Champagne fever to try further and with UDS being his arkle horse and vautour it leaves you with jezki,the new one and faugheen looks as if it will be pretty weak race
The 2015 Champion Hurdle
- Thread starter OddDog
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It will be interesting to see what Timeform make of that performance. GOING: GOOD (Good to soft in places; Chs 7.3; Hdl 7.6). It was very impressive, visually and on the clock. We can only speculate as to how much faster he could have gone if challenged (some find very little). Also he was carrying 12lb less than he would in the Champion. If that rating was 139 then adjusted for Champion Hurdle weights that makes him currently the equivalent of 127? If that's correct he has a long way to go. At this time last year Jezki and TNO were performing at 160+ level carrying the full 11.10. So, impressive as it was I think aiming at the Champion Hurdle might be a bit optimistic.
That probably means get on
My apologies. I misunderstood. He was running off a mark of 139 but he ran way above that as indicated by Timeform's observation. Based on that, he doesn't have to improve much at all.
"Over at Ascot, the big news came in the cardâs main hurdle race. It was a listed handicap of corresponding quality, won in rare style by Sign of A Victory who came into the race BHA-rated 139 and came out being talked about for the Champion Hurdle such was his ease of victory.
Itâs hardly premature talk, either. Sign of A Victoryâs new rating is 151P, which marks him out as one of the best young hurdlers around. Taking the very rough rule of a âlarge pâ corresponding to a stoneâs worth of improvement, Sign of A Victory could well be worthy of a Champion Hurdle place come the spring. Either way, as such a fluent mover with an evidently high cruising speed heâs going to be fun to watch this winter."
Agree the price on the favourites is now silly. I was dabbling away at Faugheen immediately after Punchestown at 7s down to 4s but certainly won't be going in again. Think it's early to completely rubbish the Triumph form, it hasn't been properly tested but my gut feeling is outside the winner the rest won't contend. Likely Tiger Roll may lack the tactical speed (typical of Triumph winners).
Strongly agree about Vaniteux. He has the scope to shorten if he takes a few prizes and trained by Nicky/ridden by Barry he looks the 'sexiest' outsider of a rather average looking lot once you skate over the top 3 in the market. Would give Sign of Victory little chance of even running in it never mind placing in it. They don't seem to fancy Cheltenham for him, unlike the aforementioned Vaniteux.
Vaniteux has an entry in the new "Price Rush Hurdle" at Haydock on Betfair Chase day, along with The New One, Melodic Rendezvous, Irving, Hawk High, Kentucky Hyden and Aurore D'Estruval (amongst others). Should be a decent race if they all turn up and the Racecourse Executive are to be applauded for elevating this race from the rather meaningless 4YO Hurdle which it previously was.
Whilst we know Mr Henderson is not averse to sending his Champion Hurdle hopes to the big handicaps (MTOY in the Betfair hurdle as just 1 example) I guess it will depend on whether Rock On Ruby runs in the Elite Hurdle tomorrow or not? If he does, and therefore misses the Greatwood, the weights in the Greatwood will go up by at least 6lbs and, with a couple more withdrawals (Irving is also in the Elite, for example) it is entirely possible that Vaniteux could end up top weight. On the other hand, Haydock at the end of November could throw up very testing ground - would Mr Henderson want to risk Vaniteux on that? Ah the imponderables that a great trainer faces, thank goodness Mr Henderson has to make these decisions and not I.
I was under the impression that ROR goes tomorrow, Van runs in the Greatwood and Sign skips that to go for the Ladbrokes.
Have you been sharing an early-morning snifter with the master of Seven Barrows Nass? Oh to be privy to such information
Rock On Ruby, Vaniteux, Sign Of A Victory and Irving, this is the Champion Hurdle thread lads, lets keep it on topic.
Sorry Boris ............... Faugheen bla bla bla ............... only has to turn up to win bla bla bla ................ Mullins bla bla bla 
That's why it's a Grade 2 Beefy
Looked a weak race on paper TBH and lived up to that.
Jezki won a Grade 2 at Down Royal last year mate, the race Little King Robin won this time, didn't stop him in March
True enough mate, had forgotten about that. Had him in my 5 to follow last season and didn't have a penny on him in the Champion Hurdle. Did exactly the same with Rock On Ruby a couple of years ago too. Mind you, can't see any of my 5 winning it this time around
Going to be very interesting to see if Mr Henderson insists on the Gerraghty boy riding Vaniteux, in the Greatwood, on Sunday as heâs apparently very keen to stay in Ireland and renew his association with his Champion Hurdle winner Jezki in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle. Will the forumâs favourite trainer be unrelenting and bark out an order?!?
I'd be putting a big fat X across Vaniteux for this now. If he was to be winning a Champion he'd have wanted to be winning a handicap. This is a 3 horse race. The strength of last seasons novices looks formidable and Faugheen's form gets boosted on a weekly basis. He's winning this race on the snaff. The New One was slightly hampered last season but was in the perfect possy 2 out and was caught flat footed when they quickened. That's where his race was lost. He's good enough for second but Faugheen looks a monster to me. I'm getting more and more confident as the weeks go on.