My tent or yours

No real plans mentioned but Champion Hurdle still the aim.

Meanwhile, Henderson hopes both Peace And Co and My Tent Or Yours will make the line-up for the Stan James Champion Hurdle where they will get the chance to lower the colours of the mighty Faugheen.

"We have a plan [for Peace And Co], he's likely to go to Haydock for the Stan James Champion Hurdle Trial," Henderson said.

"The trouble is with him and My Tent Or Yours they pull very hard in their races but you're not going to learn a lot at home. You can put all sorts of bits and gadgets and goods and tongue ties and whatever you like on them so we need to figure what he likes.

"I think if he [Peace And Co] came to Haydock it would be a very small field and not a lot of cover perhaps.

"We're getting there in small steps [with My Tent Or Yours]. He'd have the pace to sit on [Faugheen's] tail. Whether he'd have the pace to go past him is another thing.

"My job is to get both of them there and I hope we will."

Thank you . No prep race planned so.

20 nrnb available

I'd be tempted by that if I thought he was having a prep run, but I wouldn't be if he was going straight to Cheltenham. I think he needs a race to get the freshness out of him.

Chief,
I am thinking if he turns up on the day,it means he's how they want him and he's better than 20 in that condition.

Yes mate,I am sure they will want to get a race into him,even if it's one of those bumpers at Kempton.

I had contemplated putting a bet on him considering the price, but reading Hendersons comments today I wouldn't be too confident he will even line up.

What did be say Trigger? Haven't seen anything. 365 pushed him to 25 NRNB now.

It's in tomorrow's RP. Just said that the horse had issues although nothing compared to last year and that he had work to do with the horse. On ratings and his best form he is a horse that would interest me but the signs don't appear great.

Cheers mate.

Though not without a slim chance if he couldn't win it in his prime it's very hard to see him winning it now v the top 2/3 in the market plus the rest. Could sleek a place but can't see him winning though

Exactly as I see it. I think he's just as good as any of them behind Faugheen and a nice price. 25 NRNB and BOG isn't too bad.

Disappointing to hear from the trainer that they don't seem to have been able to remedy the hard pulling of MTOY's, which means that unless they go an absolute break neck pace in the CH forcing the other runners to burn as much energy as he would be doing at a slower pace, then he has zero chance....and I'm a fan of his, if they did go eyeballs out from the start, I'd be all over him.

If all of them try to go 1 mile pace they won't get home in a 2 mile race, and those that do eventually arrive home will be the stayers. Guess who's the only true stayer in the CH field ? The only CH winner that came from winning a grade race over 3 miles back down in trip? How do you think Faugheen made it in the Neptune whilst accelerating 3-4 times after the jump mistakes and still having the turn of foot after the home turn? Or in the CH where he only went relatively slow from first to second hurdles but then injected a pace that produced a fast overall time? whilst being forced by Jezki at the top of hill to accelerate earlier than ideal, then a mistake 2 out and still having the stamina to leave off-the-pace challengers like AF for dead just before the last?

If they don't settle MTOY tendencies they won't get home simple as that. There's no way the entire field will go mad pace only to suit 1-2 horses. And even if they'll put TN as pacemaker and they go upfront and try to follow him it'll still leave them open to an outsider that will stay at the back waiting for things to fall apart in front. As for P&C it was the first race of season, we know that he can settle and I expect an improvement in his next race, otherwise they shouldn't even bother coming to Cheltenham, they might as well wait for Royal Ascot.

He did go very close to winning the CH.
If they DID manage to calm him down a tad and get him fit,I reckon on the day he would be a big threat,think he's the most talented of the lot.
But I agree it's unlikely all of that will happen,but you would get yer money back. He won't run unless they think he has a good chance.

interesting workout the other day,settled nicely.
Live contender we could have here and still a nice price lads.

Very good gallop with hargam, he did seem to settle well and he certainly had Hargam covered...fwiw.

Well if he had settled like that in his Churdle with Jezki, he would have won fairly comfortably imo.

At his best I'd say he's about the same horse as The New One and can't be confident that he will be at his peak after 2 years off on Champion Hurdle day.

Very hard to fancy IMO even if he's at his best as Faugheens overall form is far superior. maybe an EW sniff in the without market.

I'd have him better than TNO, agree with Budd, the pulling has held him back without that he'd be a C Hurdler by now IMO.

I'd say he is far more talented than TNO Shock,but he's never settled in his races,and that's put his form figures on a similar line to TNO.
If I knew he would settle like he did the other day,I would have a lot more on him than I have, for sure.
I think He's an absolute steal e/w , and If he settled he's a lively opponent to the fav imo.

Still a bit worried about Henderson's to be honest. It seems that every week we hear that this horse is back to its best or that horse is over his problems... splints, breathing ops, jumping left, jumping right, too keen, hated the ground, needs another run, no opportunities for the horse - the list is endless. I remember when his just came out, won on the bridle and that was that. After P&C and L'Ami I'm losing interest in his.

If anyone knows how to train a CHurdle horse,I like to think Hendo can still.

MTOY some beast - absolutely dwarfed Hargam in that gallop

I backed MTOY ages ago, and I still think he is the best of the rest behind Faugheen.

McCoy did saw on CH4 though that Hargam was carrying a lot more weight than MTOY in that gallop though, so Hargam should come out with some credit.

Chief,I think that was a tongue in cheek comment cos AP was on him.
Although he probably was if its just the jockeys weight involved.
Main thing for me was watching Tent settle ok.

Ah right...didn't realise AP had a sense of humour

All i know is there been a bot sitting on 26 all morning, been nibbling this for the odd £3-£5, everytime i stick something in at 27 it sits there, everytime i put something in at 26 it gets took within 5 seconds, the weirdest thing of all is now someone is laying 25@26

I was trying to trade out at 24 but nah, this one is a live one i think he will come out next Sat bolt up and be catapulted to 2nd favoritism. It will be then when i will be on the green up button. Sitting on £20s worth @26 so nice trade hopefully and 20/1 e/way which i bet months ago.

I've always been a big fan of this horse and I believe he's the most likely horse to give Faugheen something to think about. If, and they're fairly big ifs, he has relaxed and learned to settle and he still retains his old ability, I think he could be very dangerous.

Would love to see him tanking up to Faugheen, Harchibald style but with a different outcome.

I took some 25s a while back it is probably far fetched to see him winning but the race needs something as it is an apparent walk over at present. Also, I think Jezki's CH was a better one than last year's.

Too bad Hendo isn't even thinking to put TN in the race, it would make things more interesting if they'll try to go strong pace from early on and if Faugheen is the best ever hurdler, like many of us believe, it would help him achieve the rating to prove it too. I agree last year's renewal wasn't pleasing and I said on Faugheen threat that I'm disappointed by the small margin but the feeling was that Walsh messed up his rhythm in the last 50 yards and F was also idling. The 2014 CH was more satisfactory because they went hell to leathers from the start and is definitely the better renewal than what happened last year when Ruby went a fast slow fast gallop and made it tactical. Why isn't Hendo even thinking of making TN a pacemaker? he could even get a place that way if the rest will not follow them(TN and F) closely.

Has Hendo said that Top Notch isn't running?

Surely Hargam is more likely to be asked to set an honest gallop as the only other JPM owned entry in the race?

Feb 14, 2016 -- 10:42PM, ACStafford wrote:

Has Hendo said that Top Notch isn't running?

Keeps mentioning something about Kelso and Aintree, not heard him once he's definite for the CH.

I agree that sending someone to front run is the best chance of challenging Faugheen and improving the chances of MTOY, and Top Notch seemed the best option to do that (you could argue it is top help Peace and Co settle to appease the owners), so it'd be a shame for Top Notch not to run. Maybe Hargam will be used to that effect.

I'd personally hate to see Top Notch turn into a glorified pacemaker, he's much too good for that. If anything Peace and Co should be a pacemaker for Top Notch.

He was only beaten half a length by IT, so he has earned the right to run his own race.

Btw haven't got a penny on Top Notch, but think he is being underestimated because of his last run.

I actually rate Top Notch, but I think a stamina test would see him at his best, so I'd hope it wouldn't inconvinience him too much. Those up with the pace have ran well in recent years: Rock on Ruby, Overturn, Faugheen (though very sedate admittedly), Captain Cee Bee managed 4th at the age of 12!

I'm not suggesting he should go off at a pace that is so silly that it would ruin his race; just to ensure it's a good strongly run race. Also, if you run a no-hoper as a pacemaker, he'll just be ignored.

I've backed mtoy last week,everyone is saying the horse needs to settle,it's never going to but it's class will hopefully run it into a place,the horse will have faugheen to aim at,wouldn't surprise me if got upsides faugheen then got outbattled again.

I know it's obviously different to race day with crowds and suchlike but he settled pretty good in the workout with Hargam and with both horses being obviously restrained to a degree you would have thought that any pulling would actually be quite noticeable.

Yeh,it was quiet a surprise to see Tent settling in that workout.
A nice surprise though!!

This Saturday will tell you if he's learned to settle.  I think Faugheen's untouchable but 10/1 w/o him is a very fair EW bet if you believe he's retained all his ability.  Could get the win but will pay down to 4th for EW.

If hes as good as he was,hes at least 2nd best horse in the race imo.
If he settles he can challenge the fav.
No horse is untouchable Shock,especially when jumping is involved.

In terms of all known form Budd then IMO Faugheen is untouchable but agree your point as accidents happen. However, I think in the W/O market you have still a price that's worth taking and obviously far more achievable.

Fair point mate.
Oh I know hes up against a real goodun.

Tent at his best is capable of getting any horse to work though imo.
Once they start working anything can happen.
I really hope he turns up in rude health,for the race as well as my pocket!!

I agree we want all the top horses at Cheltenham ready to run their best.  Still think TNO is the equal to MTOY. Pocket maybe talking though.

nervous Nicky already fretting about the ground for MTOY at the we/e

http://www.attheraces.com/news/latest-news/nicky-henderson-left-full-of-sympathy-for-faugheen-camp-after-injury-heartbreak

Surely he would n't send him to CH without a run in 2 years, would he?

He won't now. He'll send him on a skateboard now if he has to.

Backed MTOY back in November, starting to get quietly confident now :)

Judging by the betting on here for the Kingwell it doesn't look like he will be running on Saturday, surely he would be closer to evs and not 2.74

STS

For a horse coming back like tent is then Irving provides decent enough opposition to hold him up in the market, if you're taking for granted he retains all of his ability then it's big, but plenty won't take that for granted, for the record I'm with you, big price, but I love the horse and want him to be as good as he was, the recent gallop with Hargam only fuels that.

Indeed there is a lot of MTOY love on here for sure, i am one of them too but seeing him in the market at that price when he is and being matched at 11.5 for a churdle is making me think he wont be running on Sat


I so hope i am wrong, and if anywhere near 7/4 i will most certainly be a player

I will be astonished if this shows on Saturday given that my teaser of £2 at 10 has just been matched, put up 55 but have been laying at 3 - 3.5 also.

Not running on Saturday as the ground at Wincanton is too testing.

Can't see how it can win the Champion Hurdle on the back of 2 years without a race.  Big leap of faith needed for backers IMO.

couldn't win an open renewal of a perfect prep, cant see why people are latching onto him now....

Maybe an outing on the all weather soon?

He ran in those jumpers bumpers, but I think they were only on when loads of meetings were abandoned a few years ago.

I hope so wellchief. He ran Sign of a Victory on the all weather earlier this season too. Sending him to the Champion Hurdle after two years without a run would be plain daft.

Really gone off Henderson as a trainer the last couple of seasons. Shoot me down but he's got problems, it might sound daft as he's trained some greats but he's a bit over the top with the ground issues, on top of the fact he struggles to train horses to settle.

It's never ideal to run on bad ground with a good horse, but this is national hunt racing. With climate change taking more of an effect than ever he ought to get used to worse and worse ground each winter. They way he puts his horses in their boxes all year round is there any point in him being a jumps trainer?

People go on about Mullins but I've had enough of Henderson myself. At least Mullins will actually run his horses, even if it's not always in the race we want.

Love MTOY but couldn't have him off the back of an all weather run. That's not a champion hurdle prep after nearly two years out.

One thing I can't understand of Hendo is he said he build all those facilities with soft going so he can get his horses run as well on that ground but now he's not running his best chance in the CH due to unsuitable ground. Even if MTOY ran and got beat tomorrow he would still have more chances than going directly for the CH. The work he did with Hargam was nothing, they just cantered around and didn't reached max speed to test him out properly because they had Kingwell to worry about and now he's not running...

Totally disagree, MTOY not running in my opinion on that sort of ground is a blessing. I am more confident of my bet than i was before. There is the ground issue but then again there is the dreaded bounce factor as well. A nice little away day in the next couple of weeks and we will see a fresh MTOY lining up in the biggest race for 2 mile hurdlers.

As for climate change, i don't subscribe to that governments G20 reasons to tax more carp and never will

Don't see the point running mtoy in that after a lengthy absence. I think they should see if there's an a/w race for him on the flats.

An article tucked away in one of the papers a few weeks back stated that for all the ice melting in the arctic there is 100's of times that in another part of the arctic forming, something like that anyhow, it didn't get the publicity because it didn't support the "end of the world" scenario.

The jumpers bumper run may have been OK in 2014 but The Tent was already race fit having had 2 proper races earlier that season. It would be the training performance of the century to get him to win a Champion with that kind of prep after a near 2 year lay off. Very little chance for me, he needs an actual race.




As for climate change, i don't subscribe to that governments G20 reasons to tax more carp and never will

More fool you then. The status quo are doing the complete opposite and trying to ignore climate change, as wrecking the planet is good for big business and profit. It's a simple fact and backed up by more than the overwhelming majority of elite scientists. I would have thought the Cumbria floods would have made some wake up but clearly most still have no idea what is going on.

Pretty left field, but they can always throw him in the Imperial Cup - not really to win it, but to give him a run out and get him jumping some hurdles, and let him come home in his own time, probably in mid field somewhere.  I know Wicklow Brave ran no sort of race in it last year, but he went on to win the following week.

They ran him in the Scottish Champion Hurdle off 168, where he put 8 out of his 10 rivals out of the handicap.

Doesn't necesarily have to be the Imperial Cup, that's the only fast paced 2m handicap I think of off the top of my head, and I know they'd want to run him ASAP rather than a week before, but I wouldn't rule out the handicap possibility, especially as he is now 7lbs less than last time he ran in one.

Henderson just said he's going to have another race course galop with hargam next week

Don't want to turn this into a climate change thread but it really is bollox! What scientists are saying all of this carp? Thats right, government backed. And duffy is right, all the stuff that gets published that counters any argument or so called evidence of climate change gets pushed away and ignored. Coincidence

If your going to blame the recent floods on climate change as well mate, you need to do some homework on water ways, how our government has created, changed, cut funding of our environment agency and what effect the European union has had on this subject too. Yes records of rainfall has been broken but at the end of the day, records are there to be broken. When the first records were published in the 1700s, when they were repeatedly broken in 1800s and early 1900s did they blame that on climate change? No! I rest my case!

Climate change eh?

@STS climate change is real when in the last 30 years the average global temperature have raised with 1-2 Celsius degrees. That doesn't mean that its hot everywhere, it means that the weather changes dramatically in a short space of time, you can have winter and the next week summer temperatures. The climate is simply turning into chaos, the drought are much longer in some parts of the world, while in others the rain never stops for weeks, extreme weather incidents happen frequently, etc. By 2050 there won't be any big glaciers left because they're not forming elsewhere, they're simply melting. You should watch Al Gore documentary from 10 years ago.

Back on topic, MTOY could have 10 gallops, they need real competition to get him into racing mode and prepare him for CH, I'm not saying it'll hurt his chances but it won't be of much help. Much better to run him tomorrow and have enough time to recover for the champion, its soft ground for Gods sake, its not heavy sticky conditions, he would've been just fine on it and its not like the flat when the horse is potentially affecting his future stallion fee.

Turning into a joke now, Henderson. Enters the horse on Monday knowing the state of the ground and the weather forecast. The ground is now soft (heavy in places) and he still won't run. Was he hoping for good ground? Deluded.

not helpful for BJG either - if I were him I'd choose Hargam but the jockey arrangement for the recent racecourse gallop suggests he'll go MTOY surely.

Sorry TT totally disagree. Just a real shame imo that the G20 nations and their payrolled scientists have convinced so many.

I apologise this has gone completely off topic but feel i need to put this. I merely go on my own experiences with weather, all through my life at least the weather has done exactly what you explained above. Since records started it has. One year many feet of snow, next year many inches of rain and so on, doesn't mean climate change. It is a big combined effort for the worlds richest nations to come together to raise tax and keep fuel prices artificially high even when the global wholesale prices are so low! A tax! As for recent weather events, it was only a couple of years ago we had our driest winter on record, it was only about 10 years ago we were officially in drought! Yeah, we're in climate change of course we are .
There is one thing however i do believe in and i know this as i have done a basic meteorological course in my teens at college during a course that was supposed to send me to sea in the merchant navy and that is that advances in technology have meant that it has become far easier but at the same time far more complicated to predict out weather. Knowing about the upper atmosphere and the ribbon of air that is called the jet stream has enhanced weather prediction no end. This stream moves up and down our part of the globe in approx' 5-10 year cycles. It is of no coincidence to me that we experienced years of drought during the late 90s early noughties and we are now experiencing big rainfalls. The planets average temperature fluctuates between an average of 1-2 degrees every 1000 years or so, as our records only started approx 300 years ago there is no way of knowing what the planets average temp was back in them years apart from best guesses from said scientists who dig down deep into the planets crust.

I could go on but am way off topic as said before so leaving it at that. Sorry people it does get boring but i know my stuff and i am very critical of said subject and feel quite strongly

Not boring at all, STS.

Am I right in thinking MTOY will be ridden in the citation bit in the CH?

the average global temperature has gone up with 2 degrees only in the last 30, never mind the natural state of earth, this is human made. I don't think there's any scientist out there that believes the climate change isn't happening. Do you know how China looks like in a normal day @sts? its basically fog due to so much pollution and the CO2 emissions levels are extraordinary. The atmosphere is boiling and it creates unstable weather conditions. There is already a functional 100% green energy generator in france capable of supporting a city with 100k population, the only reason green energy providers haven't made it is because the dirty petrol corporations still have trillions of dollars profit to make out of that market. the CO2 pollution rate needed to be stopped 50 years ago in order for future generations to escape whats coming.

We didn't have the technology 30 years ago to accurately predict the average global temperature timtin. It was only 10 years ago scientists were still using temperature, wind and rainfall gauges installed inside wooden boxes, it kind of used the same kind of method they use to measure earthquakes, a seismograph type thing, and these were in loads of different locations all over the globe to try to measure it!

The reason why so many scientists are now going along with it is because it is in their best interests to do so for what ever personal reason they may have. This is the last post i shall make on the subject. You are welcome to your opinion of course, but this is mine. As for China, they are going through the same technological era we did 100 years ago, with coal powered power stations and the like, with 100s of times the population we had back then now am not surprised they are in a cloak of smog. It is a dirty fuel, one we have since learned about but we have to let them progress through and grow, the same way we did in the late 1800s early 1900s.

I am a firm believer that we humans were put on this earth to make use of its resources to flourish and survive. It is something the human race has done for millions of years. Through ice ages and the like. I suppose the next winter we have snow like that of just a couple of years ago we will be reading about  the next ice age is happening now etc. Its just hype up of the fuel prices, more tax for our greedy G20 nations.

Anyways, back on topic, i am getting more confident of MTOY every hour that passes that there is still decent strength on him in the market. 2 years off the track having no race i think could be beneficial. A couple of racecourse gallops on ground no worse than he will experience at the fez (unless its heavy ground fez then we will be in trouble, it must/has be climate change if it is cos we only had gd/sft for last 10 or so years) imo will do him the world of good and put him spot on, if he is still not good enough or he doesn't retain his ability on the track i think we will find out then whether he has a race or not before.

There are some romantics on here. NJH used to work the oracle with See You Then but he only had a year off. I'll be surprised if MTOY makes the gig but if he does, no feckin chance.

Ground too soft for Nickys National Hunt Horses ffs.

''Yes records of rainfall has been broken but at the end of the day, records are there to be broken.''

, What an outlook to have, it's not the 2 mile track record we're looking to beat.

Records are being broken more and more frequently, and by wider and wider margins. The fact you're brushing it aside so daftly is just the drivel that's expected off the average Brit in 2016. The way we haven't solely converted to renewable energy in this day and age is just a joke. It makes economic as well as environmental sense. But instead lets keep digging up the earth surface for oil when there's another way, the very people who call those decisions are the ones who want things to stay as they are, power and money the reason of course. I despise the EU but for very different reasons to you. One of the most anti-eco bodies of all time amongst all the tax dodging, corruption and the rest of it.

But then at the same time you're probably another one of these who think the BBC are left wing and Farage is anti establishment

Go to South America, go to some of the non-colonial oceanian countries, two areas of the world I've been lucky enough to go to, people there aren't immersed in TV and don't have their heads buried in far right newspaper propaganda, speak to some of these people and the overwhelming majority will tell you what is happening to the planet by calling it how it is, they don't need a tele to tell them, they can see it by living outside and taking it all in with their eyes and ears. But I suppose Cameron's answer of building a bigger Trump style wall to keep the water out is the best solution to the problem isn't it? Hey, it may keep a few more forriners out too, bonus.

I know I kind of started this debate although definitely unintentionally, but this is also my last word on the subject. Think I've said what I needed to say about My Tent Or Yours as well so shan't be replying anymore to this thread. Cheers.

Walls arent the answer to flooding, better management of our waterways are. Bring back the funding is whats needed in that area.

@satrus, the tragedy that happens to South America is also closely linked with the CO2 disaster that is unfolding for decades now because of Amazon deforestation which still continues at a rate estimated at 3000 sq miles per year, thats the size of a small country. People in agricultural countries know how badly the weather has affected them and lately I haven't heard any scientist to deny the overwhelming evidence of human produced greenhouse gas. Like you say the solutions are out there, they just refuse to apply it because there's still tons of profit to be made using obsolete methods that destroy the planet in the process.

btw this is a good topic to discuss as any on this thread, given that Hendo is not running his horses.

STS - Science is more advanced than being reliant on thermometers and spreadsheets to record global temperatures. We know from ice cores and gaseous concentrations how the temperature has changed over the past 10,000 years. Not every seemingly odd weather event is caused by global warming but that's not really the long-term problem attached to it. Nobody can realistically argue that human activity hasn't caused rapid global temperature change through the burning of fossil fuels.

Feb 19, 2016 -- 11:03PM, timtin wrote:

btw this is a good topic to discuss as any on this thread, given that Hendo is not running his horses.

Not yet heard him blame global warming for a non runner but would be confident it's an imminent excuse, pretty sure we've had the grass is the wrong colour and horses with grass allergies already.

I wonder if Gary Moore is regretting running his horses!!??
It is possible Hendo was worried what may happen if Tent had run today......who knows.
It could be considered a good thing he's not willing to risk his horse, sign of how much chance he thinks he may have?
I'm pretty confident Hendo will find a way of getting Tent to Cheltenham in good order.

Budd think he should have run him today at least the take fizz out of him. Hes won on soft few times and ran once on heavy, another Henderson bottle job imo. Think he best days maybe behind him after not running for almost 2 years,would take leap of faith to back him fto in Champion Hurdle.

Well yes mate,he would be right up against it without a run,especially how fresh he is.
I've backed him ages ago and went back in after the workout with Hargam the other day,as he seemed to settle fine.
Maybe another workout will help,or possibly an AW bumper?
Whatever I've had my bets,so I have to have faith in Hendo to do his job and get him there fit.

Good luck Budd at least you got better than the current 8/1 very tight, in wide open race now.
Keep the faith with Hendo, not too sure bout that matey gl.

Well although I did think if they could get him to settle he was the one horse that on his day could challenge Faugheen,I have obviously got lucky with the setback for Faugheen, as I think if he's probably more talented than the rest,yes he's got issues with the long lay off and prep, but his price reflected that.
He was worth the risk at the prices in my view,but I would not be taking current price on him.
Cheers for the good luck message,with this horse I will need it mate!!

I thought this horse was doing an Alderbrook and running in the Kingwell, what is the reason for the no show ?

Apparently trainer does not want to run him on the ground

Let's be honest, Hendo got Bino to run the race of his life in his champion win after a terrible campaign (he wasn't even meant to turn up lol). Tent's campaign this year is nothing to worry about. I think not having a run this weekend will actually be a blessing. Give him an AW run out to get his fitness tuned, show him a few hurdles at home and perhaps a racecourse outing. I'm of the opinion he was the 2nd best horse in the race prior to Faugheen getting injured. 8/1 imo is still good value.

The workout was very encouraging, they went half speed and he appeared to settle quite well which for a notorious hard puller would be very hard to do.

I take the view that with their reluctance to run him it shows how far forward they must be with him and happy to rely on racecourse gallops, if he turns up I'll be taking the view that he's 100% ready and hopefully he's as good as he was would make him for me the best horse in the race...but I've always been a fan of his and can remember many battles on here with TNO fans in recent years

To me, though, that's part of the problem - since MTOY finished in front of the hampered TNO in the 2014 Champion Hurdle, MTOY has raced once - beaten at evens in the Scottish Champion Hurdle - and TNO has run 9 times and won 7 of them. TNO is also a year younger.And yet MTOY is 2 or 3 points shorter with some of the bookies. How the hell does that work?

In fairness, though, despite my mocking above, it was probably the right decision not to run today, conditions looked brutal in the Kingwell.

Only possible hurdle race I can see for him is the National Spirit next Sunday at Fontwell - but it's too far really, too close to the Festival and the ground probably won't have dried out enough (although there's less rain about next week).

If mtoy even gets placed in this champion hurdle it will be a bigger shock than Arabian Queen beating Golden Horn. Been off the track for nearly 2years, always came out second best in his big races in his prime. The only thing making his price this short has to be sentimental muggery. Save your money and get a nice takeaway or something, dont waste money betting this hendo nag.

Rease

To answer your question, I'd say he's shorter than TNO because in the time that tent has been off TNO has been conclusively exposed with regards to becoming a CH winner, and although the time off is obviously not good it has allowed tent to retain a lot of his "mystique" if you like.

Tent's fans of which I am one believe that a settled traveller would already be a CH winner and so it's raw ability is all there, I'm gambling on the fact that he settles better now and if that is so, particularly with Faugheen out, leaves him as the best horse in the race.

weak on here 13.5 ???

MTOY currently posing with Nicky for the press cameras, looks in fine nick!

The weakness is probably more to do with the fact he hasn't raced yet for whatever reason and all the posts on here about him being off for 2 years etc etc.

If i hadn't already played at 20/1 at the start of the season i wouldn't want to be backing him at 13.5 currently

It's Now 16 on here. Dodgy