The 2016 Champion Hurdle

Yard had him 'primed' for today by all accounts Beefy. First time he has had to battle so is it more a question of heart? I fully expected him to laugh at them.

With hindsight 9/1 for a four time Grade One winner was an insult to Nichols Canyon - just a pity I never had a bean on him

 

Can we have a forum wide amnesty where no one includes The New One in any Champion Hurdle conversations please.

 

Seconded!!

 

Why would he be included?

 

Revisionism only..nothing moving forward.

 

Lots of blubbing on here today faugheen 1/5 is a no bet , 2/1 for the champion man up and lump on. Now is the time.. Shadarpour in the next at Cheltenham.

 

How could one assume different? All out to hold off Wicklow Brave?!! Hardly a Grade One hurdler.

Nichols Canyon been seriously underrated, 4 Grade Ones last season and but for Ruby giving him a dodgy ride and landing on his ass at Christmas it would a been 6 Grade Ones, and he'd a been heralded a wonderhorse. I like Peace & Co and was on big for the Triumph but the reality is that race looks average with Hargam just being short of barking and fetching bones. Being a 5 yo next year too is hardly a plus. MTOY is a bottle job. Arctic Fire very classy and surprised with how he put it all in last week, when he hasn't always.

I thought Nicholls Canyon could a been tge World Hurdle horse for them, the heavy ground helped him today to plug on but he hasnt a hope of beating Faugheen in a Champion. Time will tell that over the coming months.

Are you implying im somewhat biased Toppy, I'm flabbergasted (with a capital F) by this LOL

 

One last point re NC - there's no reason to believe he was any fitter than Faughen today. Both high class, top echelons of the Mullins hurdle ranks so it's realistic to assume neither was 100% fit for their seasonal reappearance. He'll love the hill. 8/1 is a better bet to me at this moment in time than 2's.

 

Cracked me up that bit about Hargam

Agree that NC is underrated and Mullins was super positive about him in the stable tour. I do think Faugheen will prefer Cheltenham more compared to him though and easily reverse form.

I don't know what to think about Peace & Co yet and I guess he has to prove to us he has stepped forward again with age.

Gives us a more interesting race now from a talking standpoint!

I was just hoping he bookies would overreact and go 3/1+ for the reigning Champ

 

Well id him to win by up to 5l Drever so I wasn't expecting a rout considering the ground. Let's not forget Fly was often unimpressive here too but you'd still have expected Faugheen to prevail but the heavy ground made it hard work for him to run down last seasons top novice. Hes came up short against a 4 time Grade One winner, we're not talking Bertimont here FFS. I'm just loving the 2/1 for March, pile in, still wins it.

 

The New One is synonymous with the Champion Hurdle tho.

Anyone taking the 2/1 and under Faugheen just now needs locking up, hes been done in his first fight and his form from last year its getting shot to pieces all over the shop.

Arctic Fire beat 1 1/2L, scrapes home to beat Monskland who would have won if he jumped the last, Dell Arca was 3rd in the Punchestown race, beat handicappers in the Kempton G1

Hes a good horse but he got the CH on a plate last year, Mullins didnt think he was a Champion Hurdle horse early on and he didnt really look one today, looked more like a 3m chaser.

 

Synoynous for getting beat in it LOL

 

He's hardly a constant like Sea Pigeon,Birds Nest,Monksfield or Comedy of Errors!

Two runs,one lucky placed effort.

 

lucky

I expect better bait from you dexter

 

It worked...

 

Nice to see the Cheltenham Championship races in March are still looking so awfully uncompetitive..........................................

 

The Fly had an off day and gifted him third.

 

I thought he looked as if he was carrying a bit too much condition

Great to see Sprinter back winning in superb style

 

I did have NC 10 to follow but did put him and took him out of my ATR stable stars