• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

2026 Champion Hurdle

Prestbury said:
You maybe right or it might just be for the National given its profile. This year Double Powerful has Unseated, Fallen and Unseated in 3 consecutive starts but been allowed to continue without any intervention that I am aware of.

But if ever a horse needed investigating its surely CH given i) his profile and ii) his mistakes appear random and catastrophic
Click to expand...
They are horrific to be fair. He isn't just clipping the top bar and landing nicely on his shoulder and side. He is in leg breaking territory and certainly neck breaking with how he has been falling
 
  • Like
Reactions: Prestbury
Some good posts on here, fully agree with Quevega and Prestbury,

Why on earth didn't they just run in the Kingwell? Surely that is a better way of getting his confidence back, by jumping hurdles in a race, than what it is running in a flat race.

As to going straight to Cheltenham without another race over hurdles, as I pointed out in an earlier post, it is a potential PR disaster for Henderson and Racing in general if the worst was to happen. By risking potential injury to the horse on the second biggest stage reeks of greed. If they wanted to test him out then the Kingwell, with a smaller crowd and less publicity would surely of been a better option than the Cheltenham Festival.
 
Or just do what mullins did with kopek and do a circuit round a track with a couple of stablemates

Get a few jumps in at his own pace to get a bit of confidence
 
  • Like
Reactions: opatcho
Runragged said:
Some good posts on here, fully agree with Quevega and Prestbury,

Why on earth didn't they just run in the Kingwell? Surely that is a better way of getting his confidence back, by jumping hurdles in a race, than what it is running in a flat race.

As to going straight to Cheltenham without another race over hurdles, as I pointed out in an earlier post, it is a potential PR disaster for Henderson and Racing in general if the worst was to happen. By risking potential injury to the horse on the second biggest stage reeks of greed. If they wanted to test him out then the Kingwell, with a smaller crowd and less publicity would surely of been a better option than the Cheltenham Festival.
Click to expand...
Because they're a circus act trying to drum up engagement for the horse. I think deep down Hendo knows he's finished too and wants to have one final pop at a Champion Hurdle with him so his approach is to find a race he can't lose (ignore the fact it's a deep enough race now) that the BHA put on for you and then he can go to Chelt on the back of it. But it's boring and to be honest the more the media discuss it, the more it feeds Hendo and Buckley's egos.
 
Ellisgittings said:
Because they're a circus act trying to drum up engagement for the horse. I think deep down Hendo knows he's finished too and wants to have one final pop at a Champion Hurdle with him so his approach is to find a race he can't lose (ignore the fact it's a deep enough race now) that the BHA put on for you and then he can go to Chelt on the back of it. But it's boring and to be honest the more the media discuss it, the more it feeds Hendo and Buckley's egos.
Click to expand...
To be honest it’s getting a bit boring reading about it in here, although understandable cos it’s all a tad bizarre imo.
Rather just leave it now and see how it all pans out.
 
Carnage at Taunton said:
To be honest it’s getting a bit boring reading about it in here, although understandable cos it’s all a tad bizarre imo.
Rather just leave it now and see how it all pans out.
Click to expand...
I find it hard to have any interest in the horse because I find the situation ridiculous. Which is a shame - I was there when he won the Supreme and he's the best hurdler of my lifetime. But it's been boring since he won the Champion Hurdle, from the GC comments to the lack of runs the season after, to this debacle now
 
Lobos said:
They have bent over for Constitution Hill......

14 runners now not 12
Click to expand...
Yes, 12 runners and he had virtually no chance of running. What's the betting that two come out? Is anyone actually calling this out? Totally wrong to give one horse preferential treatment. I don't expect much if he does run.
 
kinloch brae said:
Yes, 12 runners and he had virtually no chance of running. What's the betting that two come out? Is anyone actually calling this out? Totally wrong to give one horse preferential treatment. I don't expect much if he does run.
Click to expand...
He's the only reason the race took place in the first place so he should have been given a bye imo.

1 has pulled out already so just 1 more to give a back hander to. Simples.

The 1/3 Betfair were offering him just getting in won't be there any more for sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Carnage at Taunton
Lobos said:
He's the only reason the race took place in the first place so he should have been given a bye imo.
Click to expand...
Are you being serious - this isn't tennis. Wasn't the race always taking place, but extra prize money was added?
 
kinloch brae said:
Are you being serious - this isn't tennis. Wasn't the race always taking place, but extra prize money was added?
Click to expand...
Was under the impression it was stuck in there late for CH?
 
kinloch brae said:
Are you being serious - this isn't tennis. Wasn't the race always taking place, but extra prize money was added?
Click to expand...

Loading…

www.racingpost.com

The race existed, it was a midweek contest, the BHA brought it forward to the friday evening in exchange for the additional sponsorship from SBK, its mostly covered in the link above :)
 
Thought so. Moved/re designed specifically for CH
 
EnvoiAlien said:

Loading…

www.racingpost.com

The race existed, it was a midweek contest, the BHA brought it forward to the friday evening in exchange for the additional sponsorship from SBK, its mostly covered in the link above :)
Click to expand...

I don't think it's that much of a stretch to think SBK put something in the sponsorship conditions about Constitution Hill running, and now the BHA / Arc need to make it happen...

Although oddly enough the discussion of him not running is probably generating as much publicity as the race itself would.
 
Benjy23 said:
I don't think it's that much of a stretch to think SBK put something in the sponsorship conditions about Constitution Hill running, and now the BHA / Arc need to make it happen...

Although oddly enough the discussion of him not running is probably generating as much publicity as the race itself would.
Click to expand...
Can you elaborate - surely they can't say we will only sponsor if a certain horse runs?
 
kinloch brae said:
Can you elaborate - surely they can't say we will only sponsor if a certain horse runs?
Click to expand...

I agree you'd like to think they couldn't but there's a lot of things you'd like to think don't happen in racing.

When adding £40k or whatever to an already in place agreement it wouldn't be unreasonable for the sponsor to what some supplemental conditions added to the agreement. It would almost be naive from SBK to throw £40k at it without some conditions imo.

The whole circus has surrounded Constitution Hill.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom