I pretty much agree, Faugheen is without doubt a well above average winner of the Champion Hurdle, and at the moment has shown better form than Arctic Fire. I just feel Arctic Fire has a lot more to come and can like you say win a good few G1s next season. Wether he can topple Faugheen, he'd have to improved abit. But at the moment he is certainly the strongest of the competition. Peace and Co will be to young, whilst Jezki is just not classy enough, and is the worst CH winner since Katchit in my opinion
He found himself out by making an error. He certainly wasn't found out by the competition. He lost today, but he will be worth keeping faith with in future on decent ground. It's like saying Annie Power was found out. I bet you wouldn't back Glens Melody if the pair met again
Punjabi beating Celestial Halo, Crack Away Jack and Muirhead Give us peace Shergar! last years CH was a proper race, nearly 6 seconds faster than this years, Arctic Fire and even Faugheen have yet to encounter the test of an event at that level, although I dont doubt Faugheens ability to handle it, there is literally no evidence to suggest Arctic Fire could, would have found out more today if he stayed on his feet.
Annie Power was miles clear when she fell Shergar, its nothing like the same, Jezki was actually closing on Arctic Fire when they jumped the last and there was nothing between them. Your just talking nonsense now every post.
Sorry but Arctic Fire jumped awfully and still would have beaten Jeski fairly comfortably today if he had stayed up. Probably left 6/7 lengths left on the hurdles. You could tell in the lead up to the festival WM knew AF was way way better than people thought and would run a belter. He jumped much better in the champion and with a more positive ride would have gone v v close to Faugheen. Had he not fallen today he would have won no doubt about it. To say he's beaten nothing is ridiculous. In the race it really mattered he beat all the competition (faugheen was always nailed on and anyone who thought otherwise was silly) despite a poorish ride. World hurdle next year?
Punjabi was a better hurdler than Jezki. Only a last fence fall in the Xmas Hurdle cost him winning all three 2 mile G1 hurdles in England in a season for a million pound bonus.
Finally someone with some sense on this whole debate. That was until you mentioned the World Hurdle, he is far to good a horse to be running over 3 miles
So you agree that Arctic Fire was found out today, because he fell at the last travelling the strongest. You say a horse is found out when they are beaten on merit. He made a mistake today which cost him, it certainly wasn't a case of him being found out. As he has more talent than any in today's race. The same as Annie has more talent than any in the mares hurdle
I dont have The Dons vision of the universes potential outcomes but I think he was talking about TNO, and I cant be sure but I think he might have backed Arctic Fire today
Barely gets 2m4, if they go for the World Hurdle next year ill be going double the odds and taking the lot!
McCoy felt he had Arctic Fire covered when he came to grief. "The two of us were racing between the second-last and the last and this lad has an inclination to go left, so I wanted to make sure I got the inside on him," said the jockey. "I thought it was going to be a tight race. Whether I'd have won or not I don't know, but 50 yards from the hurdle I thought I had him beat." I tend to agree with the Greatest NH Jockey of all time, I reckon he knows a thing or two about these races. I think the differing riding style of Walsh and McCoy, and the different types of horses they were on has given some the impression that Arctic Fire was going a lot better than Jezki, in reality McCoy had not asked for anything serious and was only making sure he held the position he wanted. And of course, Walsh has never been beaten on a horse who looked to be travelling best, let alone on a horse who is 2 from 12
McCoy = The best of a bad bunch that ride day in day out He is not even the best jockey around these days. Geraghty and Walsh are not just better than McCoy, they are miles better! It is no suprise McManus the biggest owner, rarely has many dominant G1 horses. Because they have the misfortune of having McCoy on top. It even took Geraghty to win Jezki the CH
Shock horror winning jockey doesn't admit to being a jammy sod lol MBIIJLI for someone who had their ass ABSOLUTELY handed to him on a plater at Cheltenham you don't half come across as someone who mistakes their opinion as fact The fact that when both completed 4 weeks ago Arctic Fire comfortably held Jezki seems a total irrelevance to you! Hey, it's horse racing but it doesn't matter who finishes in front if you don't like the outcome seems to be your rationale
I was also recently on Misu Mac at 66/1 and the 16/1 winner in the race after it. Whats one week at Cheltenham? You know yourself that you are not always going to have a good week, and I didnt lose anything like you seem to think, I dont actually lay horses you know. I got beat in a game giving out mental odds, I better chuck it eh. And what do you want? Props for looking at the race card to find Mullins Walsh FAV. The race 4 weeks might as well have been a 5f sprint.
Have rewatched it and I still think AF would have won by a couple of lengths but just a personal opinion. Why does whether I backed it or not matter Boris? I actually had both AF and Jeski as thought would be 1/2! Totally Impartial. Pocket talk blames jockeys or interference / bad luck in running. He fell so end of story and to win you have to jump well which he didn't when it mattered. Its simply a matter of opinion as to who would have won and we will all have different views. He jumped awfully today and didn't deserve to win bit but still nearly still did! To rubbish that performance and what he has done is silly tho. I have a feeling WM saw him develop quickly and I think he will run in the WH next year. Mystic Meg am I and 12s would be more than fair!
When WM first got him he thought 2 miles and not a furlong further would be his trip. So cannot see him going up to 3 miles anytime soon. There are 2 mile G1 hurdles in Ireland and England, so Mullins can mop up in both, with Faugheen and AF being kept apart
Makes Arctic Fires performance even more impressive then considering he was out the back in a slowly run race! Jezki was in the right place for a sprint to the line and still got thrashed
