one on his sinuses - which hasn't helped. We are up against a bit, but if any horse could do it he probably could."
 
mayo said:
For the second season in succession, Saphir Du Rheu has reverted to hurdles after beginning the campaign over fences and even the return to jumping the smaller obstacles failed to pay dividends when the Hennessy fifth trailed home 31 lengths adrift of Thistlecrack in the
That performance prompted Nicholls to take remedial action and the Champion Trainer is hopeful that the operation, coupled with better ground, will help the supremely talented seven-year-old to get his career back on track.

"He's had his soft palate cauterised," he revealed.

"Both at Newbury and Ascot he stopped too quickly for my liking. We thought we might as well get it done. I'm sure he wants better ground, he's by Al Namix who tend to, so we've just put a line through what he's done so far this season and hope we get a better performance from him at Cheltenham and in the spring. On better ground I think we'll get a different horse altogether.

"The obvious route at the moment is the World Hurdle - it would be pointless running him in the Gold Cup against those horses in the form that he is in. He was second in the race last year, and I think we'll get a different performance when we get there on better ground."

Saphir Du Rheu is expected to be joined in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle by Aux Ptit Soins, the winner of last season's Coral Hurdle on his debut and, to date, sole start for the stable but it has not been plain sailing with the six-year-old.

"He's a very talented horse," Nicholls told At The Races.

"He's just turned the corner with his problems and he's been back with us a fortnight. He's started two canters every day up the hill. The problem is that there are only eight weeks to go before the World Hurdle and it's going to be a rush to get him there.

"We can give him a couple of racecourse gallops. He's a very clean-winded horse and hopefully we can get him right for it, but there are a couple of opportunities after Cheltenham and I have said to John [Hales] we could look at the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil. He won't be far off being right for Cheltenham but I've only got eight weeks and that isn't ideal.

"You have to crack on. It's not like he is just coming out of a field. He's had some exercise on a water treadmill with Lisa Hales - actually, I think it was Clare Dyson who did that - so we're not starting with him from out of a field, but he has had two lots of surgery in the autumn - one on the tooth and one on his sinuses - which hasn't helped. We are up against a bit, but if any horse could do it he probably could."
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Silviniaco conti could be heading here too
 
Decent Trial in Gowran tomorrow

GOWRAN PARK, Thursday, 21st January 2016 Listing generated on 20-JAN-16 at 10:40
(2:00) 14C John Mulhern Galmoy H'dle (Grade 2) €25,500.00 ( 3m - 5yo+ )[MAX 20]
No Horse Owner Trainer Rider Wgt
1 Martello Tower(149) Barry Connell (MsMMullins) APHeskin 11,10
2 Alpha Des Obeaux (FR)(152) Gigginstown House Stud (MFMorris) Bryan Cooper(C) 11,03
3 At Fishers Cross(157) John P. McManus (RCurtis (in GB)) Barry Geraghty(B) 11,03
4 Briar Hill(150) Andrea Wylie (WPMullins) RWalsh 11,03
5 Noble Emperor(139) John P. McManus (AJMartin) Mark Walsh(H) 11,03
 
^ Yes should be an informative little race

Martello Tower has to give weight all round. ADO at the weights ?

Trainer Mags Mullins expects her Cheltenham Festival hero Martello Tower to raise his game for the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park on Thursday.

A determined winner of last season's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the eight-year-old was not disgraced on his first start since when third in Leopardstown's Christmas Hurdle last month.

Mullins feels her charge should strip fitter for that run and hopes he can earn himself a return trip to Cheltenham for a crack at World Hurdle glory in March.

"I was delighted with him at Leopardstown. It was a lovely run, as he would have needed it and I think he's come on since," the trainer told At The Races.

"He's improved from the last day, so hopefully he's improved enough. It's not a bad race and racing in open class is a bit different, so we'll know more after Thursday.

"He's won on soft and nice ground. If he holds his own, that will be good enough."

Martello Tower is opposed by four rivals and has ground to make up on Christmas Hurdle runner-up Alpha Des Obeaux, trained by Mouse Morris.

Morris said: "He's in good form. The only worry I would have for him would be the ground - he's a good ground horse really.

"We need to get some more experience into him as he hasn't had a lot of runs.

"If he runs a good, solid race I'll be happy."

Leading owner JP McManus fires a twin assault, with retained rider Barry Geraghty siding with the Rebecca Curtis-trained British challenger At Fishers Cross over Tony Martin's Noble Emperor.

At Fishers Cross makes his first appearance since finishing fourth in last season's World Hurdle and Curtis expects her charge to need the run.

She said: "He had some work done at Martinstown over the summer and didn't come back to us until October.

"I never expect too much from him first time out. He's just one of those horses that takes a run, mentally as much as anything.

"As we all know he's a fragile horse, so fingers crossed we can keep him sound."

The field is completed by Briar Hill, who is sent back to the track by Willie Mullins for the first time since falling in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan last February.

Big-race jockey Ruby Walsh admits it has been a struggle with the eight-year-old ever since he suffered a nasty injury when falling in the 2014 Albert Bartlett.

Walsh told Racing UK: "Unfortunately he broke a bone in his face when he fell at Cheltenham and had to have an operation to sort it out.

"It has been tough for him ever since. It was a stop-start year for him last year and then he fell again in Navan when I thought he was going to give Dedigout a race in the Boyne Hurdle, but he fell at the last.

"It has taken us 11 months to get him back on the track again. He seems to be well at home, he's working well, but there's no doubt he'll improve for the run.

"He's ready to have a run and hopefully he can come back to something like he was."
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World-Hurdle-2016.jpg
 
No Windsor Park ?

but Simeneon and More of that entered :confused:
 
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Cheltenham Course form of 111234.

50s still available with Betway for At Fishers Cross or 33s with Skybet NRNB.

ADO not better than 10s now.
 
Sprinter said:
Cheltenham Course form of 111234.

50s still available with Betway for At Fishers Cross or 33s with Skybet NRNB.

ADO not better than 10s now.
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Last few runs have been far from encouraging though
 
MrMcGoldrick said:
Last few runs have been far from encouraging though
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Yep. There are worse 50/1 shot but the 1234 in that sequence tells its own story.

Will probably be better than today in March but jumping not slick enough imo.
 
Does anyone think that after today's race ABO can put it up to Thistlecrack, there's still a big difference in their odds, going back to aintree last year I remember ABO was upsides Thistlecrack coming to the last when he fell but I honestly can't remember of the two which was going better and if he would have put it up to Thistlecrack up the run in, has ABO just taken longer to show his hand and just coming into his own now at the right time this season, I'm still siding with Thistlecrack now but could have an each way lay on ABO as the trainer is adamant he'll be even better on better ground
 
might be worth topping up VVM NRNB before the race today

How Vroum Vroum Mag fares in the mares’ hurdle should also give us a good idea where we stand going to Cheltenham.

She remains unbeaten for us but this opposition is as good as she has faced, and if she could beat them it would open up plenty of options.

She has won over two-mile-six and this is almost three miles, but that shouldn’t be a problem as we have always viewed her as a stayer – if anything, she surprised us with the pace she showed over two miles.

Her jumping was very slick at Clonmel last time out, which was very pleasing for a horse coming back from chasing.

There are plenty of runners in this race to ensure it’s an honest pace from the outset and that should help.

Vroum Vroum Mag goes there in great shape, and hopefully can extend her winning sequence.
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So Vroum Vroum Mag runs today over a distance just short of 3 miles to determine her festival target, willie is stating that for now she stays over hurdles and is entered in the mares, the world and over fences the ryan air, so she runs today probably wins but doesn't put in the sort of peformance you'd expect for a world hurdle contender, so then what happens, surely they won't run her against annie power in the mares, that would be a waste of two talents, surely annie power doesn't get redirected herself to the world with no prep run, or would they redirect Vroum Vroum Mag back over fences to the ryan air, but surely she'll need a prep over fences first, however this is all in hindsight, she could come out well on top today and be vying for favouriteism for the world by the end of the day...
 
5s NRNB best price now. Gets a valuable 7lbs from Thistlecrack & co.

I think Ricci clear enough about targets.

If Annie gets a run beforehand she goes to World Hurdle if no run she goes to the Mares. VVM will go for the other race,
 
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Rubys pick ?

25 31-111 Nichols Canyon79 6 11-10 W P Mullins — 147 171
32 FR/143 Renneti89 7 11-10 W P Mullins — 152 157
35 145/1- Simenon152F 9 11-10 W P Mullins — — —
45 2/1F-1 Annie Power320 8 11-3 W P Mullins — 144 168
48 11-111 Vroum Vroum Mag54 7 11-3 W P Mullins — 89 159
 
Was there ever any reason given for Windsor Park's non entry?
 
Weird one. Even after his run over Christmas Robbie McNamara had been on the Final Furlong podcast saying how strongly he still fancied it for the world hurdle and even got pricewised, next thing we hear is no entry. I do have a small financial investment in him so curious.
 
Kilcooley

Charlie Longsdon ‏@CharlieLongsdon 51m51 minutes ago

@steeplechasing @Shockster67 he is fine, but not going to be ready in time.... Hopefully he will still get to Cheltenham #fingerscrossed
 
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