Annie Power - Irish Champion Hurdle.

It may be a contentious view but I think that there is now an argument that she is the number one horse in the yard full stop. Obviously The Fly's supporters will vigorously rebuff that suggestion but I'll bet they are hoping she doesn't show up for the Irish Champion.

I think thats a bit premature at the moment Eeternal!

She looks like she can go right to the top, but a couple of victories over Zarkandar doesn't quite read as well as the Fly's

I backed her NRFB for the Champion, and deep down, I'm not expecting her to run in that.  The trouble is as well, if she does go for the World Hurdle the natural race following that would be the World Series Hurdle over 3m at the Punchestown Festival, but Willie has sent Quevega to that for the last three years.

Surely, at some point in the year, he is going to put two of his big guns up against each other.  Fly vs Annie in CH, Annie vs Quevega in Mares, Annie vs Quevega in World Series Hurdle, Fly vs either one in the Rabbobank (Quevega ran in that after her first mares win).

Maybe a trip to Aintree could be on the cards for one of them for the first time? 

Theres's so many combinations, but when you have three top ones, its inevitable that they'll have to meet at some point.

On a serious note...this is a World Hurdle horse. No chance it runs in Irish Champ. They have the Fly. The number two horse in the stable

I appreciate that such a suggestion may be premature and some will see it as ludicrous. Having said that no horse has ever beat Zarkandar further or easier and that includes The Fly, The New One or Rock On Ruby. He has always been between a half length and six behind the very best. Taking 8 lengths out of Zarkandar after the last hard on the steel is seriously impressive. Throw in the fact that after two out Empire Levant was leading them then that is suggestive of the race itself turning into a sprint. A quick horse who can stay two and a half would be a serious proposition in a champion.

Of course being the trainer Mullins will want a favourites or near favourites chance in Champion and World Hurdle but if I was the owner I would want to know where Annie stands in relation to the top 2 milers and then commit to a longer distance if required. So he'd be running over 2 miles in late January. Of course they can choose to die wondering instead. They pay the bills.

Yeh,i think it fair for the owner to know exactly what he has with APower.
Personally I too would like to see her over 2m in top company very soon,shes obviously in top form and time looks right to me.
As for being number one in the stable,thats possible, but only one way to find out for sure.

I have her at 40 nrfb for the CH,and have just gone in on the 5 nrnb on offer for WH, and hopefully will get a run!!
At this stage I think she has a fair chance in either race, but in time she will be a staying chaser I would think.
Dawn run???

I'd like to see her in the Irish Champion hurdle as well. Personally think she'll be done for toe as she looks a strong stayer to me but I wouldn't mind being proved wrong. I think it's daft to get carried away with two runs against a horse that seems to have lost his mojo to the extent that people are saying she's better than Hurricane Fly. She sure travels sweetly though.

I`m not convinced Zark has lost it as much as people are assuming, and it IS an assumption.In fact on the albeit very small evidence we have it wouldn't suggest Zark had lost that much form.

Well really it all depends on what they see as her target in the spring,cos that's where they need to campaign her.
We are in January now and If they want to find out if shes a Churdler then she has to run next in a decent race around that distance I would think.
I await her next entry and hope its around 2 miles.
Gut feeling is it will be more of a staying race.
Think Un De Sceaux will represent owners in the Churdle,and have just topped up my original Betfair bet with some 16 nrfb.

I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't run at the Festival at all this year...

Mullins won't compromise Hurricane Fly or Quevega's chance of victory, and if Big Bucks, Solwhit, More Of That and Celestial Halo all run in the World Hurdle that's a hot renewal. She's only a 6-year-old; it's safe to assume this will be Hurricane Fly, Big Bucks & Quevega's last Fesitval win or lose, so why not wait a year until the options are more straight forward and the decision is only to run her in which race suits best, and not have to consider the opposition?

I've had a little on More Of That for the World Hurdle so I'd like her not to run in that but logically you can't wrap a six year old in cotton wool just because they have stablemates. They aren't machines. At any point she may suffer a career ending injury and this may be the best we ever see of her. In any event at six she is coming to her best. The best race allowing for the owners preferences has to be chosen for her. There are no excuses because she obviously travels well and likes the course. her absolute best chance of a festival victory is in the mares. The most prestigious race is the Champion. A prestigious but not quite as hot option may be the World Hurdle.

I'd want to know where I stood prior to going. She'd be running in the Irish Champion if she were mine and if she got within a reasonable distance of The Fly there and the ground was suitable she would be going for the champion. If she is beaten off easily for pace my choice would be reduced to two. I absolutely would not pass up the chance of finding where I stood for fear of what it may do to The Fly's champion hurdle aspirations and I wouldn't want to be going 3 miles for the first time at the festival and tiring after the last and ending up with nowt.

That makes a lot of sense, imho Annie Power if considered good enough MUST run at the festival, I declare though I have a bit of pocket talking here lol (NRNB). Everything we have seen so far points to AP perhaps being a little special, all we need now is BB to defect ;-).

The way she stayed on to beat Zarkandar at both Ascot & Cheltenham, tells me she will find the CH to much a test of speed and she would struggle against MTOY, TNO, HF etc. imho, the Mares race is perfect for her but Mullins has Quevega for this and winning at a 6th festival will be paramount, if she is fit. The World Hurdle, with a back to fitness BB will be potentially the hottest race of the week. I could see team Mullins wait for the Aintree Hurdle, which will be ideal, trip wise. Hope not though.

Not sure hottest race of week BB not make it, AP to lose think bringing over to Cheltenham b4 speakers volumes imo.

What about if they ran her in the CH and simply wasn't quick enough and then BB ran a shocker in the WH....what then?

I can see that her avoiding the Mares is because of Quevega, but she has a better chance of winning the WH than she has of winning a CH...nothing we've seen from her suggests otherwise.

duffy

What if's? The perennial question. I'd say that if she shows enough speed to win an Irish Champion then she clearly has enough speed for a champion hurdle. Question answered and she would then be a clear favourite on merit going in to the race.

She may have a better chance of winning the world hurdle but at this stage we don't actually know that because she's never actually run over 3 miles in any class and neither has she contested a top class two mile race. What we do know is that she had enough speed to beat Zarkandar over two miles three at Ascot and Zarkandar was good enough to beat The New One over two miles four at Aintree.

All that is of course conjecture. The question can be answered shortly and it would still be the perfect prep race for the world hurdle or mares if she isn't quick enough for 2 miles.

Why not?

I don't think I'll have a bet in the champion because I think it could well be one of the best races we have seen in years with tremendous strength in depth. I just genuinely believe that she could add a certain special something to the race and that purely from a sporting perspective not only would I love to see that but I think she deserves the chance to see prior to then if she could possibly do it in the blue riband hurdling event.

What Price would Annie Power be NRNB in the Mares Hurdle?

is there anything up with Salubrious? Not quoted by VC or the sponsors today but seems steady enough elsewhere. Curious. Anyone heard anything?

Probably is...being prepared for the annual bore that is the mares hurdle. Just wish connections had a bit of balls at some point for the World Hurdle.

Quevega back in training and a week earlier this year. She has never been fully wound up for Chelts but nearly back-fired last year. Her Punchestown form always way better than Chelts.

"I think it's great that so many people are interested, it's good for racing, which is important to me, so I'm delighted and very proud of that fact," said Ricci.

"People don't believe me but I can be honest and tell you I wanted to take her chasing earlier in the year, we talked about it in September, October and we decided we'd keep her over hurdles with the big days in mind - the big days being the Champion Hurdle, the World Hurdle - and we haven't talked about it since.

"What's on my mind is trying to find her her next race, I think she needs another race. Willie might not, I haven't talked to him about it.

"It's hard. I think she'd be a very competitive runner at either two miles or three miles and we'll just have to see how it plays out. We've got the Irish Champion Hurdle coming up, there's the Cleeve Hurdle, see how those cards play and before we hold a gun to our own heads we'll see how things pan out.

"But she's in great form and the trick now is finding her next race.

"People who know me know I'm in this, as a hobby of course, but to win and compete at the highest level and to try and win the big ones.

"The Champion Hurdle is a big one but the World Hurdle is big as well.

"But, yes, look, I'd be less than honest if I said if I didn't keep her over hurdles to run in the Champion Hurdle, I'd be silly. And we did, we kept her over hurdles to see if she was a Champion Hurdle horse and she's answering all of those questions, but we have to see how it all plays out.

"But certainly that was the intent at the beginning of the season and she's done nothing to disprove us - that doesn't mean we'll run there, there's still a lot to play for - but yes, absolutely, you want to win the big ones."

Ricci was asked whether he felt a bigger field and a faster pace would enable her to be competitive at the shorter distance of the Champion.


"I look at the Defy Logic run last year in that Grade Two where he really set a good pace and she really showed a turn of foot," he said. "It wasn't a big field but that gallop suited her.

"The mares' race was probably the biggest race she's won she won a bumper, I think it was a 30-runner or 25-runner bumper or something. She's done well in those field, but she's in great nick and I'm looking forward to her next run."

Profiles Annie Power (IRE)
Interviewer Matt Chapman next asked Ricci whether the availabillity of Ruby Walsh would have a bearing on the final decision as to where to run her.

Walsh would appear certain to ride Hurricane Fly against Annie Power if the pair did both line up in the two-mile championship contest, although the dual Champion winner will line up next in the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at the end of this month.

"It has a bearing but I have absolute confidence in Paul [Townend] as well," responded Ricci.

"I think what we'll do is worry about what is the best race for the horse rather than for the jockey - I think that's the right way to think about it - and see what happens from there."