McManus Pair now the value in the Champion Hurdle

Both JP'S want a strong gallop,so why would there be false pace?

Jezki is a stayer and MTOY has to have a strong gallop because he pulls so hard but has such a high cruising speed that he will travel better into the race.

I am a massive MTOY'S fan by the way but Captain Cee bee being supplemented is to ensure that there is not a false pace.

Jezki is more than a stayer and at the prices is defo the ew play.

I am talking in terms of the pace of the race Irish guy,a strong (or even an equal pace) would play more to the strengths of Jezki than a falsely run race.

Yes agreed, that is why they added the pacemaker.

I still think they have the option to mess with the pace. What happens after the first if the other 2 settle well. Is Captain Cee Bee going to kick on even though he has no chance.

I fancied Our Connor all along, he has no chance now imo and Mullins who has a whole host of potential front runners he could have added has made a big rick imo as the Fly must settle to win

Have to disagree lustrumm CCB has been obviously supplemented to guarantee a strong pace, Jezki we know stays further, and don't forget when ROR and Overturn went a searching gallop on genuine good ground they took the Fly out of his comfort zone, with the ground drying up makes perfect sense to me for CCB to make it a searching gallop.

MTOY lost the Supreme last year due too a masterful front running ride from Ruby......jumped off at CH pace then slowed it up at halfway......McCoy couldn't get any sort of pull on MTOY

...couldn't get him too settle after that......they have learnt from that imo which is why they added a pacemaker......CBB will just maintain an even gallop imo.

Agree completely JR, I've been wed to the Tent for this since last season. If he settles, they won't know what hit them. He has overraced every time so far.

Incidentally i loaded up the CH and Supreme and watched them side by side as i couldn't understand the four seconds difference......very enlightening.

Walsh had McCoy on a string was my impression of the Supreme. The perfect waiting ride from the front optimising CF's finishing kick leading to a fast time. The tent pulled it away, but I think all McCoy thought he'd have to do was arrive there at the last. Hopefully they've taught him how to be a racehorse since. I'd say he could win a Cambridgeshire or something like that on the Flat, that good.

I'll be backing MTOY tomorrow Neill even though i'd rather see a quieter rider on him and see the New One as the danger.....can also see Jetzi running a big race if given a more positive

ride.....the way he's been ridden this year is baffling imo as mentioned above he has always looked like a stayer.

Wouldn't surprise me if the Fly doesn't get involved.....certainly if he travels like he did last year he won't.

I'd be in agreement with all of that JR. My first 3 would be the Tent, The New one and Jezki in that order.

Fly is the best hurdler I've seen, but his prime was before he even won his first Champion to me, strange as that sounds. The horse deserves 3 champion hurdles, but they don't always get what they deserve and 2 isn't a bad haul. This is one of the great NH races.

The Fly has no doubt been a great horse but i wouldn't put him even close to the likes of Istabraq or See you Then only my opinion of course.

Just think that the slower pace of the races in Ireland suit him.

I,d be with ye in regards My Tent,looks sure to be on the podium,never a truer word spoken does look as if it could be one of the great hurdle races and a touch of the classics of the 70,s about it.
Not sure how to look at Captains supposed pace duties obviously will suit the McManus horses the big if to me is if it doesn,t get the Fly off the bit think it could end up suiting him best of all.

A race you could enjoy without a bet if ever there was one. It is the most anticipated NH race since Denman v Kauto. What is more, bar the fav, they will all be around for a few years hopefully.

Was just thinking there that it is some sickener what happened to Darlan. 2 mile hurdlers seems to be one of the things the McManus operation and their spotters do quite well.

Istabraq, Binocular, Darlan, Captain Cee Bee, My Tent or Yours and Lingo(who also looked a monster of a horse).

Hurricane Fly is the best horse and will win if he gets a gallop and settles. The difference is he could start pulling after a 1/2 mile if they are not going quick enough.
I'll stick with my original that McManus controls the pace and Frank Berry is no fool. They will see what I can see and that is to send CBB off quick, settle the other 2 and slow up around the stand. The Fly will yank to the fore and The new one and Our Connor will be outpaced down hill.

Also if anyone thinks Jezki is only a stayer they have not been looking at the same races as me. He is tremendous value at 10/1 1/4 the odds imo
Value is gone MTOY

I think The New One might actually be the fastest horse in the race. He showed a tremendous turn of foot at Kempton, too good even. I don't think he'll be done for toe.

Surely MTOY would be more inconvenienced than anyone by a stop start gallop?HF might have been a bit keen in his earlier days but it has not been a problem as he got older.The steady gallop in the Irish Champion saw both OC and to a greater extent Jezki keener than HF so I would very much doubt whether CCB is there to slow it down.

What Lustrumm states would be the perfect way to ride CBB. Get MTOY settled, then ease the pace, to ensure his speed can be brought to the fore when it counts. Once settled he should be fine.

Even given this perfect scenario, I cant see him winning though.

I think TNOs turn of foot has been largely underrated, he too possesses huge speed, and unlike MTOY, seems to be able to quicken twice. This is what may set him apart.

I would disagree with Lustrumm about Berry being no fool though! And if a Fly backer I would have no worries about him pulling, Settles very well these days.

As Neill d says one of the few races that one could watch without any bet and be fascinated by it every step of the way. All things being equal 5 of them will be at the last together and the fun will really begin then

I reckon CBB goes steady and Jezki sits close.

No bet in it so far but the Fly,s price is starting to look big at very near 7/2.

I've also believed Hurricane's Fly peak was the year before he won his first Champion strange as it sounds. Would love to see him win again but like others I think the young guns have caught up with him.

Also agree with Neill about the fastest horse in the race. Here's my take on it

Strongest traveller - My Tent or Yours
Quickest turn of foot - The New One
Slickest Hurdler - Hurricane Fly
Best Stayer - Jezki

^ Good synopsis,can,t ever remember looking forward to a race so much, fiendish puzzle for a punter but promises to be one hell of a race.

Just to mention it the smartest bookie in the Ring in the SouthWest in the UK has put up Melodic Rendezvous. Same guy has a history of finding big priced winners at the festival.
A freak result would not surprise me here. I had only 1 bet and that was Jezki at 10/1 ew

yes as I did lustrum..but he didn't go a yard on that ground was taken off his feet..delighted for jezki..welldone yourself..

Good call lads , race worked out well for JP . Sad about Our Conor , takes away from any race that .

Jeez traqic with being right and I don't mean the result. Willie Mullins admitted they changed tactics on Hurricane Fly and that clearly did not suit and I don't think anyone liked the look of it to see Our Conor up in front with Captain Cee Bee.
No hiding place in Cheltenham on fast ground and Our Conor paid the ultimate. That is indeed tragic as it is not often we see horse with that potential.

Even in the 4 miler a clearly unfit Nina and incompetent Patrick Mullins shown up as well.

No hiding place at the festival

well done to you, that was my biggest ever losing race, around £500 on that race. will it get all back on the football tonight or on the weekend.

When a horse like Our Conor dies I can't help but think back to horses like Valiramix and those even older will remember Golden Cygnet. Takes all the good out of any winner for me anyway. Horses get killed all the time but the potential champions always leave a sour taste.
A thought too for the owner of the 4 Mile winner who got a banger an hour before the race and was carted off in an ambulance. Hope he is ok.

I guess if you are going to your Waterloo then Cheltenham is the place to go. It would be for me anyway