Cheltenham Festival
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
These 88 comments are related to the topic:
Binocular?
Binocular?
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 88
|
By:
To be fair if Sprinter Sacre does blow them away in the Arkle then the crowd will be buzzing for the champion hurdle. The tuesday is lining up to be one of the best days racing in a long time. I've been on HF since before January, Bino was impressive Saturday but both horses at their peak and running their race and I think HF has the ability to run to 175+ and I don't think Binocular has that in his locker. I agree though in the actual race anything could happen to cause a below par performance
|
|
By:
people still knocking Hurricne Flys form,oh dear.
He's only ever been beaten twice over hurdles,and one of them defeats was a back end of the season defeat in france, Binocular on the other hand has shown he's an average horse with a hand full of defeats, Not a hope he gets anywhere near HF |
|
By:
Knocking the quality of his CH not his 28 victories over Solwhit. He is very good and very consistent. Binocular is much less consistent but more brilliant. If they both turn up at their best I believe Bino wins.
|
|
By:
Its unreal to think people still think Binocular at his best is better the the fly ! I know everyone is entitled to there own opinions but that beggars belief.
Good luck anyway |
|
By:
Why? They are only 1 lb different on both career best OR and career best RPR.
If you're talking about today, you're probably right - but it depends what question you ask and whether you think Bino can repeat his career best. |
|
By:
Where is the quote from the owner of CH that the horse was sick ?? If he said that it should be available on-line ..
|
|
By:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/9094415/Cheltenham-Festival-scare-for-Paul-Nicholls-as-cough-hits-stable.html
“Our horse Celestial Halo coughed and was a bit low after Wincanton on Saturday. Binocular ran past him as if he was riveted to the ground – and Celtic Halo is much better than that.” |
|
By:
[Though i doubt he called the horse "Celtic Halo"
 ] |
|
By:
OK thanks.
Tbf, we have seen Bino treat CH with contempt in the past. I think their head-to-head record is 6-1 in favour of Bino. That said, CH did have a hard race on Heavy going previously where he scrambled hom from Marsh Warbler so wouldn't be surprised if that left him a bit below par. |
|
By:
so binocular cruises past a sick horse and now he,s suddenly in the form of his life you couldnt make it up
 |
|
By:
re CH , PFN actually said he would have beaten Grandouet this season in that race at Wincanton when Grandouet fell. Anyone who watched that race knows it is complete bullshoit.
PFN very defensive when one of his brigade gets beat. |
|
By:
Some very I'll informed views here.
Binoculars main two rivals were either sick like Solwhit or got injured in the race like Go Native. So rule those two out of that race as a form guide. Still binocular won that champion hurdle very well. Maybe he's a horse trained to peak at the festival. Remember he won the champion hurdle off a worse run of form before. While now he's had a better prep. It's likely that even his top form isn't good enough to beat a still unexposed horse like Hurricane Fly. But one horse can have some bad luck in a race. Plus betting w/o fly he's still an excellent bet. People knocking flys form is hilarious though |
|
By:
I really couldn't knock Fly's form as Thousand Stars and Oscar Whisky have won their fair share of races this year. Regarding you can argue Celestial Halo was sick but what about Starluck and the others who were left for dead? That was the furthest distance he's ever beaten Starluck. Champion hurdle conditions do seem bring out the best in him too.
|
|
By:
If they both turn up at their best I believe Bino wins.
So when Hurricane Fly beats him in the CH,Will it be because Binocular wasnt at his best? |
|
By:
Agree, HF may have more to come yet but does anyone really think Peddlers Cross is a 170 hurdler? 165 max for me...
|
|
By:
Never been a fan of Binocular but hope he can make a race of it this year. I do worry about the proximity of Peddler's Cross to HF last year. I dont think that was great 2 mile form.
|
|
By:
PC was way short on exp last season. Such a surprise they went Chasing imo.
|
|
By:
thieveslikeus
22 Feb 12 11:48 Joined: 11 Jan 12 | Topic/replies: 424 | Blogger: thieveslikeus's blog Solwhit, Go Native, previous winner Punjabi, previous runner up Celestial Halo, Khyber Kim had been winning trials impressively and at least had the experience to put up a serious challenge! Was a much stronger race. Fast time as well, HF's time was awful, almost 2secs slower than the Supreme! 2010 CH Time: 3M 53.9 2011 CH Time: 3M 53.6 |
|
By:
Must admit i was one who was knocking HF last season,well his form mainly with Solwhit,but hes won me round and convinced me hes a true class act.Cant knock him now thats for sure.
I also think Bino is a true class act on his day,and i really think that should Bino produce his best on the day,we are in for a treat.He certainly saves his best for the Festival,so its well possible it could happen. HF is probably the better,certainly a darn sight more consistent,but its all about on the day. |
|
By:
Tory, you cannot compare times on different ground 2 years apart! You can compare 2 races on the the same day, especially over the same c and d.
|
|
By:
I'm a late comer to this thread, so apologies if I am just repeating what some people have said.
Firstly, Bino really impressed me on Saturday; not with what he beat, but how he jumped and travelled. Whether Celestial Halo was sick or not, I don't think it would have mattered. I think he is a major player in the w/out Hurricane Fly market, infact, I'd put him the best of the rest, but I don't think he's streets ahead of others in the market behind him (some of which are much bigger prices). Trying to compare his Champion Hurdle win and Hurricane Fly's Champion Hurdle win is a pointless argument in my opinion. Both are Champion Hurdles that won in impressive fashion (although on paper I would say the Fly's looks a lot stronger). I believe Hurricane Fly is a much better horse than Binocular, and I don't think there is one single scenario where I would back Binocular over him. Over 2m or 2m4f I'd back the Fly, on quick ground or a bog I'd back the Fly, and on a flat track or undulating track I'd back the Fly. He is so much more consistent than Binocular, and when fit he never runs a bad race. Even in defeat to Solwhit where even Muirhead beat him, he went down with a fight and all guns blazing, where Bino has the tendency to chuck the towel a little early for me. I'm not saying the Fly is unbeatable. 3 weeks is a long time in racing, especially approaching the Festival, and this is magnified with the Fly and his injury record. So sorry for not being original, talking up an odds on shot against a 6/1 shot, but I'd rather have a short price winner than a long price loser. For those of you on double figure prices, I'm sure many (including me) would love to have that voucher, so well done. Also, times mean nothing for me. Different horses, different tactics are all a factor. If you went by times, why isn't Al Ferof going for the Champion Hurdle, and why isn't he favourite? He ran round 2 seconds faster so the Fly has to make up a couple of lengths on him for a start? |
|
By:
id do agree i think hf is awesome, the one thing i like about binocular is if he runs his best hes never been beat, he only ever gets beat when he underperforms, were was some other top horses have been beat when at their best, i dont think binocular has ever been beat when hes been at the the top of his game.
|
|
By:
Agree thieves, just thought that awfulwas slightly strong
|
|
By:
He ran round 2 seconds faster so the Fly has to make up a couple of lengths on him for a start?
how many lengths can a horse run in 2 seconds????????????? |
|
By:
No idea, why don't you get your stop watch and time them?
|
|
By:
if he runs his best hes never been beat, he only ever gets beat when he underperforms
Wow,what a silly statement.you could say that about almost every horse, Has Hurricane Fly even been beat when hes run to his best?has kauto star?has big bucks,has denman? |
|
By:
by my reckoning a national hunt horse covers around 12 lengths per second
|
|
By:
1 second = roughly 6lbs
|
|
By:
1 second = roughly 12lbs, brain freeze sorry, ignore above. Alleged is roughly correct
|
|
By:
5L/mile = 1 second, 10L at 2m, 1.2lbs/L = 12lbs. That's the standard method for speed figure calcs, anyway.
|
|
By:
Having watched the Kingwell again,its hard not to be impressed,glided all the way round and won without been asked a question,
if there was no Hurricane Fly then id give him every chance,but unfortunately for him,there is a Hurricane Fly |
|
By:
Well Well Well , I can not wait much longer , the fly is better than bino - my money is on and more will be going on - the best 4 mins of many a mans' lives IS the champion hurdle :)
|
|
By:
I'm starting to wonder why we even bother holding these races. Apparently Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Big Bucks, Sprinter Sacre, Sizing Europe and Grands Crus only have to turn up to win. It would just be quicker and easier to hand over the trophies/prize money/bookies cash now and have a day off next month.
|
|
By:
 Think Quevega & BB may only have to turn up but wouldn't be a huge unbelievable shock if any of the rest got turned over. Will more than likely be against Sprinter Sacre, Sizing and Grand Crus |
|
By:
Surely wherever Binocular finishes, Rock On Ruby has to be very close. Binocular was brilliant in his Champion and his jumping was back to its best at the weekend and think he'll give Hurricane Fly a real race.
|
|
By:
Stront
Every year we have countless threads about the co called bankers,nothing different there mate.Only difference will be if they all actually win!! |
|
By:
Having said that,this year i have actually done some accas with the "unbeatables".Mainly as cover bets cos i have Oscar Whisky,Al Ferof and Binocular as big winners.
SE and Quevega i see as hard to beat,but the others could well be vulnerable,and if the aint i may still make some cash!! |
|
By:
It'd take a man with bigger balls than me to lay the Fly at anywhere near evens.
Of the"bankers" I see the Fly and Quevega as the best bets. Sizing Europe is not one I can back at a short price, Big Bucks will have the strongest opposition yet, and Grands Crus might not even run. Injury plagued season or not, the Fly's comeback was sensational and if he can repeat that the others are running for place money. May be biased, I talked him up before last years CH at 14/1, backed him for the CH the year before and had him at a very very tasty price for Cousin Vinny's Supreme. Last year's win was vindication for me of 3 years of banging on to my mates about him. |
|
By:
The theory that Binocular is some kind of Cheltenham specialist is probably a illusion. He's a versatile
horse who handles most conditions ,but I doubt Chelt is ideal except under certain circumstances which he had when he won 2 years ago. He ran okay when out stayed in the supreme on pretty soft ground and only a few weeks later at Aintree looked a better horse on good ground on a flat track. In the champion hurdle a year later he looked the one to beat but didn't look well pre-race and sweated up also. In the race they went a sustained blistering gallop which appeared to blunt Binoclars finishing kick on the quite soft ground and he was left to settle for third which was disappointing. In 2010 he finally faced goodish ground at Chelt and won well seeing ,the trip out well. If it's goodish ground this year he could get placed ,but if the ground rides very much on the soft side he may well get blown away. Other facts about this horse are in his uk races he's 3/9 going left handed and 8/9 going right hand. |
|
By:
I'd quibble with a couple of minor points tinkler - Bino almost always sweats up and doesn't look great pre-race - whether he runs well or not. I also think it's harsh to say he "settled for third" in his first CH when he'd have been in front 2 strides after the line, whereas you make it sound like he got stuffed.
|