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2026 Champion Hurdle

Ellisgittings said:
This would be some approach. Giving up the supreme fav to run your second rate horse who won't finish top 5, so your supreme fav can also not finish top 5?
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He won’t do it, no chance.
Mind you looking at the race right now it wouldn’t take much to get a place!!
I’d take a top 5 bet, that’s for sure.
Anyway pointless.
 
Carnage at Taunton said:
After what happened with SirGino, and then taking out AOI out of the farcical situation with the last race, I think that tells us all about the chances of risking Con Hill.
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Id say itll depend how Southwell & the Yogi sessions go,Id still be against it,as for bei g in Nicos shoes..fcuk that.
 
EnvoiAlien said:
Id say itll depend how Southwell & the Yogi sessions go,Id still be against it,as for bei g in Nicos shoes..fcuk that.
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Yeah it may well depend on those things, and in an ideal world I would want him in the race.Part of me certainly does.And the race could certainly do with his presence!!
If he were to turn up and he fell and injured himself or worse, I’d be a bit disappointed with that part of me!!
Can’t imagine Hendo would want any harm to the horse on his conscience , and the flak he would get!!!

Mind you, imagine the scenes if he did turn up and win!!!
 
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Ruby didn't half get on my tits yesterday when defending his fucking best line "put them in the race you think they can win"

"all elite sport is the same, winning is everything, second is nowhere"

Firstly he must accept that there are levels - there are races that are more prestigious, valuable and desirable. He knows this.
Secondly in order to be a winner you have to accept the prospect of defeat, as this is an inevitability. He definitely knows this.
Thirdly, you can suffer defeat and learn from it and come back better the next time. He has proven he knows this.
Fourthly, there are no guarantees of victory at whatever level of any sport, you still have to do it. He fucking definitely knows this.

Imagine a world where a football team qualifies for the champions league and says fuck that we've got a better chance of winning the Europa league. Or winning the championship and promotion to the premier league and opting to stay in the same league so that you have a better chance of winning the next season.

Or a boxer who opts to keep defending his european title and turns down the chance to become world champion.

Novak Djokovic decides to play on the challenger tour cos he knows he'll hardly ever lose.

Rory Mcclory playing on the LPGA tour cos the rules let him and he knows he'll rarely lose.

The sports would die Ruby. No fucker would watch.

So Ruby go fuck yourself with your stupidity. There is a bigger picture than your fucking moronic one liner, said with a stupid smug grin.
I fear for your children, what the fuck do you tell them ?

"Second is nowhere", but it is not failure.
Being afraid to challenge yourself and not learn from mistakes/defeats is true failure.

PS, I like a lot of what Ruby says :ROFLMAO:
 
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To be honest, assuming all goes well with Lossiemouth next weekend, they would be absolutely barmy to not send her Champion Hurdle. They did it with Annie Power, and this year's renewal looks as weak as the year she won now, with pretty much all the superstars of the 2 mile hurdling division either injured or unable to jump. Looking at the remaining entries, you'd have to say only Golden Ace shapes like a Champion Hurdler at her obstacles but she lacks a few pounds in raw ability.

I notice Gigginstown have entered King Of Kingsfield again in the Irish Champion - maybe looking for a bit of Deja vu? As I am sitting on a couple of tasty e/w vocuhers for Anzadam in the Champion Hurdle, I am still hopeful he can settle better and put his best foot forward. That mid-race move over Christmas was just mental and if they can get him to settle like he did at Newcastle (where I would say ring-rustiness got him beat) then I still may have a straw to clutch to. The only other angle I can see is Poniros taking a huge step forward. I think I would put Ballyburn and El Fabiolo into the same basket as TNL - don't have the pace to win a Champion Hurdle.

If the racing gods are listening, I have just one wish for the Champion Hurdle - please don't allow, by some wild fluke of circumstance, Wilful to win it. For the amount of expensive horses that get chucked at him, Jonjo has to be the worst trainer ever.
 
It's odd they've put King of Kingfield in at DRF but not bothered with the Champion Hurdle entry imo.

Equally find it a bit odd Skelton's not entered one as a potential pace maker.

Hard to see where the pace actually comes from in the Champion Hurdle. Casheldale Lad about this best I could find, but wouldn't be sure to go would he...
 
Benjy23 said:
It's odd they've put King of Kingfield in at DRF but not bothered with the Champion Hurdle entry imo.

Equally find it a bit odd Skelton's not entered one as a potential pace maker.

Hard to see where the pace actually comes from in the Champion Hurdle. Casheldale Lad about this best I could find, but wouldn't be sure to go would he...
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There's still the option to supplement (costs £18k). If approaching the 6 day decs they feel that they need a pacemaker for TNL then JP can look through his string and select the most appropriate one. Probably the best way to do it when the supplementary fee doesn't mean much.
 
Appreciate JP and the O'Leary's have plenty of money but the initial entry is like £500. Surely worth a speculative rather than £18k supplement. JP / Skelton in particular as The New Lion was always going to want a pace to run at.

Brighterdaysahead and KoK you can kind of excuse as there's every chance neither run here...
 
Quevega said:
Ruby didn't half get on my tits yesterday when defending his fucking best line "put them in the race you think they can win"

"all elite sport is the same, winning is everything, second is nowhere"

Firstly he must accept that there are levels - there are races that are more prestigious, valuable and desirable. He knows this.
Secondly in order to be a winner you have to accept the prospect of defeat, as this is an inevitability. He definitely knows this.
Thirdly, you can suffer defeat and learn from it and come back better the next time. He has proven he knows this.
Fourthly, there are no guarantees of victory at whatever level of any sport, you still have to do it. He fucking definitely knows this.

Imagine a world where a football team qualifies for the champions league and says fuck that we've got a better chance of winning the Europa league. Or winning the championship and promotion to the premier league and opting to stay in the same league so that you have a better chance of winning the next season.

Or a boxer who opts to keep defending his european title and turns down the chance to become world champion.

Novak Djokovic decides to play on the challenger tour cos he knows he'll hardly ever lose.

Rory Mcclory playing on the LPGA tour cos the rules let him and he knows he'll rarely lose.

The sports would die Ruby. No fucker would watch.

So Ruby go fuck yourself with your stupidity. There is a bigger picture than your fucking moronic one liner, said with a stupid smug grin.
I fear for your children, what the fuck do you tell them ?

"Second is nowhere", but it is not failure.
Being afraid to challenge yourself and not learn from mistakes/defeats is true failure.

PS, I like a lot of what Ruby says :ROFLMAO:
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Yes, I always think the "put them in the race they can win" comment should be taken/said in context for the exact reasons you said above. Favourite for the Champion Hurdle and Mares Hurdle. Mares Hurdle may be easier (Questionable) but Champion Hurdle is a more prestigious race and the betting suggests she is the best horse in the race. My argument on this is why have they been running her at 2m all season if the plan is Mares Hurdle? She has been running and winning at 2m and is the best horse in Ireland over that trip from what we have seen this season. She will go Champion Hurdle unless something happens otherwise. I think it was the same last year. Getting turned over by CH at Xmas and then the fall against State Man was enough for them to go Mares Hurdle.

Also, fully agree with Guinness Village, the sooner the Mares is degraded the better it is for Racing and competition.
 
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Benjy23 said:
It's odd they've put King of Kingfield in at DRF but not bothered with the Champion Hurdle entry imo.

Equally find it a bit odd Skelton's not entered one as a potential pace maker.

Hard to see where the pace actually comes from in the Champion Hurdle. Casheldale Lad about this best I could find, but wouldn't be sure to go would he...
Click to expand...
Where the pace comes from in the CH May become clearer after the 1.25pm at Naas today……
 
Benjy23 said:
Appreciate JP and the O'Leary's have plenty of money but the initial entry is like £500. Surely worth a speculative rather than £18k supplement. JP / Skelton in particular as The New Lion was always going to want a pace to run at.

Brighterdaysahead and KoK you can kind of excuse as there's every chance neither run here...
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It's not the money, they've just not thought in advance to put him in haha
 
Carnage at Taunton said:
He won’t do it, no chance.
Mind you looking at the race right now it wouldn’t take much to get a place!!
I’d take a top 5 bet, that’s for sure.
Anyway pointless.
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Why? He'd be running against experienced 2m when he's only ever won a mickey mouse G2 at Haydock. He'd probably end up pulled up. Novices don't even get a weight concession to negate the lack of experience (I believe)
 
Can someone point me in the direction of which piece of 2m form Lossiemouth has that makes her a Champion Hurdle certainty....
 
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Istabraq said:
Can someone point me in the direction of which piece of 2m form Lossiemouth has that makes her a Champion Hurdle certainty....
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Not sure anybody is seriously believing she is a “certainty”, especially when you can get 11/4 about her this morning😂

However isnt her chance more about the majority of those around her in the market having question marks about them, rather than her 2m form?
 
Step forward the great Alexei
 
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