Binocular Champion Hurdle VC 25/1 (NRFB)

backed him on here at big odds, will trade just before he gets beats by the fly. Will deffo run in the champion as there is nowhere else for him to go. 25s is a fair price as he will go off bout 10s on the day and If he starts showing some at home Mccoy could choose him instead of Darlan. Which would see him go off even shorter. He's a great trade at the moment.

cant see AP getting off a 7-2 shot to sit on old Bino

AP aint sold on Darlan don't think he sees him as Champion Hurdle winner, I expect they'll be having schooling sessions together and spending quite bit of time on gallops together so who knows.

No chance AP will get off the CH fav to ride Bino

Av backed him myself at big odds but bar an injury to Darlan there is literally zero chance AP will ride

Would love to see Carberry on him

Dont think AP has backed Darlan into favouritism!!

I get the impression he dont rate the horse very highly,not a given he rides Darlan at all imo.
If Bino shows him hes still top notch,i would not at all be surprised if he was on board him in March.

Can agree with this being any value as a bet or even a trade out, he's not even likely to be in the top 3 from his own stable. Grandouet Darlan Oscar Whisky will all beat him along with the fly and the current champ and Zarkanda to name a few.

If Hes currently 25 and he runs in the CH then hes at least a trade out,cos he will be shorter on the day for sure.
Would be careful writing him off if i were you.

So why do you think he is so sure to shorten then??
He can only do hat hes already done in previous years,facts are facts he hasn't been the horse he was for 2 seasons. Looks a good crop of younger horses in that division to me, not even heard Mr Henderson mention him when talking about his team for the race..

He'll run in the irish champion hurdle at the end of the month. 2011 he was ante post fav before getting pulled out, 2012 he was clear 2nd fav and was not far behind even after ploughing through the last hurdle and nearly getting up ended. 25/1 is massive, he's the forgotten horse.

Really think you should watch last years race again.

To Robbo that is.

But the fly doesnt get beat in ireland so that wont shorten him unless he gets within a length, cant see that as he has needed his first run the last 2 years.
Just read review on sky sports on last years race 'never going pace to challenge'. good luck with your 25s but not for me

you need to watch it and form a judgement with a bit of imigination,not read a report.
Thats how you miss potential value.

Thanks for the advise,sound like you know your stuff, ive got an opinion that this horse will not place in the race and im not a trading betting man.

No worries,you may well be right that he wont place,who knows for sure,but i will be amazed if hes still 25 if he lines up.

I'm with Budd on this one, for me it's a simple question of value right now. There was a length between Bino and HF in last years race when both were held up off a slow pace but Binocular is 25's and the Fly is 7/2.

Bino actually had more ground to make up on the fly aswell tbf. I've backed him on here at 40s and will be trading out closer to the date. But the more I think about Binocular the more I can see him doing a Punjabi.

HAve watched the race back as i was told too, surely a 'ill' Zarkanda made up more ground than anything. Has to be the horse to take out of last years race as PN says he's fit again this year, and surely Grandouet who was fav when scratched last year must be Hendersons best.

Just looked back over past winners, no horse back to 1927 has won the race back after a 2 year gap. Stats are made to be broken but thats a bad one.
And Brook remind me what Punjabi did? I know he won the race but???

Zarkander hasn't found much off the bridle this year but battles on, the way it flew up the hill last year at Cheltenham was frightening so can't figure him out yet but at the prices I can't have Zarkander. It's just the value lies with Binocular he should be way shorter he's much better then most of them below the betting. Grandouet travels well but again doesn't find much so vulnerable to horses who can inject abit speed like Darlan, The Fly and Binocular in my opinion. Am probablys wrong but this game is all about opinions.

It is only being taken on trust at this stage all is well with Binocular, when was he last seen out? He's never taken alot of racing yet usually needs a run. I just cant have him but i seem in a majority of one on here!!!!

Punjabi went under the radar, no one was interested in him then he goes in at 25/1. Thats the only relation to the horses :0

tbf when binocular went on holiday and was told he wouldn't be running in the 2010 ch he couldn't of taken much work in the lead up to the race, then few days before the gig.... oh he's still entered up in the race lets run him then he goes on to win in a stupid fashion.

That for me would suggest they can get him right at home if they need to.

He will probably run behind HF over in Ireland, then go straight to Cheltenham.

If he runs the biggest price on the day will be 16s imo. So if wanting to trade out on the day you've got a 9/1 shot for nothing.

Good point they 'could' get him right at home but has needed the run the last 2 seasons.

hes running in Ireland robbo.He tends to run his race on his 2nd start.
Big price right now.

you not slightly concerned that he's not appeared yet, budd?

I can see a 'now not running in Ireland' scenario occurring.

Not necessarily an issue for Vic NRFB or NRNB but I'm a bit sceptical.

I get the binocular thing, any where a "if he comes back to his best" quote applies will always gain added support as the race approaches, certainly couldn't have darlan at all, can't jump , hated every minute of last years supreme and needs mccoy to keep him at it, not for me, I'd sooner be on Bino out of the two, swinging along than mccoy hard at work on the fav!!!

yeh rease, a tad concerned mate,but they have said he runs in Ireland so am happy if he runs there.
I wont be happy if hes a n/r though!!
There are other options though with races at Sandown which hes done before with Bino,theres also Kelso and Wincanton.

You've convinced me to have a small nibble each-way.

A win would go some way to repair the damage from his win in 2010.

you weren't one of the 1000/1 layers was you regular fries?

Binocular looks set to make his seasonal reappearance in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 27.

Winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2010, the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old has not run since finishing fourth in last year's Festival renewal to Rock On Ruby.

He is owned by JP McManus, whose retained rider Tony McCoy wrote in his column in the Daily Telegraph: "It appears that Binocular, a horse for whom I have a huge soft spot having won the 2010 Champion Hurdle on him, now looks likely to make his reappearance in the Irish Champion Hurdle, at Leopardstown, on Jan 27.

"I am really looking forward to riding him again. He has not run since last year's Champion Hurdle, when we finished fourth, but he is ready to go."

Henderson is also responsible for another smart McManus hurdler in Darlan, who was impressive in winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton last time out.

McCoy said: "Darlan will probably now go to the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown the weekend after.

"No matter how they run, I expect it will come down to the usual dilemma of choosing between being loyal to an old favourite or siding with a young improver. I will let you know my decision when I have made it - about two days before the Champion Hurdle."

Surely he'll ride Darlan?!

PS. What odds did you get on Grandouet for Arkle?

I think it'll be a debate which one he rides, right up until the week of the race mate.

I'd personally ride Bino.  He didn't seem to get a good tune out of Darlan in last year's Supreme and thats with Cinders smashing through the last.

Got 33's for Grandouet, but that's a very speculative bet.  A lot will depend on this years Champion, because I think if him or Darlan win, they'll have to stay hurdling, and if they get beat I think they may go chasing.  Add in Oscar Whisky to that, I'd be surprised if all 3 did though.

corals 10 Jan 13 12:24 Joined: 04 Nov 11 | Topic/replies: 52 | Blogger: corals's blog
Zarkander hasn't found much off the bridle this year,

Hilarious stuff. Only on betfair

Ah the bino apologists are out again...........seriously give it up lads this horse has gone,your beginning to sound like fanboys.

the horse has gone... Idd 4th best 2 mile hurdler last season, not seen since, gone... I'm not betting it I'm trading it, never been a massive fan but have to respect him. Much worse 40/1 shots to have on your side.

horse has gone??
Not judged on the last time we saw him he aint.

Pretty sure he won a grade 1 last season and then came 4th in Champion Hurdle.

I've done e/w 33/1 and know the place side is over priced in that bet. He always ran his best race on his 2nd start the past 2 seasons. So this season he'll have but one prep run.

I hope Carberry rides him, or Townend. Think both will suit.

Wont matter who rides wont be placed. SIMPLE.

Surprised if he runs in Ireland. Never been thought of as a soft ground horse and it won't be anything else there. Henderson is likely to have real problems keeping his Champion horses apart with the weather closing in, and I suspect some will have to meet. Surprised he didnt put any in the Betfais as insurance; its been a good race as a prep for the Chamion in recent years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swrQea-NDrA 2010 Champion Hurdle Winner.

Grandouet is also entered for Irish Champion Hurdle

Won't run though.

I bet he does if Binocular does n't - it's not like the latter does n't have previous

Binocular will run and even if he doesn't Grandouet won't. He was only entered in case a blizzard came and Hendo knew that racing would be cancelled i England for weeks. Or if Hurricane Fly got injured and didn't run and Binocular had a setback then Grandouet could run.

But in all probability Grandouet has less than 5% chance of running.

it's unlikely that he'll run which is different to saying he won't run. Not sure where you arrive at the 20/1 to run in the race when a well known Irish bookmaker is quoting him at 3/1 to win it!

Either you have inside info from the stable or the working's of Hendo's mind (in which case, fair play!) or you have an unwavering faith in his public pronouncements - which is a hell of a leap of faith given his previous.

I doubt he'll run either (assuming Binocular is fit and well - not seen hide nor hair of him for 10 months but I believe AP said he's on target for Irish Champion Hurdle in his Telegraph column on Sat).

I'm not sufficiently dogmatic to rule Grandouet's participation out two weeks before the race.

CV can be rather dogmatic at times