Dunguib ran second to on raglan road in april '08 as a 5 year old. Winner was bought by wiley for close to 300k. He was actually born in april 03 so will be a 7 year old in real terms for cheltenham '10. One would think that there isānt very much improvement left in him. Rite of passage has more scope for improvement as has alan kingās lidar who looked very good as a 4yo last year. There is little doubt that dunguib was the standout bunper horse last year and probably best we have seen since maybe rhinestone cowboy but he was so advanced physically from the rest we were/are not comparing apples with apples so to speak.
the novice chasers this year are incredible and the best for years. off top of my head you have punchestowns, bensalem and diamond harry likely for RSA while Crackawayjack, sizing europe, mikeal dāageneat, cousin vinny, muirhead, snap tie, noble alan all arkle bound.
to my mind the best novices last year were in the sun alliance hurdle division and will be the ones i will be looking as closely this year. i feel that the supreme novices last year was a below par renewal while the only horse i was interested in from triumph, walkon is out for the year.
[quote=āMacā]Not just one of the best hurdles, but one of the best festivals in a long time if all horses stay fit. Some seriously good looking Irish horses at this stage of the year.
Supreme Novices - Dunguib
Arkle - Sizing Europe
Champion Hurdle - Hurricane Fly, Solwhit
RSA Chase - Mikael DHaguenet
to name just a few.
[/quote]
Triumph - Cabernet Sauvignon
Pandorama just about got up for the win, a small bit workmanlike but had the gears to go toā¦
i was disappointed with that effort, albeit the runner up is decent. jumped out to left each time. wont see him go righthanded again id imagine.
any of you lads doing the totetentofollow competition. think iāll do about 10 lists this year. was in the top ten prior to cheltenham festival in the 07/08 season, ended up in the 200s i thinkā¦
Is Cooldine injured or what. Surely has a decent shout in Gold Cup.
When was the last decent Bumper horse? Missed That never amounted to much as a chaser afterwards anyway.
[quote=āKIB manā]Is Cooldine injured or what. Surely has a decent shout in Gold Cup.
When was the last decent Bumper horse? Missed That never amounted to much as a chaser afterwards anyway.[/quote]
have to disagree strongly with you there. missed that skipped hurdles to go over fences just like the ownerās florida peril. he was campaigned over two miles predominatly as a novice winning two grade 1s and a grade 2 in his last start when stepped up in trip at punchestown. unfortunately he had to be destroyed during that summer/autumn. he was potentially a gold cup horse.
Did Missed That not go in the Champion Chase one year? Seemed a bit one paced to me whenever I watched him. Severly doubt he would have put it up to Kauto Star or Denman in fairness.
he ran in the arkle and was unplaced in novice year i described above. He was a horse that was always going to be better when stepped up in distance as was the plan before misfortune struck. kicking king and best mate were campaigned similarly in their novice campaign and went on to win a gold cup. maybe missed that would have gone on to win a gold cup maybe he wouldānt. however he certainly did not underachieve in his novice campaign.
Hurricane and Binocular clash may be on cards
By Ed Rosenthal5.59PM 27 OCT 2009 THE new jumps season could feature an early clash of the titans with Hurricane Fly and Binocular both being considered for the Grade 1 Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown on November 15.
Hurricane Fly is ante-post favourite for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on the back of an outstanding novice season which yielded three Grade 1 wins, culminating in a seven-length rout of Kempes in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in April.
Willie Mullins, who trains Hurricane Fly for George Creighton, said on Tuesday: "We are looking at starting him off in the Punchestown race. Heās working away nicely and is in good form.
āIt is a nice prize at a track he has won a couple of times in the past and while we will wait until closer to the day before making a decision, the chances are that he will be going there.ā
Hardy Eustace: could also line up
PICTURE: Caroline Norris
Binocular, who won his first two outings last term in imperious fashion before finishing a close third in the Champion Hurdle, may also head to Punchestown for his seasonal debut.
Frank Berry, racing manager to owner J P McManus, said: "It could be on the cards but the horse has to work next week first.
āNicky [Henderson] is very happy with Binocular at the minute. There arenāt too many options around for him and the Irish race would fit into his schedule.ā
Dual Champion Hurdle-winner Hardy Eustace, winner of the Maplewood Developments Hurdle in 2008, is another possible runner.
Trainer Dessie Hughes said of the 12-year-old: āWe havenāt finally decided whether he is going to race this season. He seems to be in good form and is working away, but Iād like to think that he would be capable of doing himself justice. We will wait a bit longer before making a decision.ā
The 15 entries for the 2m Grade 1 event also include 2007 Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity, Solwhit, a dual Grade 1 winner last season when he landed the Aintree Hurdle and the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, Go Native, winner of the Supreme Novicesā Hurdle, and exciting four-year-old Jumbo Rio.
Jesus that could be a nice day out, will have to mark the date. 
I could make a right weekend of that. Ireland V France in the soccer on the Saturday night and then head out to the racing on the Sunday.
Oh dear, the date of the Ireland game didnāt click there at all. What a lairy weekend thatās going to be 
thats the weekend of the paddypower/open meeting at cheltenham aswell. for me that marks the real begining of the national hunt season.
I had planned to head over for the Friday and Saturday of that but iām pretty skint at the moment. Talks of the Tingle Creek in Decemeber, but I doubt it will materialise either.
gone to that meeting twice, last time was when denman won the 2m5f novice chase and detroit city won the greetwood. great meeting, filled with so much potential for season ahead. it never ceases to amaze me the number of festival winners who win at this meeting. come to think of it cork all star won the bumper at that meeting aswell.
Went there in '07. Had savage craic at it.
I had him in the list but took him out cos of the trainer. 
That race on the 15th could be some spectacle. Havenāt seen the Pandorama race yet. Sickened as backed Oligarch Society without Pandorama and had the 2 of them in the forecast only for Ruby to decide to jump off her half way round.
[quote=āMacā]I had him in the list but took him out cos of the trainer.
That race on the 15th could be some spectacle. Havenāt seen the Pandorama race yet. Sickened as backed Oligarch Society without Pandorama and had the 2 of them in the forecast only for Ruby to decide to jump off her half way round.[/quote]
Pandorama is decent but has being overhyped. he lacks that bit of toe at the end of a race that the classy types have. iāll oppose him when he steps up in class. Even allowing for going left at nearly every fence he just doesānt look a natural. Nolanās horse looked much more natural at his fences.