International Hurdle, Cheltenham

I would have thought Zarkandar but after that the list may be very thin of potential real rivals. Would they be tempted to bring over Annie Power?

Gemix bein aimed here

Wrong Frenchie - meant Seabreeze d'Ho

I assume it's been reopened due to lack of entries?

Mullins said he was looking for 2m 4f race for Annie Power and mentioned a couple of possible targets in Ireland over Christmas, no indication from Ruby Walsh on Racing UK either that Annie Power would be entered.

So TNO, Zarkander?, Hendo might be tempted to put Rolling Star in?, what's happening with Rock On Ruby? - Un De Sceaux from left field?

I'm grasping at straws in the hope of a competitive contest.

I'd love to see un des sceaux......I don't care where though I'd just love to see him somewhere

yeh,know what you mean mate,ive backed him for the CHurdle.

Stan James go 8/13 The New One, 7/4 Zarkander, 10's bar.

To answer my own question about Rock on Ruby earlier in the thread, he's entered in a novice chase at Plumpton next Monday.

Rock on ruby going chasing!!!Another gamble gone west! Thought this years C.H. would have been set up perfectly for him!..Wrong!

Ideal conditions yes but unlikely to have reversed form with TNO, imo.

Agree he would struggle to beat TNO but it would give him a much better chance than at  kempton where they have taken the defeat far too seriously, like it was the end of his hurdling career.

Hard to disagree with any of that but I did feel RTW was given a 'considerate' ride in the Hatton's Grace - I'm certainly not claiming he would have had a chance of winning if Russell had asked for more but rather wondering why they bothered to run him in the first place.

An abysmal turnout at 5-day stage, Stan James deserve much better for stumping up a good prize for the event.

The result will be pointless for Festival clues, unless someone burns up the track and mimics the fast pace of a Champion Hurdle which is unlikely.

Will be there as usual, I am a massive Hurdles Fan, and the Champion is my favourite race of the year, I look forward to the International as the only definitive pre-Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle trial at the track, bur this year I have far more interest on the other hurdles races over the 2 days.

Maybe we are relying on Ireland to produce the pre-March clashes this year, at the home team seem intent on avoiding each other at all costs.

bud I think the bounce factor is a thing of the past, modern training has as much as I can tell eradicated. Also don't see why he would have bounced anyway. His injury was minor and didn't keep him out of racing as it occured at the seasons end. I'm not saying it was certainly his running though.

Just I don't fully understand TNO's position in the Champion Hurdle betting, he lost to AFC and Zarkandar either side of defeating RTW last season. Rock on Ruby had the first time blinkers benefit in the Champion Hurdle and has run terrible in all his runs elsewhere since he won the Champion Hurdle.

That's before we get to the fact TNO sire is King Theatre, who is known for siring staying chasers. I think he's another Menorah tbh, one who will find the old course and 2m of a champion hurdle a bit too quick for him. I imagine he'll fill out this season more into the chaser mould.

But like Menorah back in 2011 he's one I can't really get a confident opinion on. I don't really need to either because he will always be far too short to even contemplate backing. One to go out and prove it in March, but I don't think he will.

Incorrect Arkle, I'm near certain bar injury you'll see 3 of the top 5 in the Champion Market take eachother on twice before Cheltenham at Leopardstown at xmas and in Jan.

There's no other races for them to run in tbh. Maybe Our Conor will dodge the race to get a run over hurdles in first before going in a Grade 1. But you'd imagine JP will pitch Jezki in aginst Fly now.

Saying TNO is not good enough based on his defeats to AFC and Zark is far to simplistic. If TNO is a champion hurdle horse, which he seemingly is given his change of pace and the way he is being campaigned, then it's not really much of a surprise he gets beaten over 21f on Heavy ground by a stayer AFC is it, particularly when you can see the jockey went for home to soon and is on record as saying so. Using TNO's defeat to Zark as reason to crab him is also baffling. I don't know why but anyone who hasn't backed him for March finds it difficult to see or admit he was a novice when that race happened. It's almost as if any potential improvement is not probable. I read that opinion time and again on here.

Sint who said TNO wasn't good enough? I said I don't understand his position in the market is all, Neptune form isn't working out and he beat little imo in RoR on soft fto. Triumph & Supreme form working out much better. Also TNO is bred to be a staying chaser and he'll strengthen and get bigger this season and we've seen in recent years the chasers in the making find one or two hurdlers too quick.

Thing is we're talking about the Champion Hurdle favourite here!! Best priced 4/1 antepost price. When Jezki, MTOY, Fly, Our Conor you've got 1,1,0,0 losses over 2m hurdle races with them since beginning of last season.

I likened TNO to Menorah, both are by King Theatre, Menorah went Fav after winning the international in 2010 and he's now a quality 2m5-3m on a sharp track chaser. Binocular, Hurricane Fly et el are out and out hurdlers never ever could see a fence. Race favours the flat bred in recent years RoR being the blip.

But to bring back to my actual point, given what TNO has done, his breeding 4/1 is too short an antepost price and he likely won't see anything resembling a Champion Hurdle horse until the day he runs in it in March.

I've no idea if he is good enough though but his price will never be near a price I'd ever consider backing so he'll burn me in March Rock on Ruby style or he'll lose. I won't be backing him.

If TNO beats Zarkandar the way he beat ROR , Hurricane Flys 2013 Champion Hurdle form will be ripped to shreds.

it does speak volumes if you saw the harry fry interview earlier