The Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2019
- Thread starter OddDog
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Sharjah got a right kicking on collateral form today.
Supasundae 16 lengths behind Apples Jade, 3 and 3/4 length behind Sharjah.
Petit Mouchoir 21 lengths behind Apples Jade, 9 lengths behind Sharjah.
Melon 22 lengths behind Apples Jade, 7 and a half lengths behind Sharjah.
If Sharjah were my horse, I would be very concerned about the prospect of Apples Jade in the Champion Hurdle.
Supasundae 16 lengths behind Apples Jade, 3 and 3/4 length behind Sharjah.
Petit Mouchoir 21 lengths behind Apples Jade, 9 lengths behind Sharjah.
Melon 22 lengths behind Apples Jade, 7 and a half lengths behind Sharjah.
If Sharjah were my horse, I would be very concerned about the prospect of Apples Jade in the Champion Hurdle.
I realise that but it's still farcical in terms of value. Some runners should be way bigger than they are.
Gordon Elliott has said superstar mare Apple's Jade will be targeted at the Unibet Champion Hurdle, just hours after connections appeared to play down the chances of her taking on dual winner Buveur D'Air at Cheltenham in March.
Speaking to Nick Luck on RTV on Sunday morning, Elliott said: "I'd prefer to get beat in a Champion Hurdle rather than a Mares' Hurdle. Sleeping on it last night, we'd be mad not to give it a go.
"Buveur D'Air is obviously a very good horse and just does what he has to do every day, but we’ll take him on.
"Up until yesterday I’d have been very nervous but to do what she did here yesterday was very good. She loves a battle and I think Cheltenham would suit her better than Leopardstown."
The announcement by Elliott comes the morning after Apple's Jade's trounced Supasundae and last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon in a superb 16-length win in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown.
Apple's Jade, who finished a disappointing third in last year's Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is now disputing favouritism in the Champion Hurdle market with two-time victor Buveur D'Air, as short as 6-4 is some lists.
GAME ON or just another bluff........
Speaking to Nick Luck on RTV on Sunday morning, Elliott said: "I'd prefer to get beat in a Champion Hurdle rather than a Mares' Hurdle. Sleeping on it last night, we'd be mad not to give it a go.
"Buveur D'Air is obviously a very good horse and just does what he has to do every day, but we’ll take him on.
"Up until yesterday I’d have been very nervous but to do what she did here yesterday was very good. She loves a battle and I think Cheltenham would suit her better than Leopardstown."
The announcement by Elliott comes the morning after Apple's Jade's trounced Supasundae and last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon in a superb 16-length win in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown.
Apple's Jade, who finished a disappointing third in last year's Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is now disputing favouritism in the Champion Hurdle market with two-time victor Buveur D'Air, as short as 6-4 is some lists.
GAME ON or just another bluff........
I think they will, because they have bugger all else for the race. If you look at the years they were clamouring for Willie to run Quevega in the Champion Hurdle, he could quite easily turn around and say "Why? I have Hurricane Fly". The only reason they ran Annie Power in the race was because they had no other suitable runner (Faugheen out injured, Hurricane Fly retired, the others not considered good enough eg Nicholls Canyon). Both Gigginstown and Elliot have nothing other than Apple's Jade to throw at the Champion Hurdle (a race I think they really want to win but would never admit it). If they'd left her with Mullins it might have been her going for her third title, rather than Buveur D'Air.
fools, BVD will walk past her at Cheltenham, would have taken all the beating in the Mares
fools, BVD will walk past her at Cheltenham, would have taken all the beating in the Mares
She got beat in the Mares last year, better to get beaten in the Champion than the Mares!
I think shes a cert for it this year, that Irish Champion was a complete non event, BVD will do what he done to Faugheen with her, cantering all over.
If nothing else her being in it will make it a lot more interesting than it currently is.
Shes been turned over at Cheltenham by Benie De Deaux and Ivanovich Gorbatrov, and needed every yard to beat Vroum Vroum Mag at 2m4. Its not her track.
Shes the lay of the meeting if she runs in the champion, the 2nd banker if she runs in the mares.
Shes the lay of the meeting if she runs in the champion, the 2nd banker if she runs in the mares.
I don't get this about BD not getting credit? He is a dual champion hurdler and has been rightly applauded as such, myself included. But each season is a different challenge and I happen to think he is vulnerable this time around. If you actually look back through his form and what he has beaten, you could argue he has won 2 soft champion hurdles. It is a bit like the argument about Best Mate winning 3 "soft" gold cups. At the end of the day it is all about opinions. Ultimately, there are no soft Gold Cups or soft Champion Hurdles, every winner deserves credit for a marvelous achievement. But that shouldn't cloud our judgement going forward to the next season, and I believe there are serious reasons to take BD on this time around. As this is a horse racing forum, it would seem the appropriate place to air such views, no?
Melon nearly beat BD last year and got spanked yesterday by Apples Jade.BD has been beaten already this season so there is every chance AJ can win next month especially with 7lbs mares allowance.I know she ran poorly in last year's race but she looks a different horse this season.I would love if Mullins would also declare Laurinha for this race but if AJ goes here I reckon he will opt for the penalty kick with the mares hurdle unfortunately.
There is of course a Hendo mare who will also get the allowance who has already lowered BVD's colours. Verdana Blue got very little credit for that Boxing Day victory as folk focused on BVD's hurdling error. Ground no worse than good to soft and the stiff finish won't hinder Hendo's mare on Champion Hurdle day. I do hope they all turn up on the day.
What is going on with Melon at the moment? He s almost too bad it's untrue...last year at the festival Apples Jade was in season which explained her defeat. Knowing Mullins we will have to keep playing the guessing game right up to the 11th hour with Laurina.
On a slightly different note I never understood why Quevega didn't take her chance in the champion hurdle unless Mullins believed she wouldn't beat Hurrican Fly or wasn't good enough. Quevega' s owners were a syndicate so i would have thought they would have wanted to give that race a go..kinda odd that for me unless I m missing something? Owners should have the final say...
Owners should NEVER have the final say. Thats bollocks! You pay the best man good money to make the right decisions, why go against him? That is akin to saying that Sheikh Mansour should be picking the Man City team every saturday.
Doubtless the conversation was had and Mullins advised them to win the race that was a banker for the mare.