Jezki impressed me today back over 2 miles after that lay off. With Harry seemingly having the stayers division at his feet, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jezki  joining Yanworth in the champion for JP. Particularly with the air of uncertainty with Faugheen & Annie. McManus happily had Jezki & My Tent in the Champion in 2014. Personally see 20-1 NRNB at Murdochs firm, as a little bet to nothing.

Yes JB I'd agree the 20s NRNB looks tasty. I'd still expect him to run in the Stayers though and I'd also expect BJG to ride him in preference to Harry. I would like to see him get the dreaded second run back out of the way first, hopefully in the Red Mills hurdle.

Jezki should be in the stayers, harry is far from having the stayers division at his feet, all things being equal you wouldn't fancy Jezki beating either/or faugheen and AP, but he can thrive in the stayers and follow a similar path to Solwhit as a high class 2 miler that stays 3 miles carrying that class edge into the race which provides the likes of Harry with a completely different class of opponent to which he's used to.

I completely agree Duffy. I don't expect to and am convinced that he will rightly run in the stayers. But yesterday proved to me that he still retains his 2 mile class and turn of foot. With the current situation with Annie Power & Faugheen, its perfectly feasible that neither turn up, and in that case it wouldn't be hard to make a case for Jezki running again. Just looking at the market I can only find about 4 who are even guaranteed to run (New One, Brain Power, Petit Mouchoir and Yanworth). Jezki is a different class to all of them.

I fully expect to get my 2 pence back I have had on him at 20-1 NRNB in 7 weeks time back. However it wouldn't take a whole lot for that price to half if not more. Or thats my belief anyway

Yeah JB I think you'll be getting your money back for the Champion.  He looks a lively runner in the stayers, but I do think the value of his 3m win over Hurricane Fly isn't as good as some think.

That was Hurricane Fly's first attempt at 3m, and then he was subsequently stuffed in France a couple of months later over 3m and then retired, so it was against a Hurricane Fly who was a shadow of his former self, at a distance he was never proven at.

Although a good performance, it was a pretty poor 3m race that Jezki won that day.  He is still unexposed at the trip, so I do think he is a genuine contender for the stayers, but 6-8/1 is short enough for me when he's had one run in 600 odd days.

The more I look at it, I can't get away from Harry - imo he is the only proven top quality stayer in the lineup, VVM, Nichols Canyon, Jezki, Shaneshill and The New One are all at the limits of their stamina, and Ballyoptic has been beaten by Harry twice now.

Sorry for waffling on about the Stayers in the Champion Hurdle thread!!

PS: Re Annie Power; she should definitely be in the Champion Hurdle with Faugheen, but I doubt it. 

Probably the toughest decision Walsh woould ever have made - Kauto vs Denman would be close, but he would never jump off Kauto, and to jump off Hurricane Fly would have been tough, but these two are at a very similar level, under the same ownership at similar stages of their career, with similar preps!!

Imo, IF both turned up, I would ride Faugheen, but I think would would choose Annie.

Jedi, after her first,and easiest,win in the Mares, in the season that Hurricane Fly was out injured, Quevega filled in for him in the punchestown champion hurdle. She ran a cracker to be third behind Solwhit and Punjabi, beaten 3 lengths getting the mares allowance.

She could have run well in a Champion Hurdle for sure but I doubt she was good enough to win one.She'd have had a stone to find with the Fly for starters and rather than find out the hard way, the Mares race was the right one for her. As for the Stayers, who knows, but if Ruby had been forced to choose between her and Big Bucks at Cheltenham i'm pretty sure he'd have gone for BB every time. And again, for a mare of that quality that could only fire two darts per year, you want to hit the target. Why bypass a race at Cheltenham that she should probably win in favour of one that she probably wouldnt win.

All good thanks mate.
Decided not to spend so much time on here this year as I normally do, but keeping an eye on things of course.
Nice to see some good ol names stiil on here.
Cheers mate

Mullins has said that Yorkhill could be a CH horse in time, fook me Mullins, we all knew that after the Neptune romp, but Walsh gets off and says he'll win the Arkle so that's it. Fast forward and he has not set the world alight over fences to put it mildly probably coupled with Faugheen and AP being less than impressive back home and hey presto, Yorkhill could be a CH horse....talk about ar5e about face

Given that i've been filling up on Sceaux Royal at 33s and 48s on here with the hope of a decent kingwell return, Yanworth and Petite Mouchoir i can't help but feel a little worried. Also every firm on odds checker has suspended betting on said Yorkhill!

What i can't fathom though is this, where abouts in his chase form warrants has not set the world alight over fences to put it mildly or have i missed something?

Thinking about it though, Yorkhill would be his only perceivable dart in the Ch should F or AP not make it and i think people take these top horses too much for granted especially when they get injured etc. The will they be as good won't they be as good if we ever see them again etc.
It maybe that those in the know have already started their savings up of the big prices in said market on said horse, that we will never truly know but we can only observe said market and ask ourselves, who is it that is hoovering up these tenners at said prices 2 3 4 times a day, even when odds in the single figs are getting matched on a horse that seems to be racing over fences this season!

I am starting to come round to the idea though, if you are going to back him, you are on the pretense that F and AP will not make the gig. Is that worth 7.2 or maybe the last price to be matched 30/1+

What is interesting though, every bookmaker bar b365 who are 4/1 nrnb have suspended him. Not even pp have a price up on said animal

Welcome back Budd, will be shocked of both running against each other. But would be great for the race if it happened?

it is a farce that the reigning champion hurdler if fit does not compete in this years champion race and instead run in the mares hurdle of all races.that is not what the mares hurdle was designed for.if wm and rr do this they are denigration the whole of national hunt racing and i would have thought for one willie would appreciate the heritage of the game

I'm hearing yorkhill is injured and will miss the festival.

no chance of them running against each other,Annie will defend her crown and faugheen will run in the stayers.

Ruby can't ride both at the same time, so I can't see it happening....

By connections I meant trainer and owner.If they decide then it don't matter what Ruby thinks or says.
Ruby can ride one and Townend the other.

I think this Sundays Irish Champion will tell us a lot about where Faugheen goes.  If he wins as he should, then it has to be Champion, if not then maybe stayers.  Can't see Annie P going straight to the Champion though.  Any ideas about a prep?

Dont think we'll be seeing Faugheen this weekend. Red mills in gowran in Feb is the plan .Wait for Wp Mullins to say he didn't work well during the week so won't make it to leopardstown.

I do not think it is in the dna of Gigginstown to shirk a "fight" with Mullins' runners especially since their split; I hope Petit Mouchoir acquits himeself well on saturday with/out Faugheen.