Cheltenham Festival
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Hurricane Fly thread
Hurricane Fly thread
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You would also have to hope the better ground and undulations at Cheltenham don't aggravate any residual effects of his previous leg injuries.
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There is form line Medermit ran at both Cheltenham and Punchestown last year, Medermit was a consistent performer last season. Hurricane Fly has improved since his win that day.
He's bang there in the mix and as aka pointed out he is impressive in how he manages to be unfazed by the hustle and bustle of big field races. His win's at the Punchestown festival in 09 and 10 for example. Boxed in in 09, and had to go 4 wide round horses in 10 to get after Solwhit. He's also shown his battling qualities in getting up that day. As for his Hurdling, he's very quick over his hurdles and it's certainly an asset to him and far from a worry. Look at the latter stages of his races he hurdles very well and gets away from them very quick. He's got everything to like about a 2m hurdler. The only thing we need to find out now is if he's good enough, he has the tools, does he have the engine. |
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... and can he handle Prestbury Park.
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I've now hear it all, Hurricane Fly has a bit of the harchibalds about him? Seriously some people are totally clueless. It's staggering.
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ill be very suprised if the fly finishes in ther first 3, i see binocular menorah and PC all finishing ahead, suppose 4th first time at the festival wont be a disaster cybrne?
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I've backed HF among others for the CH, but today's performance raised some doubts for me. That's the second race in a row where I've noticed he jumps slightly right - just the width of a hurdle panel but it's bound to affect balance and rhythm. It might also get him bumping a few rivals, taking even more out of him.
That tendency to jump to one side can also signify an underlying physical problem (could be favouring his near-fore) and given his previous splint problems, it's not a good sign. Today was his sternest test pace-wise and while he travelled with his usual effortless style, it was the first time this season I've seen him come under a semblance of pressure at the finish and, to me, he did not respond. He kept on OK but I thought Solwhit was just pegging him back a bit as they approached the line - nothing obvious, but I'm fairly sure the Fly had little more to give. It could easily be down to his interrupted prep and/or his recent busy schedule; equally it could be an indication that he doesn't find much under strong driving. If he jumps right in a hot-paced Champion in March, I suspect the hill will find him out. |
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I agree about his jumping to the right being a slight concern. But at the business end he was jumping straight. Also today was his 3rd run inside 7 weeks so it's understandable he might have been a bit below par today. Especially given Mullins post race comments on RTE where he said the horse had a cut on his foot going into the race today and he was worried it would be hurting him in the race. He said he hoped the adreneline would make him forget about it during the race.
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smart mouth, Mr Byrne! ...but all your bluster can't make this horse the world beater you seem to think he is.... if you are unable to cope with other peoples opinions I suggest to start your own blog and talk to yourself..
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Why don't you go and lift the Fly's tail and get it over with? Honestly, calling me a clueless moron for suggesting he has it all to prove against horses who have been sent into battle rather than left to trot around Irish bogs. I just hope lots more clueless morons like you keep backing him.
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I think he'll love having Binocular to chase up the hill, imo he's been crying out for more competition and a proper lead in a championship race. If Binocular doesn't run his race (twice beaten when expected to win at Cheltenham) he could be the one. But agreed, he still has a bit to prove and this is a seriously good renewal..
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CV I mentioned elsewhere that Mullins seems to be taking a fairly cavalier attitude to campaigning his horses this season, especially compared to many others of 'he won't run again till Cheltenham' school of thought. I don't think the latter choice is perfect by any means and somewhere in the middle lies the answer. But I fear Mullins might be weakening the chances of a few of his Festival fancies with this strategy.
Also, to run a horse, let alone a potential champ, when he fears he could be hurting from an injury leaves the trainer open to heavy criticism from animal rights supporters as well as regular racing fans. I'm beginning to think the maestro is losing the plot. |
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I was pretty amazed he said the horse had a sore foot. But to be fair to him the horse has won his 3 starts and I'm sure the owners are wanting him to run. There is plenty of time for him to be nice and fresh for Cheltenham and it's nobodies fault the weather caused the races to be so close to eachother.
He'll be going to Cheltenham with 3 runs on his belt the same as Binocular. |
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Now to be fair he said it may have been hurting him, we've no idea how bad the cut was, it could have been nothing
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I have never been a Hurricane Fly fan, but today's effort looked a marked improvement on what he's shown before - even if he was beating Solwhit again.
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I backed Bino last year and I have backed him again this year but I'm not convinced he, or those he's been beating are up to much.
Khyber Kim was disappointing before last season, has he improved or is the opposition weaker? Celestial Halo and Zaynar have not franked the form. In the Christmas hurdle last year he was beaten by Go Native and I never really rated him top class. In his first CH he lost to Punjabi, and previously he was beaten by Captain Cee Bee. I do rate him but in the back of my mind are these nagging reminders that he is not invincible by any means. And in this years Christmas hurdle he did wi well but how good is the form? |
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Master Minded looked invincible until Zeb tonked him. Always be wary of horses you haven't beaten well.
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roll on march
Hurricane Fly - Champion Hurdle Winner 2011  |
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I hope Ruby can bury him somewhere on the rail at Cheltenham. That might help with any tendency to jump right. I think the evidence so far is that he is a horse you could do that with, i.e. small and nippy and will go through a gap. Ruby could do worse than follow Richard Johnson.
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I can't believe the criticism that Hurricane Fly has received, for winning three Grade 1 wins on the trot.
Whenever Binocular loses everyone is really quick to offer an excuse, but when Hurricane Fly wins people are quick to knock the form. I agree with Brigust in terms of Binoculars form. People keep saying HF is only beating Solwhit this year but Bino has only beat Starluck and Overturn in his last run (Khyber Kim really needed the run as well). I would rate Solwhit above both Overturn and Starluck. While I agree that it would be good to beat other horses than Solwhit, I don't see how Binocular's performances this year have been so much better than Hurricane Fly's. I would also like Hurricane Fly to have course form, but I think that is factored into his price. If he had won the Supreme a couple of years ago (the year he slammed Go Native), I'm sure he'd be much shorter in the market now but that's the risk you take. I do think that Hurricane Fly will win the Champion, and I don't think Binocular has ever raced a horse as good as him (and that includes Peddlers Cross - and I love Peddlers Cross - won a good few quid on him). |
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Burying him on the rail is only likely to get him involved in bumping matches, imo. Also, much as Mullins favours Ruby, I'd be surprised if Townend loses the ride now
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It would be stupid bad judgement to put Ruby on the horse given he's only ridden him once before. Also Hurricane Fly has no problem being bumped or anything, his two wins at the Punchestown festival show how he can deal with the troubles of big field runs and still find a way to the front while still on the steel.
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CV, Ruby is 3 from 3 on him (one in France); PT is 5 from 6 but they'd be daft to jock him off imo
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If Ruby is fit he will ride it. No doubts about that.
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Well Townend has ridden him in 7 of his last 8 runs. So it would make sense to keep him on board. Ruby will get the ride though, no way he'll not fight for it given he's never won the Champion Hurdle.
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Make sense? How many winners has PT ridden at the Cheltenham Festival?
I think PT is very good but as yet he is not Ruby Walsh and in this race you will need everything you can as an advantage. Everything. |
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Ruby doesn't know the horse as well as Townend.
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I would love decent odds that his stable companion Thousand Stars finishes in front of him if both run in the CH
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Bonkers
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CVByrne Joined: 14 Mar 06
Replies: 1584 23 Jan 11 23:17 Bonkers All about opinions. Festival form always worth backing and HF has never run at Cheltenham before [;)] |
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What niggles me about Hurricane Fly's wins this season is that he's not put any more distance between himself and Thousand Stars this season.
It is not impossible that Thousand Stars has improved 25lb since last March (won off OR134 and rated OR140 after winning) but his form since then has all been rated thru' Hurricane Fly. It could be - just could be, mind - that the Irish hurdle form this season is pants, and totally upside down. We wont know for sure till Cheltenham and Fly punters will either be very, very happy or miserable as sin. |
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Wayward, form in conditions races can be vey misleading. I don't think for 1 minute that Thousand Stars would beat HF. He has sat in behind and made the running, nothing closed the gap.
I actually thought TS was a great bet, and backed him, for the Arkle because he will find it difficult to win this year but WM knows best. |
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Wayward there is a limit to how far hurricane fly is going to put between himself and his rivals if he is only asked to quicken after the last hurdle. You can't knock him for easily defeating his donalds just because he didn't beat them by x number of lengths.
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donalds = rivals
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 Donalds!! Whats that about mate?? |
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Donald McCain?
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Predictive text on my phone, I have a samsung galaxy s and use swype. Sometimes it comes up with some odd words
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TONY McCOY believes Hurricane Fly is the biggest danger to Binocular successfully defending his title in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
McCoy said: "Hurricane Fly is an exceptional horse and he is the one that everybody at Cheltenham is going to have to worry about. "If you owned him you would be struggling to pick any holes in him. He has won over two and a half miles, he has got pace and he probably goes on any ground, so he has got the lot. "With Peddlers Cross and Menorah too, it is going to be an exciting Champion Hurdle if they get there but Hurricane Fly is the one that I am going to have to worry about." McCoy was pleased to see Binocular return to winning form in Kempton's rearranged Christmas Hurdle on ground that he believes would not have suited the seven-year-old. He told At The Races: "I was thrilled with him. It was a long way off his Champion Hurdle form but it was a progression from what he achieved at Newbury. When I rode him at Newbury he was very fresh. "At Kempton it was the sort of ground I'm sure not a lot of horses like so I thought the best thing to do was to ride him handy, but good horses are easy to ride." |
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probably goes on any ground?? he fails to mention this horse has never quickened off a fast pace aswel as always running on soft ground!
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good for him,he may be correct,but then again........
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Hurricane Fly quickened off a fast pace yesterday you moron. Try watching racing from time to time, you may learn something.
He's also won on good ground twice, he's won on all types of ground, heavy, soft, yeilding, good. Speed horses are at their best on good ground where they you know can use their speed. |