I'd doubt it. He would have to improve somewhere along the lines of 25 lbs and you wouldn't seriously think he could do that on what we know and have seen so far from him.
I fully expect this to be another weak race - Petit Mouchoir, Ivanovich Gorbatov, one of the Wylie horses and maybe Clondaw Warrior. Apples Jade will be up in trip, Footpad probably going County Hurdle, the rest of Willie's in the sick bay.
Can you not see him improving from last years supreme, winning twice at HQ.that form is pretty good in my book and I thought he was a bit unlucky in the supreme being impeded at the business end.
A half length win over Modus doesn't strike you as CH form but it could cut up into an open year so big e/w prices might be well worth a dabble. I heard there had been some chatter about Buveur D'air running in this but NH has now said his next start is over fences- 2m4f in the Scilly Isles.
Toppy, it wouldn't be the first time I tipped up an outside winner. There is another horse standing in a shed in Ireland somewhere that doesn't even feature in the market, beefy has a keen eye he knows and if he turns up on trials day and wins his price will collapse . In a way I hope he doesn't turn up but at the moment there's lots of ifs and buts.
Pricewise has tipped up Superb Story for the heat this morn – 1 pt each-way at 25/1. 20’s the best now available and several firms are just 16/1. Reading old Saint Nick’s view of his horses for the heat though he’s extremely enthuastic about L’ami Serge. 33’s available and will ‘prep’ in the Haydock Park Champion Hurdle Trail at Haydock Park (it was never going to be at Newbury now was it!). The old boy is very keen to get him back over 2 miles. Sounded very bullish and either the barman had forgotten to put any T in his pre-interview GnT or this is a serious contender, people. Take your pick…
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/...h-ricci-on-running-plans-for-faugheen-and-min Great to hear a positive report, let's all hope the Champ makes the race. (No offence Annie but you're only lent that one )
Lets hope this is the prep run for the world hurdle and Annie is working away for the champion! Cant see it myself tho - annie to mares if fit if not VVM
Well I can see why they would want to keep them apart if they are all fit, connections don't really have a lot to gain by putting Annie Power and Faugheen up against one another. 1 horse loses its reputation as a superstar, and they only win 1 race rather than 2 at the festival. Having said that, I have my doubts wether either will be fighting fit for Cheltenham, and I think you'd have to be mad to back either of them at this stage. Both have been off the track a while now, and neither of them are spring chickens. For what it's worth I think Annie Power would beat Faugheen if both fit. So I'd send Faugheen to the world hurdle, and VVM should go for the mares. Yanworth though doesn't look the worst bet in the world, as Faugheen and AP may not even run, and even if they do run, they may not be at their best. I don't buy any of this nonsense that they just need to turn up to win. If they aren't fully fit, then they won't be winning. Anyone would think they won their Champion Hurdles by 10 lengths the way people are talking, Faugheen only won a length from what I remember. If it was Istabraq then you may have a point
If Faugheen retires with only 1 Champion Hurdle it would be one of the worst training performances of all time.
Think Faugheen still makes it myself. Just a hunch, it's bloody frustrating all this he's going to run/not running malarkey going on all season. Mullins has shown himself capable of getting them there in form off the back of a long break to win before but it'd be some feat to pull it off in a Champion Hurdle! If not, who else will he win it with? Yorkhill with the switcheroo of switcheroos?!
I've a feeling Jetzi might run in this now having made his come back over this trip and with Stayers looking like a penalty kick for Harry. 10/1(nrnb with 365) looks a fair shout given the way they are dropping. He should beat alot of these if he is truly back to himself come march.
Faugheen only really needs to be about 85% to beat these, Yanworth is a boat. Think Petit Mouchoir is quite solid which probably says a lot about the race.
