Is Solwhit a player in the Arkle

not sure how well he will jump... have to wait and see

This horse is clearly top class,last season everyone kept saying himself and hurricane fly were average before hf totally blew that crap out of the water when showing just how classy he is when bolting up in the ch,solwhit has never been given enough credit imo but when you look back and realise the kind of races he was giving hurricane fly in hindsight he was banging his head against a wall up against such a classy animal,if he can jump fences nothing will get near him imo

Really dont fancy him. I think he'll need it desperate.

Nor do i,and getting readily beat by HF means nowt as far as i am concerned.Be different if he actually had given HF a race,like PC did!!And using HF as a guide as you have OTS then PC if he jumps beats Solwhit.
Solwhit needs soft ground and further than 2m over hurdles to produce his best.Not sure about fences of course,but i suspect he wont be quick enough to win an Arkle with the calibre of opposition he is likely to face.He is an admirable horse though,but imo not good enough at the top level over 2m.Would have thought the nov race over 2 and half would be more suited to Solwhit.

he'll win a few though in ireland wont he

a few what Howdi? 2m chases??

yes he'll win some soft 2 milers ....

buddeliea so getting beat a neck by hf is now known as been readily beaten is it?
Solwhit needs soft ground and further than 2m over hurdles to produce his best.Not sure about fences of course,but i suspect he wont be quick enough to win an Arkle
its usually a stayer who wins an arkle,just check back over the last few winners and you'll see that

Yes, stayers win it, just like last yr.

Over timber, i'd think a fully fit HF would give him at least 7lbs.

I think Budd's view is that he will not be good enough.

That is my view too. Some of this view is formed on my opinion that his best days may be behind him. Fences could rejuvenate him. I think he's had 23 or so runs in his life (yes, over timber) and by the time he gets to the Arkle it may be near 27/28. I do not know how many Arkle winners have had 28 runs in their life at that point. Contraband had had lots and Moscow Flyer too but i think fresher, improving legs may beat him.

OTS.
Solwhit got beat 3 times by HF last season as i recall,and by rather more than a neck.PC had him off the bridle and made him work for victory,something Solwhit could not manage.
Just pointing out that to use HF as a guide then Solwhit cannot beat PC providing that they can jump a fence.
Yes Arkle winners tend to stay further so you do have a point there,but i still think Solwhit would be better in the 2m and half race,or possibly the RSA? I notice on here he is shorter price for the RSA than the Arkle.
RC makes a valid point re amount of races he has had,and he has had his problems also.
imo if he jumps he will not run in the Arkle,i really dont think he is good enough to beat the likely opposition over 2m these days.

"PC had him off the bridle and made him work for victory,something Solwhit could not manage."

Watch the Punchestown Champion Hurdle from last year.

everyone talks of solwhit as if he is 16

^ I agree. And think Solwhit is one of the most under-rated horses in the game. Almost faultless record in Grade Ones (bar being beaten by the machine that is HF) and genuine excuses for the very rare bad run he has put in. Tough as nails, stays, not short of speed as some would have you believe. What more could you ask for?

People say he's ground dependent but they forget he's won an Aintree Hurdle on gd-sft and that run at Punchestown where he gave the Fly a serious fright was on Good.

Will go into the Arkle as the leading Irish contender imo

Finally,someone who agrees with me
incredibly under rated horse,gave HF a race on more than one occasion,and as i said before if he can jump he'll take a lot of beating in the ARKLE

Byrnes' other stable star is six-time Grade One winner Solwhit, who will be one of the best hurdlers to go novice chasing in Ireland this season.

"I'm happy with him and he should also be out in November sometime, but I'm not sure where yet," Byrnes added.

"I think the plan is still to go novice chasing with him."