• 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!

Champion Hurdle 2019

Champion Hurdle 2019


  • Total voters
    75
Stark contrast to last season, I have no 'single' on Buveur D'air - felt like he was (compared to last year at the same price) he was too short to back in a single, when the potential opposition was stronger.

Turns out they're probably not! He's in some nice multiples for me at 7/2 but I won't be backing him now until NRNB. I think that was a superb performance though and I can't imagine thinking he's anything other than a BANKER.

I've been Pro Buveur D'air throughout this thread, saying he isn't getting the credit he deserves, however wasn't willing to get off the fence and say he'd win today an couldn't have imagined he'd win with so much authority!!! - jono sums it up nicely.

A magnificent performance, and credit to Samcro/Summerville Boy for having a go!

Asked what it would take to*overturn the eight-length deficit come Cheltenham, Elliott said: "A miracle," repeating himself after a short pregnant pause.
 
Not much mention of Summerville Boy, but if some are saying Samcro should go chasing or change trip then so should Summerville Boy, he couldn't even finish ahead of Vision Des Flos! He can't and won't improve 22 lengths by the time the Champion Hurdle comes around, because that is what he has to find based on that today.

My overall feeling about both him and Samcro are that they will be better for a pacier race which they will get come the festival.
 
What makes you think Melon will reverse the form?

Nicky seems pretty adamanet Buveur D'air wasn't at his best last season and he already proved he doesn't need to be at his best to be better than Melon.

The number of 1s next to Melon's name makes single figures about him a laughable price?

Maybe he won't beat BD. I expect Melon to be stronger this season, and they've finally worked out how to ride him. That said, I'm not hanging my hat on him. If I see something I fancy to give BD a race I'll back him accordingly. If not, happy to sit it out.
How did your over bet fry-up American get on today:devilish:
 
Maybe he won't beat BD. I expect Melon to be stronger this season, and they've finally worked out how to ride him. That said, I'm not hanging my hat on him. If I see something I fancy to give BD a race I'll back him accordingly. If not, happy to sit it out.
How did your over bet fry-up American get on today:devilish:

As well as yours on Thomas Patrick :highly_amused:

Surprised you'd sit a race out, from previous posts you seem to lay ones at double figure odds (effectively laying at 1/14 etc) and make your money that way? Summerville Boy must be a contender for you to lay after today? Or Samcro?
 
As well as yours on Thomas Patrick :highly_amused:

Surprised you'd sit a race out, from previous posts you seem to lay ones at double figure odds (effectively laying at 1/14 etc) and make your money that way? Summerville Boy must be a contender for you to lay after today? Or Samcro?

SB would be a contender indeed. I'll be looking for a few over-hyped (fry) types nearer the time.

As for TP, not a great run, at least he was in the race, unlike yours who was running in a different race:highly_amused:
I took a bit of him on the exchange which covered my TP bet.
 
Id say the O'Learys are not best pleased with Gordon

Imagine ATR will get a quick word with them at Fairyhouse today.

I still harbour slim hopes that they over rule the decision and he goes for chases (ideally staying trips). The vast majority of horses (Irish especially) haven't even had a run yet so although it wouldn't be ideal, I don't buy the idea that it would be too late for a switch to chasing.

I would say that if the season plays out without a CH win for Samcro which looks incredibly likely, it'll be very interesting to hear the vibes about the horse during the summer. I remember archie raised the point of whether he may well of schooled poorly over fences which forced them down this route. I was fairly dismissive of this view (my view was that Elliott had enough in the chasing ranks and would need Samcro for the 2 mile hurdling division in Ireland which are worth to get the trainers title) but I am starting to come around to this idea.
 
Samcro jumped the best he ever has imho yesterday, BDA was the size of a house, went straight through the last and still absolutely destroyed him. Whilst the slow gallop won’t have suited Samcro I just can’t see any way he turns the form round
 
Samcro jumped the best he ever has imho yesterday, BDA was the size of a house, went straight through the last and still absolutely destroyed him. Whilst the slow gallop won’t have suited Samcro I just can’t see any way he turns the form round

Me neither FTM. That was Buveur D'air's best performance in my eyes and if he has improvement to come he'll be almost unbeatable in March.
 
I suppose, Buveur D'air has only been able to beat whats been put infront of him, he's unbeaten in two open 2 mile hurdle campaigns, this year we'll get to see him post a higher figure than he ever has before IMO (because of Samcro's inflated rating)

I wonder what Official Rating he will get, Higher than 169 for sure....
Faugheen's highest OR was 174 in the Morgiana and the Irish Champion Hurdle (Highest in UK a 171 in the Christmas Hurdle), whilst Hurricane Fly Achieved 175 a couple of times also in Ireland, 173 at Cheltenham.

Yesterday is going to be rated the best 2 mile hurdle performance we've seen in years. (Rightly so).

Still Melon 8/1 and Laurina 5/1 to come out, both without a run this season... no logic to Melon reversing the form at this stage and an almighty leap needed by Laurina, and she's not a certain target for the race.

Best price 12s for Samcro, may well go off 4/1 2nd fav on the day still!
 
I wonder what Official Rating he will get, Higher than 169 for sure....
Faugheen's highest OR was 174 in the Morgiana and the Irish Champion Hurdle (Highest in UK a 171 in the Christmas Hurdle), whilst Hurricane Fly Achieved 175 a couple of times also in Ireland, 173 at Cheltenham.

Yesterday is going to be rated the best 2 mile hurdle performance we've seen in years. (Rightly so).

Still Melon 8/1 and Laurina 5/1 to come out, both without a run this season... no logic to Melon reversing the form at this stage and an almighty leap needed by Laurina, and she's not a certain target for the race.

Best price 12s for Samcro, may well go off 4/1 2nd fav on the day still!

Kinda agree with that, but whilst visually brilliant, he did beat second season novices who may well turn out to be not as good as many imagined, So the Handicapper may or ought to treat it with a bit of caution. But he at least deserves to be a 170 horse.
Daft as it sounds because Melon is probably rated too high based on his second place to BD, if he'd done that to Melon yesterday (and I think he would have) then he'd have to go up to mid 170's.
Even though it now looks obvious to me (barring factoring in a liking for the track and conditions of the race regarding Melon, bit like MTOY) that BD was not at his very best in March.
 
I wonder what Official Rating he will get, Higher than 169 for sure....
Faugheen's highest OR was 174 in the Morgiana and the Irish Champion Hurdle (Highest in UK a 171 in the Christmas Hurdle), whilst Hurricane Fly Achieved 175 a couple of times also in Ireland, 173 at Cheltenham.

Yesterday is going to be rated the best 2 mile hurdle performance we've seen in years. (Rightly so).

Still Melon 8/1 and Laurina 5/1 to come out, both without a run this season... no logic to Melon reversing the form at this stage and an almighty leap needed by Laurina, and she's not a certain target for the race.

Best price 12s for Samcro, may well go off 4/1 2nd fav on the day still!

Samcro may not even run. Less than Even money for a place antepost 4 months ahead, risky business.

Wouldn't be suprised at all if oleary sent him to the stayers.
 
Last edited:
Ive always been worried about Samcros jumping to be fair that really wasnt an issue, in fact he jumped better than the winner. BD could of even run to a PB yesterday and if he wasnt fit then it really does look to be a certainty if he gets to Chelt injury free.
The race certainly wasnt run to suit Samcro and he will improve for Chelt with different tactics, and I wonder if they will run a pacemaker for him, if they have one good enough to do the job properly. I havent given up on him but its hard to see him getting the better of BD if BD improves as expected.
 
I dont really understand the argument of a pacemaker improving samcro come cheltenham. He doesn't have a turn of foot so surely he has to make it a stamina test and do a faugheen which means he will probably get beat again.
If they do employ a pacemaker then samcro will get done for a turn of foot anyway..........surely he has to go from the front and wind it up gradually as he tried yesterday.
 
Wouldnt it help if he didnt have to do all the donkey work. McCain tried a similar thing to get Hurricane Fly beat with Overturn setting the pace for Peddlers Cross, on that occasion it was felt that Overturn hadnt gone hard enough and H Fly was able to still use his speed at the end without emptying his stamina (emptying might be overstating it a little).
The year after Overturn did an amazing job of setting a relentless gallop but only managed to set it up for Rock on Ruby, who had tracked the leaders and won. H Fly was held up and off the strong pace wasnt able to make an impression on the front two. I think a similar tactic would need to be employed for Samcro to have any chance. H FLY didnt lose too many but the two races in his career which he recorded his highest TS he didnt finish in the first two. I wonder if this might be a way they can try and get BD beat, but really its clutching at straws, BD seems to have such a strong cruising speed and turn of foot that baring the hurdles it looks like places for the rest.
 
A pacemaker makes it a stamina test. Samcro isn't a front runner and they could get taken on for the lead. He would be a sitting duck.