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2017 Champion Hurdle

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Possible he runs over hurdles ( Yorkhill ), does Mullins run AP or Fau against him? He beats them? AP to the mares at fest? Fau? Very interesting few days coming up for Willie
I remember Mullins saying after Cheltenham and Aintree he really thinks the horse is a Champion Hurdle horse
 
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Yes im in firmly in the camp that Yorkhill will be going hurdling (joined the dots lol), the recent setbacks for the two stable stars have only hardened my opinion.
 
Kevin Blake in his blog hints towards it too ... the novice chase division does look stronger potentially than this racentury.

16s on betway (if you can get on) ... I might have a saver ... still going to be gutted for my own book
 
Surely if graham Wylie wants a runner in the Champion Hurdle it will be Nichols Canyon.

Yorkhill and Bellshill should both be going down the chasing route.
 
I don't think Wylie throws his weight around regarding targets.

When is he due on the final furlong, maybe he'll break the news on that?
 
Paddy power have noticeably pushed out their prices on Yorkhill today for the Champ hurdle and the Arkle and they are very much the shortest on him for the JLT, i might have to revise my thinking on the dots that ive joined up! lol
 
billymag said:
Paddy power have noticeably pushed out their prices on Yorkhill today for the Champ hurdle and the Arkle and they are very much the shortest on him for the JLT, i might have to revise my thinking on the dots that ive joined up! lol
Click to expand...

Yipeeeeeeeeeeee!
 
Yorkhill has Drinmore entry - should know intentions soon enough
 
Here's hoping! :encouragement:

I'd still be surprised if Yorkhill goes straight into the Drinmore. Alpha des Obeaux and Diamond King are both likely to run amongst others - so he'd be up against it on his chasing debut against just those horses. I just can't think of another horse over the last few years that Willie has sent into a grade 1 chase on his first start over fences, even the likes of Douvan and Vautour who were considered some of his best ever chasing hopes.

Douvan : 1st run beginners chase then the Racing Post Arkle (grade 1)
Vautour : 1st run beginners chase then the Racing Post Arkle (grade 1)
Champagne Fever : 1st run beginners chase then the Racing Post Arkle (grade 1)
Valseur Lido : 1st run beginners chase then the Drinmore (grade 1)
Don Poli : 1st run beginners chase then the Topaz Novice Chase (grade 1)
Arvikka Lig.. : 1st run beginners chase then the Drinmore (grade 1)
Djakadam : 1st run beginners chase then a grade 2

He's a creature of habit Willie and I just don't think he'll do it, regardless of who the horse is. He never throws a horse straight into the deep end in a grade 1 chase (please correct me if he has?!) There's no time to get a run in beforehand now in a beginners race so for me that means 0% chance he runs in it, as much as i'd like to see it sadly...
 
Strong rumours coming out this morning of Annie Power being retired :sorrow: I would be absolutely gutted if that was the case, would mean my 2 favourite ever horses (Sprinter and Annie) would be retired within 2 weeks of eachother

With that in mind i've taken the 16's on Yorkhill. I REALLY hope it's a wasted bet but I do think there's more going on with Annie and Faugheen then what is being let on...
 
Annie definitely weak on Betfair
 
16 on Yorkhill won't be there for long. The drift on betfair is upsetting. PaddyPower not reacting yet and still 3s for Faugheen ... could be nonsense?
 
Easily could be nothing but she has been hard enough to train I think.
 
Ricci admitted a few weeks back that Mrs Ricci wanted to retire the horse but he managed to persuade her to keep Annie racing. It wouldn't surprise me if there was some sort of agreement made where by if she has any setbacks that are not minor he'll retire her.

I think Willie would be very reluctant to go into the Champion Hurdle with a injury prone (in the last 2 seasons anyway) Faugheen as his only main hope so I would expect Yorkhill to come into the equation then. It's funny though really as if you were to take out Faugheen and Annie - surely Mullins and importantly Wylie have an alternative in stablemate Nichols Canyon (over Yorkhill).

He wouldn't beat Annie or Faugheen but i'd fancy Nichols Canyon against the rest of the field for sure, especially after another good Morgiana win, seems like it's all go stayers with him though as if there was any thought of NC going champion hurdle I can't see why the delay in Yorkhill's target
 
Still no move from Paddy ... only... would they leave it this long? This is going to be nonsense *fingers crossed*
 
Really hope so Kev. Worth noting though on Paddy Power - although they have got a good track record of getting it right, pretty sure they were double figures on Vautour for the Ryanair the day before Cheltenham this year so i’m not sure they will always have the inside scoop everytime

It seems to have got very quiet since this morning’s ‘rumours’ began though which I think is a good sign it could be nonsense. You would have thought connections would be quite quick to announce something like this for a high profile horse like her.

Shame there's no Irish racing on today as usually At The Races would be able to interview Mullins at the course
 
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Matt Chapman (who seems to have a good relationship with the yard):

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Am led to believe just niggles with <a href="https://twitter.com/AnniePower_">@AnniePower_</a> and she will be fine. Retirement simply rumours. Yeeehaaa! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justsayingmightbewrong?src=hash">#justsayingmightbewrong</a></p>— Matt Chapman ITV/ATR (@MCYeeehaaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/MCYeeehaaa/status/801439070161342464">November 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
The exchange is back to normal, shes 7/2. Looks like it was just a twitter room that ignited it.
 
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