Punjabi

He's a horse I like a lot and I'll be watching his fencing debut with interest; I'm not totally convinced he has the ideal build for 'chasing but we'll see.

Yeah SC he isn't the biggest, so we'd be more hopeful with regards to his determination and ability to travel than anything else. I wonder where he will turn up ?

reminds me a wee bit of fair along but a bit more classier

in limbo if you own this...not good enough anymore over hurdles at top class...what do u do?

Best horse to go over fences for many, many years, imo.

Give him some decent ground and he would still be very hard to beat over hurdles, imho...

He had decent ground in the Champion Hurdle.

Clearly not himself for most of last season TD, imo.

Can't understand these not good enough comments - he's a Champion Hurdler, and they really don't give those races away...

TD, give him a chance.

The horse is not putting his best foot forward last season, so...

I hope he goes chasing, according to the trainer/books, he will take the same route as last season.

He won't be taking the same route as he is going chasing mate. I just don't know where he will start.

travelled well through most of his races last year, but didn't finish them which is worrying, in boxing terms he may have lost his punch resistance

If he jumps well the others would have to go some in the Arkle to beat him - he was without any doubt the best hurdler in this country two seasons ago, and there won't be many horses who will be able to live with him over fences if he jumps them even close to the standard he did hurdles, imo...

Not sure about the best hurdler 2 seasons ago myself.He won the CH yes,but his trainer was surprised at that and was convinced Binocular was better,and events since would back that up i would think. Punjabi showed signs of regression last season,pretty poor really,and no way would i be backing him for any race.Have a feeling we have seen the best of him.

Buddeliea, if he hadn't fallen in the Christmas Hurdle when cantering, he would have won all three Grade One Hurdles in Britain that season, imo.

And it surely doesn't matter in the least what his trainer thinks, when they all lined up and pointed in the direction of the winning post for the Champion Hurdle, he was the one that got there first.

Don't know what the future holds for him, but if they can get him back he's the best horse to be sent chasing in a very long time, imho...

To me the best performance that season was Binocular AT Ascot,but i do take your point re him falling at Kempton.Just think to say without any doubt is  going a bit far.

Fair enough Buddeliea, I was atually at Ascot that day and it was a great run...

actually

If he takes to fences he will make his current odds look ridiculous.  I can't see why his odds are 2.5 times bigger than Celestial Halo.

At the beginning of last year Sizing Europe had a very similar profile.  Quality Grade 1 winner over hurdles and then started to regress slightly falling just below top top quality.  He was trading at very long odds in the Arkle and as soon as he won his first chase his odds tumbled because people realised he could take his hurdles quality over fences.

Punjabi has course form, proven Grade 1 hurdler, can handle the pressure of the festival, and is only a 7yo.  Hopefully the transition to fences will light him up again.

The main worry for me is that previous Arkle winners have proved they can all stay past 2m where Punjabi hasn't.

Fair comments

Fair comments indeed wellchief though Punjabi has nothing like the physical scope of Sizing Europe. I'm not so sure SE had realised his full potential over hurdles - injuries prevented that.  Also SE has not been involved in the same number of tough battles Punjabi has - whether that's a good or bad thing we will need to wait and see.

But if Punjabi takes to fences and his engine hasn't been worn out, he'll be a very interesting contender.