Champion Hurdle 2019

[Scooby91]

Apple's Jade
I'm not backing her for this as Gordon has been quite clear about Mares first, stayers possibly
But, he also said her next race would be the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Now considering Samcro is spent. How tempting would it be to go to the Champion if she wins the Irish Champion hurdle well.
And I'd also imagine she'd be put in as favorite for the Irish Champion also.
Just food for thought.

Not tempting As he just had samcro smashed up by BVD. She can win with the mares.

 

[Quevega]

Not tempting As he just had samcro smashed up by BVD. She can win with the mares.

Even if she won by 10 lengths plus, with melon and sharjah and laurina in behind ?
And BDair beaten in contenders hurdle by Verdana Blue ?

 

[Scooby91]

Even if she won by 10 lengths plus, with melon and sharjah and laurina in behind ?
And BDair beaten in contenders hurdle by Verdana Blue ?

Your in dream land.

Get it on request a bet

 

[Quevega]

And you're being stubborn.
It would 100% be a temptation if she won it well and she would go off favourite for the Irish Champion also.
Whether it all happens is indeed dreamland as we don't know.
And it's definitely not my dream as I've no interest in backing her for it at present.

Samcro getting well beat by BD now means less than it did.
And BD getting beat subsequently also makes it a little more meaningless.
Anyone who thought BD was unbeatable after the fighting fifth would now be having second thoughts for sure.

 

[Kevloaf]

Apples Jade isn't likely to run.

If she won the Irish Champion Hurdle she'd be more likely than now, but still unlikely.

If she did run, would she be 8/1? Absolutely no chance.

Is a bet to absolutely nothing.

I can't see any negative other than tying your money up

 

[Quevega]

Apples Jade isn't likely to run.

If she won the Irish Champion Hurdle she'd be more likely than now, but still unlikely.

If she did run, would she be 8/1? Absolutely no chance.

Is a bet to absolutely nothing.

I can't see any negative other than tying your money up

It'd be history repeating if she wins it well, like supasundae last year. And goes on to the mares or stayers.
Just seems strange that Irish champion hurdle winner don't go on to cheltenham.
Mostly hypothetical though at minute, so we'll see.
If she is indeed a favourite for the irish champion I'm pretty sure I'll be taking the NRNB option nearer the time.

 

[KingSprinterSacre]

��Jared Sullivan on LAURINA:

“The plan is to run and she’s on the boat. Willie wants to run her on soft ground so we’ve had to wait for it.

Sandown’s the only real race to go for now and if she proves good enough I’d really like to go for the Champion Hurdle with her”

 

[Hurricane fly]

Struggle to see how a 10length victory is going to prove if she’s good enough or not, will surely have to race something half decent to prove herself

Annie Power had smashed up Zarkandar a couple of times and even beat the Don as a novice before the going for the stayers

 

[KingSprinterSacre]

Star Laurina poised to return at Sandown before crack at the Champion Hurdle
By Peter Scargill2:26PM, JAN 3 2019

****

Laurina, one of jump racing's most exciting horses, is set to return at Sandown on Saturday before a potential tilt at the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Having swerved several possible races due to a lack of soft ground, Laurina will line up in the Listed Unibet Mares' Hurdle at the weekend as she bids to build on a striking novice season in which she cantered to victory in the mares' novices' hurdle at Cheltenham before adding Grade 1 success to her CV at Fairyhouse.

Owner Jared Sullivan said on Thursday: "The plan is to run and she's on the boat. Willie [Mullins] wants to run her on soft ground so we've had to wait for it.

"It’s been murder waiting and I've got loads of them to run, but we can only go when the ground is right.

"Look, she could've run in the Coral Hurdle or the Bula or the Relkeel and I like to think she'd have won those races, but the ground wasn’t right and we don't want to mess her up."

Long held in high regard, Laurina is the current 5-1 second favourite for the Champion Hurdle and Sullivan, whose colours have been carried by the likes of dual King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti, is eager to target the highlight on the opening day of the festival with his six-year-old.

"They think she's pretty good," Sullivan said. "Sandown's the only real race to go for now and if she proves good enough I'd really like to go for the Champion Hurdle with her.

"Obviously she needs to step up on what she's done and prove she's as good as we think she is, but if she is that's where we'd like to go."

Andrew Cooper: predicts soft ground at Sandown

Connections of Laurina will be buoyed by the latest update on ground conditions at Sandown from clerk of the course Andrew Cooper, who predicted the going would be largely soft on Saturday.

He said: "The bulk of the hurdles course is soft ground and it's a dead, sticky, hard-work soft rather than a wet, loose soft.

"The official description is soft, good to soft in places in the back straight and the covers are down now so the ground is standing still. That's how I expect it to be on Saturday."

Laurina will not be joined by stablemate Benie De Dieux at Sandown, according to trainer Willie Mullins. The eight-year-old was last in action when following up her Cheltenham Festival success with victory at Punchestown.

 

[Scooby91]

She could win by 40L and it wouldn't interest me. There's nothing there that wouldn't be tailed off in a CH. And its getting boring now the placement if her and the hyoe around beating trees. But we'll still get the she's a machine chat. When she beats a few bang average mares on soft.

 

[ComplyOrDie]

She could win by 40L and it wouldn't interest me. There's nothing there that wouldn't be tailed off in a CH. And its getting boring now the placement if her and the hyoe around beating trees. But we'll still get the she's a machine chat. When she beats a few mares on soft.

They've dodged the big guns too. Fighting Fifth was on 'soft' so why no entry? Gordon had the balls to send Samcro there.

Excuses, excuses, that's all it screams to me, and you know why, because it leads to further excuses down the line that her prep wasn't ideal, so she HAS to run in the Mares'. I am happy to eat my own words come the festival.

I think she is much more likely to go CH route next season if ever at all, it's a stance/opinion I have maintained from day 1.

 

[Innoko]

Star Laurina poised to return at Sandown before crack at the Champion Hurdle
By Peter Scargill2:26PM, JAN 3 2019

****

Laurina, one of jump racing's most exciting horses, is set to return at Sandown on Saturday before a potential tilt at the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Having swerved several possible races due to a lack of soft ground, Laurina will line up in the Listed Unibet Mares' Hurdle at the weekend as she bids to build on a striking novice season in which she cantered to victory in the mares' novices' hurdle at Cheltenham before adding Grade 1 success to her CV at Fairyhouse.

Owner Jared Sullivan said on Thursday: "The plan is to run and she's on the boat. Willie [Mullins] wants to run her on soft ground so we've had to wait for it.

"It’s been murder waiting and I've got loads of them to run, but we can only go when the ground is right.

"Look, she could've run in the Coral Hurdle or the Bula or the Relkeel and I like to think she'd have won those races, but the ground wasn’t right and we don't want to mess her up."

Long held in high regard, Laurina is the current 5-1 second favourite for the Champion Hurdle and Sullivan, whose colours have been carried by the likes of dual King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti, is eager to target the highlight on the opening day of the festival with his six-year-old.

"They think she's pretty good," Sullivan said. "Sandown's the only real race to go for now and if she proves good enough I'd really like to go for the Champion Hurdle with her.

"Obviously she needs to step up on what she's done and prove she's as good as we think she is, but if she is that's where we'd like to go."

Andrew Cooper: predicts soft ground at Sandown

Connections of Laurina will be buoyed by the latest update on ground conditions at Sandown from clerk of the course Andrew Cooper, who predicted the going would be largely soft on Saturday.

He said: "The bulk of the hurdles course is soft ground and it's a dead, sticky, hard-work soft rather than a wet, loose soft.

"The official description is soft, good to soft in places in the back straight and the covers are down now so the ground is standing still. That's how I expect it to be on Saturday."

Laurina will not be joined by stablemate Benie De Dieux at Sandown, according to trainer Willie Mullins. The eight-year-old was last in action when following up her Cheltenham Festival success with victory at Punchestown.

Finally get to see the Champion Hurdle winner in waiting!

 

[jack1092]

They've dodged the big guns too. Fighting Fifth was on 'soft' so why no entry? Gordon had the balls to send Samcro there.

Excuses, excuses, that's all it screams to me, and you know why, because it leads to further excuses down the line that her prep wasn't ideal, so she HAS to run in the Mares'. I am happy to eat my own words come the festival.

I think she is much more likely to go CH route next season if ever at all, it's a stance/opinion I have maintained from day 1.

You might end up being right about where she ends up. But i'd FAR rather let WPM campaign her earlier in the season how he sees fit than people on this forum.

 

[Kevloaf]

Laurina was and still is an excellent trading out opportunity. The decision won't be made until March and she's going to stay short.

Will shorten again if she wins readily.

No way I'm cashing out yet. Buveur D'airs been beaten by Verdana Blue for goodness sake

 

[Quevega]

Finally get to see the Champion Hurdle winner in waiting!

Personally hoping she does the last furlong backwards, in Rein Back style with a few flying changes

 

[ComplyOrDie]

You might end up being right about where she ends up. But i'd FAR rather let WPM campaign her earlier in the season how he sees fit than people on this forum.

Close the forum, no opinions allowed

Of course, if I had a horse with WPM I'd be bowing to his knowledge and say so, however, I would also want him to be up front about it and not use the ground as an excuse when there have been races prior to now available with 'soft' in the description, that's all I am saying!

FWIW I bloody love Laurina, I put her up for the Mares' Novice after her first win, so would be behind wherever she goes, I think she could be a future CH winner myself, unsure this is the year though.

 

[Innoko]

Laurina was and still is an excellent trading out opportunity. The decision won't be made until March and she's going to stay short.

Will shorten again of she wins readily.

The exact point I made earlier in the thread.

 

[Innoko]

Personally hoping she does the last furlong backwards, in Rein Back style with a few flying changes

Personally hope she sticks two hooves up to Scooby as she saunters clear....

:highly_amused:

 

[Scooby91]

Personally hope she sticks two hooves up to Scooby as she saunters clear....

:highly_amused:

I won't see it, as she'll be sauntering clear in a race nobody cares about. And has no relevance to any other race than the mares hurdle .
iv already got my bet in that.

 

[Innoko]

I won't see it, as she'll be sauntering clear in a race nobody cares about. And has no relevance to any other race than the mares hurdle .
iv already got my bet in that.

Just admit you made a mistake by not backing her at 14's when the announcement was made about the CH and we can all move on...