Rock On Ruby Champion Hurdle winner 2013

Zarkandar needs the stiff track, grandouet, you are just guessing but he is the danger. HF needs it soft and slow.

I was going to be more aggressive mr e, but as you are a good guy i will try to make you think.

The horses you posted above were all flat bred who won on decent ground, ROR 2nd in the neptune is top class form and he followed it into the next season.

A champion hurdler needs to be top class at 2m4f/2m5f

jesus marychain, ROR can make it on his own ?

ROR was 2lengths behind the 'pacesetter' at the 2nd hurdle and throughout the race.

Noel Fehily is in the top 2 imo

Yeah I could be underestimating him mate.

We'll see.

I'm not sure I'm even going to bother having a bet in the race.

Out of interest where do you rate NF  ?

The horses you posted above were all flat bred who won on decent ground

is it easier to make a fast horse jump hurdles, or is it easier to make a good jumper run faster???

there seems to be more and more speed in the NH game in recent years imo, thoughts???

thats a bit racist ibrahima

Its a hell of a difference running behind a pacesetter and doing it all yourself though imo, although Hardy Eustace is an exception that proves the rule. I still think the fact that Sizing Europe had to make his own running in the QMCC after Wishfull Thinking crashed out set it up for Finian's Rainbow. It was more that than the fact they never jumped the last that helped FR imo.

i would agree with you first point 100%. but you just know someone will make it.

But the big plus is that, if no one does, he can

I'm a HUGE HF fan but ROR will unquestionably in my opinion be in the top 3. Has a huge chance to win as well

I've been taking advantage of the PP offer and got a few people to back both Zarkandar and ROR with the money back if HF wins offer. I have it plainly between those three. Looking for more friends, wives, colleagues and whoever to get on for me. Very negative on Grandouet so don't see many threats to the bet

I'm doing the same. Backed HF in here at an average of 5.24, will back again but covering on Zark and ROR with PP. will be amazed if one of those 3 don't win

Why are ye ruling out Grandouet lads??1 run in 15 months and missing his prep I presume??

4lbs better off with Zark. from International Hurdle,Zark race fit and Grandouet making seasonal debut.The champion hurdle course suits speed horses more so than the one in International also.Drying Ground also in his favour.

back it then

Yep, the entire reason. Start of the season there were two horses I was very keen on; spirit son and grandouet. I learnt the hard way last year that a horse going into the CH with a poor prep on the back of one run should not be backed. Have no doubt whatsoever he is a class horse, but could not back it under any circumstances

especially not after seeing what Alleged has to say about NJH horses going into Cheltenham without a prep run (2 winners from 76 attempts)

Glad to see I'm not the only one puzzled by the race.

I'm pretty sure HF is too short given his record at the track, but I can't figure out what beats him.

ROR is a terrific e/w bet on paper, specially in conjunction with that PP offer. But as Mr E. pointed out earlier, it's hard to shake the lingering mental image of Darlan cantering all over him. And ROR had his ground that day.

Zarkandar has youth on his side, but will the trip be too sharp?

Grandouet has had no sort of prep. And how anyone could back Binocular at 10/1 is beyond me.

Basically all the fancied runners have question marks against them. It seems like an open race and anything could happen.

Correct me if i'm wrong but Darlan is not running in the race. It's totally irrelevant how much he would have won by.

To be clear, if Darlan was still with us and running, then ROR would be a 10/1 shot and even then i'd doubt i'd back him. But sadly Darlan is not here. ROR still beat a useful horse 3 lengths when prepping.

The only issue for me is how soft the ground will be. If it comes up Soft then you'd have to look at Zarkandar. I'm not convinced by the Fly at all now. He's been beating very little.

Despite my concerns over ROR this season, I will have him as a saver on to day if the ground is better than soft, and genuinely so. it will need to be backed up by evidence from first couple of races.

I'm not convinced by the Fly at all now. He's been beating very little.

not the horses fault sint he can only beat whats put in front of him....

true alleged. He may make me look a pratt.

it is tough to call for sure

This racechas been my best success story in terms of ap betting. Decent e/w on Zarkandar at 14's and a hefty bet on HF at 5/1 and 9/2. But for some reason Im still not happy. Gone off both of them the last week or two and starting to think ROR could be the one.

I'd hold your horses there CCM. Claisse is predicting Soft ground in which case you have great bets.

CCM far be it for me to give advice but if the ground is softish you have got the most likely two imo. I'm only going to add RoR if I know the ground is going to be decent and all current reports seem to indicate rain over the next week

That's not us agreeing is it sint?

Stranger things have happened Roo

Nice one lads

Funnily enough, Ive just heard from someone who'd know, that Mullins is doing cartwheels and thinks HF has never, ever been better than now. I hadnt looked at the weather forecast tbh, but if it is right then I'll start feeling alot happier!

Did you see the new hoss on Sat btw sint?!

No mate I didn't. Who was it, where did it run?

The problem is that the ability of HF has never been in question it's whether Cheltenham provides the optimum conditions for HF to show his best. Admittedly soft ground would be a huge boost for him this year.

Ran in the last at Navan mate. He's called Some Tikket. Have a look and let me know what you think

"I am one of the few that think Hurricane Fly ran to form last festival"

I'd agree and go further by asserting that last year's CH run was HF's best form.

Agree with OP re ROR, but if going significantly softer than last year (when it was fast) I'd side with Zark. Those two deserve to head the market IMO.

All of the confidence behind Fly is in their anticipation of soft ground. They will all go quiet if the rain doesn't arrive.

Some opinions please chaps. I'm on HF at 5.3 and 3/1 with hills but am going to take PP up on their offer and cover Zark and more likely than not, ROR if its not soft. Zark is currently 4/1 PP - take the price now or wait til Monday/ Tuesday? Will they really push him out? Ta

The hurricane was taken off his feet last champ hdle and was not going at all well 3out which suggest all was not right,But this year no excuses and is my banker along with my tent or yours..

Looks really nice CCM. Did that easily. Looks quite a big sort?

Cheers mate. Yes very big and certainly built for a fence. Weld thinks he will come on massively for the run, and better ground, so struggling not to get a bit carried away! Ummimg and aahing about taking him to Aintree at the min.

The form looks pretty Ok too. Patanne was sent off shortish and WPM's first pick in the 100k sales bumper at the end of last season so they must think he's half decent.

i'd be excited too! Looks real promising. Keep us posted! Aintree Bumper usually trows up decent ones.

Not the bumper mate. The Grade 2 Novice Hurdle!

GO away rain !!

First time blinkers for him.
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/article/465/8551477/blinkers-for-roc...

unreal

I wonder what those blinkers do for the synthetic punters

sonko you have mail

Many thanks mr e

the good news i already think it is a good thing, lets hope we get the luck.

ps im all over villa too

I'm just heading to ladbrokes now.

21/10 on Villa and best prices 6/1 on TDS

I'd say the blinkers are a reaction to the likely soft ground. Strange decision to be honest, as he has never come across as ungenuine.

I'd be very concerned by this development. To this point I'd have been thinking all roads lead to Rome and what has gone before has been an irrelevance to some extent as they wanted him right for the big day. The introduction of blinkers to me presents a far different interpretation that what we have seen is what we have been getting in that they are and have been looking for something that hasn't yet been there this year but was there last. It may do the trick but I wouldn't back him on this basis.

I suspect that this horse is now a bit of a thinker. Not for me.

Harry Fry has never raced a horse in a visor or blinkers yet fwiw.

Didn't Hardy Eustace win this in first time blinkers?

Didn't Hardy Eustace win this in first time blinkers?

yes - and I think 'see more business' won a GC in them

Yes he did in 2004.

Still a bizarre decision, why try to fix something that isnt broken ?


could end in tears

Think he hasn't been happy with the horse. He's just gonna take a chance, slap the blinkers on him and make the running and see what happens. He'll be too keen early on and run out of puff on soft up the hill imo.

I think it is a concern right enough. In his statement he says Noel couldn't pull him up first time round when trying them at home which makes me think he might be to keen for his own good. 1st time blinkers is a negative for me.

Harry has said he done it because he idled before getting to the last flight last season. If they plan on taking up the running 3 from home you can see the logic.

Fwiw, he has been very,very strong in the market since Doncaster. He's not drifted a notch even in light of recent rain.

Thats sureky to do with Grandouet and Hurricane fly drifting though Sinty?

Nothing to do with them Eboue. I said since Doncaster. One evening I was watching the market around 8pm (posted it on here) and his odds went from 8.2 to 7.6. LUMPS of money were going on. At that stage there were no negative vibes for Grandouet.

ROR won on 4th Feb. At that stage Grandouet was expected to run in the Kingwell at Wincanton on the 16th. ROR has been very strong on here since the 4th.

Maybe they've been trying blinkers for a few weeks?

Who knows, just 72 hrs to find out.

best of luck

Cracking run to be fair.

Thought he might be swallowed up by the other two going up the hill but stuck at it.

No complaints and don't think the blinkers were an error.

Chuffed to bits with him, and was excited for a long way, just beaten by a great horse.

I was especially pleased he stayed on as I was on money back if second

Runs his guts out. Maybe Noel could have slowed the pace a little and saved a bit? Nonetheless confidence from connections was justified.

Absolutely, he ran a cracker. Got to accept now how good HF is, he needed to be.

Some peeps on twitter think he may have won with a more reserved ride though that was always going to be hard in first-time blinkers. He was leading all the way practically. Anywhoo.. HF obviously top class.

He travelled like a monster, if he got a lead today with the sort of form he was in and save a little for turning n I reckon he'd have won in all honesty, quite frankly the 3 up front cut each others throat didn't they, HF couldn't go with them but was able to pick them up, ROR being able to battle on for 2nd gives himm huge credit, they've got to have another go next year.

Ran a cracker.

Shame their wasnt someone who make the pace instead of ROR

rock on ruby took a breather from the third last let the fly back in the novice in the first went from the front a full 4 seconds quicker which is equal to 25lenghts anyone who thinks jockey went to hard on rock on ruby is off their heads or clueless from 200 yards from top of the hill rock is doin nutin he shud hav been slitin the troats of them behind gunin for it

I agree with swordsone, I don't buy that they went too fast. He's got HF in trouble off a good, steady pace but lets him back in by just letting ROR lob along from before the third last down to the second last.

Instead he should have gradually upped the pace then piled it on coming down the hill all the way to the line. If he does that I think he breaks them all.

A very good effort from Fehily, and the risky decision to use blinkers certainly didn't hinder the horse. Given good ground and someone to make the pace, I reckon he would reverse the form again. I never thought last year was a fluke, but hopefully today's performance will silence those who thought it was.

between the 2nd and 3rd hurdles ROR went 3 secs quicker than CF in the supreme, from there on in it was a sec either way between hurdles, the supreme caught up in the last part of the race, and ran from the last to the line about 3 secs quicker.

interesting some of the points of views on here...

I personally didn't think it was a good ride from fehily...

my question is pace and pace is what hindered the horse winning... I am certainly not saying he definitely would of won but the fractions fehily set were ridiculous and after fighting off every horse he had nothing left...zarkandar went with the choke out pace and payed himself

you cannot set those fractions and hope to get home, the horse never got a breather it bares out in the times swordsone makes the point and calls people mugs but he obviously knows nothing about speed duels in racing the reason the time is slow swordsone is because of the pace and how slow the horses are finishing because they were so tired before 2 out they had gone so fast..

hurricane fly a horse not short of speed could not go the gallop being set by fehily and he didn't quicken he just kept on at the same pace because he wasn't involved in the speed duel up front as was countrywide flame

rock on ruby for me ran the race of his life and we will never know how he would of fared under more restraint as he plugged on the whole way to the line...I don't like pocket talking but for me this was not a good ride and should not be given credit for.

HC  - i'm sort of in agreement. Think Rock was the best horse on the day (pocket not talking as don't bet hurdles). Blinkers to me was a wrong decision - just fired him up too much.

I won't criticise NF as he's the best around generally and don't know how much was blinkers and orders that made him run too freely and how much was ill-judged.

I don't think he was suited by having to make his own pace and think they may have been scared into doing it by Hurricane Fly. A more reserved ride and I think he may have won. Shame O'Regan didn't make it if he thinks he was on a World Hurdle horse. That would have been almost a copy of last year's race.

Rock on Ruby backers crying below. Just give credit when it's due, Fly is a superior horse. Trainer and Jockey said it.

Looks to me like they are just discussing the race CV,and the ride of Fehily,whats wrong with that?
Sure they recognise that HF was the best horse on the day,but it is possible different ride could have provided a different result mate.
As for being superior,i make it 1-1.

Think, bar one or 2, we all took our hat off to Hurricane Fly CV, seems a very positive thread on here, which is unusual. Certainly no issue, beaten by a very good winner.

People saying if the race was run different you'd get a different result is bonkers tbh. If they went slower he'd have used his turn of foot. RoR did the best he could by going off as quick as he did and giving him the best possible chance. Fly is just different class. RoR's Jockey and trainer said it themselves.

As for 1-1 bud, yeah he beat a below par horse last year. If Fly was on song last year he'd have 3 Champion Hurdles now. Utterly no doubt about that.

He's won 15 grade 1's. More than Istabraq. He has a win record better than him too. He's an utter superstar horse and he would have won on tuesday no matter what happened.

Just accept that.

Too easy to say it in those terms. Congratulations for getting it right this year but a record of 1 victory each does not conclusively prove that any horse is superior to the other. Fry has learnt his PR from Nicholls and being magnanimous in defeat can only bring him good publicity. He also wouldn't't necessarily want anyone to  attach any blame to himself or Family for their tactics  on the day. It's also very possible that jockey tactics on the day have been responsible for each victory above any other factor.

I thought the clock said it was a slow race again, I think the decision to put the blinkers on ROR was a reaction to no likely pace which didnt work out.

i Think we have a new era of Champion hurdlers.... TNO MTOY  and our conor

It wasn't a slow race, well, apart from the end bit, between the 2nd and 3rd hurdles up hill, fehily put the hammer down and went a full 3 secs quicker than the supreme, that killed them late on and walsh that kept an even pace through-out towed them to a faster time.

Spot on Booster imo.

1 victory each certainly proves nothing conclusively when talking superiority.
During the race ROR looked far superior,HF being scrubbed along and looked beaten.Had ROR had a horse towing him along i honestly think he would have won again.
He had to make his own running,and just used a bit too much in doing that.He still beat some good horses despite that,but Ruby had a proper stayer and got it right with the pace of the race,but he would certainly have been worried during the race,and had Fehily been as accurate as Ruby it may well have been different result.
End of the day though,HF won well and has proved hes a goodun alright.

As for Istabraq,pointless comparing them really,but im pretty sure He would have beaten Solwhit and TS pretty comfortably.

ROR,HF and Grandouet all head to Punchestown next. In all honesty I would not want to back ROR in that as he disappointed after the CH last year at Aintree, albeit over 20f, and he really ran his guts out on Tuesday. Grandouet fell and has had a troubled prep but he did win a G1 novice hurdle in Punchestown a couple of years back and will be fresher than the other two, i'd probably side with him, prices depending.

Yeh,twice hes not ran his race at Aintree.
Hes a horse i would certainly not back in a race after the festival.

And Rooster Booster, on the day he won his Champion Hurdle, would probably have beaten them all 5 lengths. Hypothetical i know but folly to say who'd win on their best form as part of being a great horse is to show your best on every big occasion and I'd venture that the first 2 in the race are very good but neither great. Rock On Ruby's form post Cheltenham would put anyone off backing him and Grandouet's had enough chances now, surely.

Grandouet has only had a handful of runs since his novice days and is still a very young horse.  Was going very well when he came down Tuesday, still has a big future.

Any word from Harry Fry re. next years plan?

Surely they will think twice about going chasing as he beat all bar Hurricane Fly this year while having to make his own pace.

The Fly could be past it in 2014. MTOY will be outbattled by ROR for sure and The New One and Our Conor have plenty to prove still.

27.0 to back for the Champion Hurdle...worth a few quid?

It's 1-1 each Oh have off you lot.

Fly was undoubtably, as in without ANY doubt not at his best last year. He had problems and never ran like he can.

This season he was back to his best. I could give your views a bit of consideration if the Champion Hurdle was a close race, but it wasn't. Rock on Ruby was headed at the 2nd last and was quickly 3l behind and made no impression at all after that.

Fly has won 15 grade 1's. Rock on Ruby has won 1. That's ONE.

Rock on Ruby is a good horse, but is not in Hurricane Flys league. The end.

when the fly hoses in by even more distance next month, what then for ROR?

Same people who said Fly trying to regain the Champion Hurdle at the age of 9 was not gonna happen, will back him. Contradicting themselves

Think next year is between Our Conor, MTOY, Jezki & TNO. Won't forget CWF who ran a blinder as a 5yo.

Think RoR goes chasing Fry said. They'll decide that in the summer though. 9yo Arkle winner though, nah wouldn't be keen.

So ROR came 2nd to a great horse, no fook off cvb.

Stop being a teenager on this fred and go and gloat on the HF fred.

I think, I'll tell you to go fck yourself on this thread, Sonko.

Go fck yourself.

People mocked a horse, for years and lacked the credibility to say they were wrong.

Those people are pathetic c^nts.

I was pissed last night so ignore the above Sonko

No worries mate.

we cant always be perfect