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2017 Champion Hurdle

Just maybe wonder if Elliott think MT good enough to win the mares giggi may be tempted to go the stayers.. Does Elliott and giggi have any major players in the world hurdle in your opinion Kev?
 
Just maybe wonder if Elliott think MT good enough to win the mares giggi may be tempted to go the stayers.. Does Elliott and giggi have any major players in the world hurdle in your opinion Kev?

No they don't... I made a case for Apples Jade to be there WH horse quite early on this season, looking back at their entries and previous juveniles (Tiger Roll) etc.... and backed her accordingly... so from a personal point of view, I would like to see AJ turn up in the World Hurdle... I just heard Gordon say the Mares IS the target and I haven't seen anything else to the contrary yet?
 
Superb Story going for this race now. I was on at Musselburgh but didn't strike me as a good bet in the CH the way he had to battle. Got a good ride and doesn't look up to it. Has got all important festival form though I suppose!
 
Anyone else think Buveur d'air is a good price for this now after his owners comments about his performance over fences?
 
Anyone else think Buveur d'air is a good price for this now after his owners comments about his performance over fences?

Question marks over many of those at the head of the betting especially those that haven't been out yet.
Wasn't quite up to the standards Altior set last year but he's heading for the Arkle so this one comes into the reckoning and confidence would grow if the Mullins pair have any further setbacks...
 
To be honest I wouldn't fancy Buveur D'air for the CH. I think 33/1 is an alright each way poke if he did turn up, because he does have form closely tied in with Petit Mouchoir, but over 2m at Cheltenham he was not close to winning the Supreme and having been chasing, wouldn't strike me as an ideal prep.

I would probably imagine that the number one for JP MCManus would still be Yanworth and BG would pick that too, so although I think 33 isn't a bad bet, I wouldn't be in any rush to take it myself.
 
Annoe Power trading at around 5/1 on Betfair despite being 5/2 and 3/1 with the high st, suggests those rumours about her wellbeing are true, or, that her target has been downgraded to the Mares....
 
Might be worth following updates from Petit Mouchoire as there's a big order up for someone to back....
 
We need NRNB - late this year
 
Annoe Power trading at around 5/1 on Betfair despite being 5/2 and 3/1 with the high st, suggests those rumours about her wellbeing are true, or, that her target has been downgraded to the Mares....
AP favourite for the mares on PP now hoping she will go there
 
Anyone like playing in the betting without markets
?

Until we know who we are "without" it probably isn't worth doing, but if we do take those out, who do we fancy?

I think Petit Mouchoir has been more impressive than Yanworth, Superb Story or any of the other list so far....?
 
If the big guns don't make it I would love to see Yorkhill have a crack.
 
Actual comments from Willie Mullins today regarding the big 2!

Willie Mullins accepts the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle represents the "last chance" for Faugheen to get a run before the Cheltenham Festival.

The brilliant nine-year-old won the race 12 months ago, but he has since been sidelined with a suspensory problem that ruled him out of his defence of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last season.

Reigning Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power is also amongst seven Mullins entries for the Grade One at Leopardstown on January 29, but she has not yet been sighted this season.

"I want to get them out as soon as I can," Mullins told the Daily Mirror.

"Annie Power has two options - she also has the race at Punchestown (a two-and-a-half-mile mares' hurdle) that she won last year - before going to Cheltenham.

"But it would be Faugheen's last chance before Cheltenham.

"They are both well - both are riding out and doing plenty."
 
Ah you beat me to it Kev :p Doesn't give us too much but nice to just get a mention on both.

So if Faugheen was to miss the Irish Champion BUT line up for the champion hurdle without a prep run what price do we think he'd be? He's obviously miles ahead of the rest but there's got to be a concern having not run for 14 months. I'd still favour him but would he be a 'banker'?

I doubted they'd be able to get another run into Faugheen after the Irish Champion Hurdle due to the timing and from those quotes I think it's pretty clear that this will be Faugheen's only prep run if he makes it...

So despite what I said yesterday regarding not getting involved in the 2 horses I have infact just done that :devilish:

Faugheen 5/2 CH
Annie 7/2 Mares
+ Douvan 1/2 CC

1pt = 22.6pt profit

Adding in Douvan bumps it up, huge doubt still for me they'll both get to the festival but that price tempts me in as I see no alternative to those 2 races being each horses target as disappointing as that is now so injury is the only worry rather than targets
 
I think everyone is in absolute agreement that it is disappointing that AP will be in the mares, but unless they took each other on which we know catergorically that they won't, we'd be disappointed which ever one didn't turn up.

Mullins has most chance of landing 2 grade 1s on day one with the combo above and that treble will not be anywhere near 21/1 the week before. I'm sure I highlighted it a few weeks ago when paddy changed their odds from being shortest price AP and it's still available now.


Won't be everyone's cup of tea and it wouldn't be a shock if it did change. Its value if they turn up haha
 
A touch more on them both from Patrick Mullins...

"Faugheen and Annie Power are both riding away and are of similar fitness," Mullins Jnr told the Irish Independent."Hopefully Faugheen can start to sparkle in his work and we can get him back to the track. Neither he nor Annie has sparked and Dad is taking a patient approach.

"We'd have liked to have Faugheen out earlier but we've not been happy with the way he has sparked: he hasn't in the way we'd have liked. It's nothing serious and he's riding away but we're very much erring on the side of caution, with March the main aim.
"He had a bit of a suspensory ligament last year, which is quite a common injury. He seems fine from that.

"Annie Power only had one run before Cheltenham last year. If we're not 100pc happy at the end of the month with either, we will wait some more."
 
Anyone like playing in the betting without markets?

Kev, using the w/o market the CC provided a great opportunity a few weeks before last years Cheltenham.
Someone on here (I think) put up a couple of horses 33/1 and bigger e/w without Douvan.
By the day of the race there was only 6 runners which meant they only had to beat 2 to get paid out.
Unfortunately one of them fell (Vaniteaux?), but the other got 4th and so paid out.
Wasn't a big win but I thought it was a clever bet. I'd credit the poster but I'm afraid I can't remember, may even have been someone on TRF.
Both the CH & the CC look like they could provide similar opportunities if you can spot outsiders that will definitely stand their ground.
Possibly even the GC if TC scares off enough rivals.
 
I'm actually quite interested in Annie turning up in the mares.. Iv got a nice bet on apples jade for the WH and I'd like to think of Annie goes mares, vroom vroom will go WH and giggi would fancy there chances..
 
They've refered to 'sparking' before but never as blatently? Is it to be understood from those comments they are fine, but not working very well?

I actually don't feel worried at all... I feel like they are doing it to play down any pressure and expectations and then we'll get Vautour-like performances and after the race "he/she was showing us literally nothing until a couple of days ago then BANG".

Maybe rose-tinted glasses but I wouldn't be surprised if we could paraphrase that comment that afternoon!



Brital, I had a big bet on Sizing John W/O each way that I saw as a bet to absolutely nothing. IN the end got lucky to 'win' out of it, but it was 4/1, 1/4 odds first 3 without... so defo a market I will look at again closer to the time...


cwright, I had a bet on AJ for the WH before any other this season... still think mares is most likely but I hope we get lucky... they don't have any other obvious candidate at this stage. More on that in the WH thread though
 
Latest on AP and Faugheen from Ruby:

With the remainder of the season in mind, it’s great that Faugheen and Annie Power both seem to be in good form at home.

Fingers crossed Faugheen will make it to the Irish Champion Hurdle. It’ll be a fair ask first time back, possibly having to take on Petit Mouchoir and Apple’s Jade, but we’re happy with him and it’ll be great to get him back on track, and a great ride to have in the race.

Last year Annie Power had just one run, in a pretty ordinary mares’ hurdle, and she won well in Cheltenham. She’s obviously a difficult mare to train, as she seems to get a lot of niggly issues, and we haven’t been able to run her before Christmas in the last couple of years.

But she’s not far off running now, and she and Faugheen are two very good horses, so hopefully we can get them back to the track soon.

You need all your big guns from here on in.