Cheltenham Festival
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Yorkhill
Yorkhill
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Min is also in the Dublin Chase, a race for Mullins' benefit (as always).
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Those 2 days at leopardstown where they've taken all the top trials that are normally spread out over a few weeks and compacted them into 2 great days of racing is a brilliant innovation IMO.
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So Yorkhill and Min......any others we know of?
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Simply Ned is another possible.
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Yorkhill is set to drop back down in trip for the Coral Dublin Chase at Leopardstown on February 3 after disappointing in the Christmas Chase on his first try for Willie Mullins over three miles.
A return to hurdling for the two-time Cheltenham Festival winner has not been ruled out, either. Mullins said: "We will go down the two-mile chase route and if that doesn't work we will go back to hurdling. "I'm happy for him to go for the Coral Dublin Chase, and I don't think there is much alternative." Min, who crossed the line first in a Grade One over Christmas but was demoted by the stewards, is another contender for the Dublin Chase. "He's in great shape and came out of his race over Christmas at Leopardstown well," said Mullins. |
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If Yorkhill excels in the Dublin Chase and runs in the CC where will Min go? He'll be an unlikely runner, I firmly believe, as Walsh cannot ride two in a race - he's no Ben Hur; the bucket shop Airline race perhaps. And that will really please the sponsor if thumped again by one of Mullins' charges.
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Would they actually run both Min and Yorkhill?
Hope Simply Ned runs, that would give a good indication of Yorkhill's ability at 2m chasing. And where he is at compared with Min as well. |
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I cant see them running Min and Yorkshill in the QMCC myself. would be surprised if they ran against each other in the Dublin Chase but I dont think there any other options so they may well have to.
Duffy. There is absolutely no way the horse was right last time. Im absolutely staggered you are saying there was nothing wrong with him just because he led! He went out like a light and they hadnt even got to 2 1/2 miles at that point. |
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Agree they've given up for this year... didnt realise that's what you meant.
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Dont think it was the plan for him to lead in the Lexus,he started off 2 from the back!! Unless the jockey was asleep!!!
Four fences later he was in front though.so maybe he was caught napping, or maybe the horse just took him there and ultimately resulted in the horse doing too much and ruining his chance. Well he is a tad enigmatic. |
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Assuming it hasn't been scrapped, the other option for Min is the Gr.2 Tied Cottage Chase @ Punchestown in early Feb. Don't think Yorkhill will go there as it is right-handed.
The way things have gone for Ricci & Wylie recently, i honestly can't see WPM being able to keep Min and Yorkhill apart @ Cheltenham. If they win their next races then it's definitely QMCC for both of them. imo |
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Willie saying today he never thought Yorkhill was a Gold Cup Horse.......wasted most of this season then, could have been trained as a 2 mile chaser from the summer onwards
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Or they could just run him in the obvious race the bloody Ryanair considering he has won the Ballymore and JLT at the last 2 festivals, connections wanted to run him in the Gold Cup, punters want him to run in the Queen Mother and the race he is clearly most suited too has barely got a mention.
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I agree Pf.
With the upbeat bulletin on Douvan as well today, who bleedin' knows what will happen! |
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Thats much too simple the Ryanair.
Far better too go 3m chasing then 2m chasing then ........???? QM or CHurdle apparently!!! |
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To me Yorkhill has always been a serious Champion Hurdle contender since the day he won the Neptune. And Mullins' logic of dropping him in distance and not changing discipline too despite the horse's tendency to jump right at the fences beggars belief, in my opinion. But it would not surprise me Faugheen and Ricci have had something to do with it.
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yorkhill pricewise tip for the champion chase 6/1
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^
That's not rocket science really, he'll be a shortish fav I'd have thought next time and assuming all goes well would be a strong 2nd fav. or better if Altior doesn't run in the CC. |
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No difference to me where he runs at the Festival as I have him at 4/1 to win any race, but I'd still prefer him to be in the Champion Hurdle mainly to vindicate my judgement about him being a good hurdler and a serious Champion Hurdle contender. I believe Yorkhill has a better chance of beating Buveur D'air than Altior if Altior is not inconvenienced by not having a prep race prior.
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Apparently, last saturday, Mullins let slip that Yorkhill chipped a bone in his foreleg when finishing last in the x'mas chase, and was out for ten days.
I think it is fair to say even Lydia Hislop was surprised by that disclosure so long after the event. No improvement from Mr Mullins! |
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By all accounts horses run with bits of bones floating about their joints all the time and cause no problems, I'd doubt that played any part in his defeat, for a lot of the race he was travelling and jumping strongly.
Really looking forward to the race. |
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He's 'evens' with Townend onboard, and Min ia 5/2. Last chance saloon for him (again), I reckon, otherwise, Champion Hurdle could beckon if jumping right and/or head strong in-running.
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I think Min should be favourite over Yorkhill. The latter's prep has been all over the place for a 2 mile chaser. Min wasn't great against Simply Ned but if Yorkhill is allowed an off day then Min is also.
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If connections were correct with their reason for the defeat of Min last time then Min ought to be fav over the enigmatic Yorkhill (I still believe he ought to be prep for the Champion Hurdle but for Ricci's inmate) given his best credential was beating Yanworth (probably an over-rated horse) in the Neptune; Min split Altior and Buveur D'air in the Supreme.
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beat from the word go
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WHERE TO NOW
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What excuse now? Simply nowhere near a good enough chaser to winna QM, Ryanair or Gold Cup.
Queue a big string of excuses from backers. |
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The Abattoir.
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Very disinterested from Yorkhill, Champion Hurdle or Ryanair, if all is well with him otherwise...
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I'm a supporter and that was an absolute shocker, but unlike the last race he ran, here today he never went a yard and was beat from the word go, townend was never happy, it was nothing to do with not being good enough, to the eye that performance looked like there was a problem with him.
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A broken bone in his foreleg probably still hindering him.
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Aside from his JLT win I have never been convinced of him as a chaser, whether he was bred for it or not. Has to be hurdles next time for me, but even then I wouldn't join a queue to back him.
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I would, on better ground back at the festival, a track he loves, I'm all in
I feel better already   |
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Wylie is the Mullins patsy. His horses are messed about in favour of Ricci.
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Yep, Wylie is Mullins' patsy; Shaneshill, Bellshill and now Yorkhill, a similar route to Finian's Oscar but in reverse. Could he pitch up in the Champion Hurdle with Faugheen on the decline or Ricci an impediment? This, apart from the Ryanair, is the only race at the Festival left, I think.
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Imp (who never backs Mullins horses), doesn't care where Yorkhill goes - yet barely a day goes by without him nominating the Champion Hurdle for him.
I smell an aftertimed huge price if Mullins does switch him back to hurdles........ For my money, any horse that has won a novice chase at the festival, is a chaser. He's not struggling this season due to the fences, as others have alluded to, something ain't right. I imagine they'll draw stumps and try again next year. When no doubt this thread will be revived. |
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Desmond, I don't think he's not a chaser, I simply think that because he has such a tendency to jump left, this is exaggerated a lot more over fences than hurdles, and I think by doing this he loses too many lengths over fences against top class opposition.
When everything does click perfectly for him, he is top class, and imo that has only happened once in six chase runs now (the JLT); he is far too inconsistent at his fences to back him with any confidence. It's one thing winning novice hurdles and novice chases jumping left, but in open company against opposition like Min, Altior, Un De Sceaux, Might Bite, Fox Norton or whoever it might be, his jumping inconsistencies will cost him (imo of course). While he did jump left over hurdles, I don't think it was as pronounced. Six of his last eight runs below: Held up in rear, took keen hold 2nd, soon tracking leaders, led before 7th, jumped left and not fluent after,  hung left landing last, driven out (tchd 1/3)Held up behind leaders, jumped left 2nd and bumped rival, jumped left again next and at times afterChased leaders, jumped left at times, went 2nd after 2nd and led before next, jumped well left 3 outHeld up behind leaders in 3rd, jumped slightly left at times, raced keenly and took closer order from 4th where led, mistake next, jumped left 5 out Held up and ran freely early, jumped left throughout and well left at times, Towards rear early until improved to chase leaders 3rd and led before 5th, 2 lengths clear at halfway, mistake and jumped left 5 out where headed |
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Those faces above should be underlines, haha!!
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On Saturday he was beat from the moment the tapes went up, forget all this nonsense about the pace of the 2 miles, Special Tiara shot off and Yorkhill certainly wasn't going that pace. In every single race Yorkhill has ever run he's taken a hold, on Saturday Townend was niggling him to get to the first fence ffs.
I don't know if he'll ever see a fence again, but one thing I know 100%, Saturday did not show us the reason why he shouldn't, it was a right off and something was clearly wrong. |
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The market told you all you needed to know - same with Melon.
They are investigating the drifts but I doubt anything will cone of it. |