Cheltenham Festival
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I was hugely impressed with Grandouet in the first half of this season before injury struck. However, I never considered backing him antepost for the Champion Hurdle as I thought he was still a touch on the weak side. Five year olds' poor record in Champion Hurdles emphasises the notion that a 5yo may still be on the fragile side when it comes to contesting a Champion Hurdle and Zarkandar fell into this stat band with his run at the Festival. With a nice break from the track between his 5yo and 6yo season, hopefully Grandouet can develop a touch more physically and come back firing next year. If anything, missing this year’s Champion Hurdle may well have been a good thing for the long term future of the horse.
Grandouet's 4 length beating of Overturn receiving 4lbs would have put him bang there in the Champion Hurdle this year and he has now proved that he can handle the Cheltenham hill, which many people assumed wasn’t the case after his juvenile runs at the track. When he lines up in the Champion Hurdle as a 6yo next March, he will have alot of experience under his belt for a horse his age and he already looks built and equipped with the speed to pick up a Fighting Fifth or Christmas Hurdle along the way. A possible route next year could easily be Fighting Fifth – Bula – Kingwell – Champion Hurdle.
People may argue that the obvious Henderson horse for next year would be Spirit Son given his Supreme run in 2011 and comprehensive beatings of future Champion Hurdle winner Rock on Ruby and Arkle runner up Cue Card when last seen on the track. However, his injury sounded like a bad one when reported in February and he is surely not a betting proposition at 12/1 given the lack of trust that can be placed on the trainer. For all we know, he could be out for the whole of next season already, yet this may not be confirmed to us until 2013.
Both Grandouet and Spirit Son have bags of potential to fulfil and they could both easily do this next year. However, Grandouet's form in 2011/2012 is that of a horse on a big upward curve and I expect to see him improve again next year if over his injury. I hope they resist the urge to run him at Aintree or Punchestown and give the horse a proper break to assist him fulfilling his massive potential. In my eyes, he is the clear standout value in the current Champion Hurdle 2013 antepost markets.
Grandouet's 4 length beating of Overturn receiving 4lbs would have put him bang there in the Champion Hurdle this year and he has now proved that he can handle the Cheltenham hill, which many people assumed wasn’t the case after his juvenile runs at the track. When he lines up in the Champion Hurdle as a 6yo next March, he will have alot of experience under his belt for a horse his age and he already looks built and equipped with the speed to pick up a Fighting Fifth or Christmas Hurdle along the way. A possible route next year could easily be Fighting Fifth – Bula – Kingwell – Champion Hurdle.
People may argue that the obvious Henderson horse for next year would be Spirit Son given his Supreme run in 2011 and comprehensive beatings of future Champion Hurdle winner Rock on Ruby and Arkle runner up Cue Card when last seen on the track. However, his injury sounded like a bad one when reported in February and he is surely not a betting proposition at 12/1 given the lack of trust that can be placed on the trainer. For all we know, he could be out for the whole of next season already, yet this may not be confirmed to us until 2013.
Both Grandouet and Spirit Son have bags of potential to fulfil and they could both easily do this next year. However, Grandouet's form in 2011/2012 is that of a horse on a big upward curve and I expect to see him improve again next year if over his injury. I hope they resist the urge to run him at Aintree or Punchestown and give the horse a proper break to assist him fulfilling his massive potential. In my eyes, he is the clear standout value in the current Champion Hurdle 2013 antepost markets.
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backed and lost enough on grandouet already
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always the time of year when hosses that didnt make it to cheltenham are fancied as their reputations are still in tact.
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I agree with you Commander. The 5yo stat is one I always heed when assessing my shortlist for next years Champion. Grandouet has a beautiful flowing action and the natural physical improvement will give him an excellent chance. The form is in the bag and he is a safer option than Spirit Son.
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Spirit Son's still done very little on the racecourse.
If I had to pick the winner now it would be Grandouet (12 months out of course!). I think missing the Festival this year may, perversely, do him good and he'll benefit next year from an extra season of experience and physical development. His form with Overturn suggests he wouldn't have been far away this March. There doesn't seem to be a superstar for the 2013 Champion yet. Nothing from this renewal is banker material and the Supreme didn't seem a great race. If Simonsig goes chasing as expected, we're looking at the placed horses from the Neptune as the challengers. |