Heavy support for Darlan over the last few days and he is now joint fav in most books at around the 6/1 - 7/1 mark. Not sure whether his owner and his pals have been getting stuck in but he has shortened from around 10/1 a week ago. I've been looking at the replays of his races and can't help thinking he might be something of a bridle horse? He won his bumper in a canter. He won his hurdle debut at Kempton in a canter. He won his 3rd hurdle start at Taunton on the bit (very cheekily from Jump City who has not advertised the form whatsoever, being routed on his next start) and he was still on the bridle when falling in the Betfair Hurdle. The assumption has been that he would have been involved in the finish of that race had he stayed on his feet but I am not so sure. Looking at his second run over hurdles, at Cheltenham, he was hard ridden all the way up the home straight to finish a nose in front of Rebecca Curtis High Storm who has since pulled up in the Tolworth and then been beaten off 122 in a class 2 hurdle. Yes Darlan travels strongly in his races but to me he hasn't shown that he actually finds very much when asked a serious question. I can't believe he might go off favourite for the Supreme.
A lot of people think he would have won had he stood up. I am not one of them. I just think that AP was starting to niggle and I fancy that he wouldn't have finished in the first 4. Watching it again, Zarkandar is some horse. I have never seen a horse respond so well to the whip. As soon as Ruby picks up his stick he scoots clear from the back of the last with a noticeable and impressive burst of acceleration.
Were the others tiring in front though Zen? GMOOH went with him for that initial part of his acceleration but just got outstayed by him. I think they were staying on past tiring horses and I think the form may be suspect with so many finishing in a heap. Look how close Sailors Warn was to them.
No I don't think so. The pace was slow. I think he quickens up from the back of the last to put the race to bed. It's the same in the Triumph. I think he's an idle type but when push comes to shove is capable of finding an extra gear.
Zarkandar did very well to win that handicap, make no mistake. If they'd have gone a proper clip he'd have stayed on very strongly past them IMO. He isn's like Hurricane Fly, who can accelerate past you off a slow pace- he is more of a Peddlers- the quicker you go the stronger he stays.
Zarkander is becoming a horse I'd be strongly against, if I was a 'laying' man. His 3 wins last year were against his own age and hardly could be described as impressive. He's scrapped home in fairly workmanlike fashion off a handy mark in a handicap and with stable form questionable I can't see for the life of me how he'll get anywhere, and as SBC might say, I do mean anywhere, near Hurricane Fly...In fact (and I worry about myself for saying it) I think Binocular will finish comfortably in front of Zarkander! Don't get me wrong, I backed him at Aintree and the Triumph, I do like the horse, I just don't see how he's solid second favourite for the Champion Hurdle. I'd fancy him for the County but never in a month a Sundays will he winning the Champion Hurdle in my opinion...
Totally see your argument Beefy I want to know the pace angles before I make a final decision but for me I see Hurricane Fly beating Zarkandar into 2nd, looking at a 5L job IMHO. The Fly is just superb. Watched the 2011 running just now. PEddlers Cross really tested them once he hit the front but Ruby had a tonne of horse left underneath him. I think HF might hit the front a lot quicker this time, and on the bridle too. Binoculars smooth win over Celestial Halo is not anything to write home about. Yes he looked slick and somehwere near his best, but it is not enough. Celestial Halo is a yardstick at best, but Nicholls clearly thinks a lot of Zarkandar, who will come on for the run. The key point is that he won with absolutely nothing going his way in that handicap. When he's set alight off a strong pace he is very good and crucially he is a very good hurdler in the latter part of races, keeps gaining and gaining momentum. But he's playing for 2nd IMO.
Surely you mean Anywhere near the Hurricane with a capital 'A'?! I can see the alternative argument but the fact is that he's won 4 on the bounce, all 4 very good races, and has won with a little in hand on each occasion (except perhaps at Aintree when the 'over the top' argument seems a perfectly valid excuse). He is hard to evaluate in that I never think he is showing his full hand but does enough to win. A strong pace and the Cheltenham hill will be ideal and can see him putting in a decent challenge. Whether he is good enough who knows, but I like him, and I think he'll go well.
Hurricane Fly would be pretty decent if only Ruby could get him to settle too I've never seen a horse race as keenly throughout ALL his races and still demolish them on the bridle come the business end. He really is the perfect racehorse in my book. I'm not disputing he'll go well Zen, undoubtably he'll have more behind him than in front and due to the lack in quality in the race he'll possibly place. However he's far from certain to do so and the reason for that is similar to Frankel's Guineas I can see a situation where there'll be a 'race within a race' in the Champion Hurdle. Some will completely avoid racing the Hurricane and simply sit back and pick up the pieces from those who try to match strides with the Champ... That's why I think there are no each way bankers in it as something may come from the clouds to grab second or third. I'm far from Binocular's biggest fan but to me he's a far better place prospect than Zarkander who on all known form has to improve to reach the level of Binocular's best form. On another note, as this years race is weaker than last year I would advocate that the race officials make the Hurricane start the race at least half a mile behind the others to avoid lawsuits made against on the grounds that the word 'race' has been completely and utterly misused in context. Surely the Trade Misdescriptions Act will be seriously breached otherwise
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but there is an interesting French entry. Divapour is entered up in the Supreme and the Neptune. Anyone know if he has any chance of popping over the channel? Would be a fascinating runner in my opinion, and is yet to be beaten in France over hurdles.
Beef - its the Champion Hurdle and the others won't just be racing for the place money. Everyone with a squeak will have a game plan to win even if they are taking on the best hurdler since Istabraq.
I think if and it is a big if Binocular is back to his best, he can give the Hurricane something to think about, not going to say he will be beaten but I think he can make him work. I think that also applies to Zarkandar. Whilst he wasn't visually impressive in that handicap, he won when things were against him and when you consider the form of the stable at that time it was a really good run. Race wasn't run to suit either. Strong gallop from the off will see his stamina come to the fore. Having said all this, I do feel that Hurricane Fly has the beating of all these, however if he gets lit up in the race or the preliminaries then the rest could have a squeak.
Still waiting for my RP Cheltenham Guide 2012. It's on the way apparently, but by Wells Fargo Pony Express I guess................
BrigadierGerard: Agree, it is a fascinating renewal of the CH. Cannot wait for it. Hurricane Fly must be all the rage and deservedly, and maybe this is a brand new Binocular vis-a-vis attitude? Guess I am the only one who thinks so, but I started to question sometimes whether he was giving his best? Will still have a small punt on Zarkandar, a horse I like very much.
I have backed Zarkandar in all his runs so far so will invest some more on him on the day. He is unexposed and open to masses of improvement and as already mentioned is very good over his hurdles. You know he will be sticking on when others have given their best. I think it could be a great race. I would be surprised if the winner came from outside Binocular, Zarkandar and Hurricane Fly. Possibly along the lines of the Harchibald race, but this time the horse on the bridle (Hurricane Fly) will go on to win.
Hurricane Fly is an awesome horse and hopefully Mr Mullins will be able to keep his fragile legs good for the next few years. As for this season, he will take all the beating bUT it is interesting to see Mr Nicholls throwing about 4 arrers at this race! Is it a case of a day out for the owners? I think not, is it a case of trying to mess with Rubys head by surrounding Hurricane Fly? I think not. Maybe though it is a way of 'trying' to get him beat, set the pace, up the pace and keep the pace going? Who knows but unusual for him to have so many running in a Championship race of this nature. Gold Cup you can understand with all the question marks and possibly fallers but not the CH! Interesting indeed
And I too have backed Zarkandar EW at 16s but fear after his cough and cold this may now come too soon, he will however be back next year to fight another day and probably go off a lot closer in the betting to Hurricane (if he turns up ;-))
every thread on this board descends into Champion hurdle chat!! for me, Zarkandar is a horse that has to be covered up in a quick run race to be really effective. For this reason he's never going to win 10L eased down - it's not his style. I am sure the Champion Hurdle will be some clip with the likes of Overturn in the field. For me Zarkandars Betfair win was impressive, Nicholls said he needed the run, the stable was horrendously out of form and that's a very competitve race so I think the form is solid. Zarkandar will come on for that run though I doubt he'll come on enough! The trends are against him but if he is good enough to beat a horse like the fly and win then he's a very special horse. The pleasing thing is that we'll find out soon
