If Thousand Stars is at his best he can win, I remeber just how close he came to OW over course and distance 2 years ago. TBH it wouldn't suprise me if those 2 fought out the finish again. As you say champion hurdle form rarely stacks up in the Aintree hurdle
I may be wrong here so forgive me if I am but I dont believe a Neptune winner has ever won the Aintree hurdle in the same season. In fact I think the only Neptune winner ever to win an Aintree Hurdle was the great Istabraq. I am not sure how many have attempted but surely it's a measure as to how good they think this horse is that they are trying!
I'd probably be with Thousand Stars if I had a gun to my head but don't think I'll be backing anything
I'm suprised that isn't enough to put a shrewd judge like yourself off Stick, doesn't that 'stat' if it is the case go along way to prove how unreliable 2 and a half mile form at Cheltenham is when translating to the same distance at Aintree. The New One is clearly only as short as 7/2 because he was so impressive at Cheltenham, so it is that piece of form that his supporters fancy him on. Where as there are other horses in the race like OW, TS, Zarkandar and even Grandouet who looked a winner at Aintree when falling, who have good form at the track
Its not piece of form though is it. Aside getting stuck in tacky ground at Cheltenham when outstayed by the Bartlett winner he has looked sensational all season. As you like stats. At Cheltenham they had a speed camera set up between the third ladt and second last. Hurricane Fly was clocked at 27mph, The New One was clocked at 32mph!
I think Grandouet is a class horse so I will stick with him, assuming it's no softer than soft. Any drier and I would be more confident.
