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Those in the Katchit camp, what do you make of Al Eile finishing in front of it?
Well as a strong advocate of Katchit in advance of the race I have thought about that. I don't think it augers well for Katchit if I am honest - if I had been told before hand that Al Eile would beat him I would not have believed it so I have to be dissapointed by that. That said I wonder whether he would have edged out Al Eile but for the mistake - still you have to jump them and Katchit didn't.
We need to decide what we think of Al Eile. Personally I think he is short of Champion Hurdle class - he is a much better 2.5 mile horse IMO. As Jenny says an entry in the Stayers would be noteworthy. That said I thought he came out of the Caesarawitch with huge credit so he is likely to have been as good as he could have been yesterday.
Still - on reflection - it is not what I had expected or hoped for. _________________ One way to stop a runaway horse is to bet on him.
Thanks three_out - Al Eile is one of those horses isn't it? Not quite good enough over 2m and doesn't stay 3m stoutly enough either!!? It was no disgrace finishing behind Harchibald, But behind Al Eile is a different matter......food for thought definitely. _________________ ROLL OF HONOUR
I will await the Boylesports now - and perhaps we can do this thread all over again. I do feel Katchit was below my expectations yesterday but it would be churlish to write him off on one run - after all I was confident and my figures from the tail end of last year make him a better four year old than Detroit City was.
What is not really being discussed is that there is potentially a lack of obvious Champion Hurdle winners at the moment. Harchibald has put himself back in the frame and Sublimity is an obvious one being the defending champ (although he was a big price and somewhat a shock winner last year). Afsoun could be a threat with the Irish appearing to be weaker than in previous years. The likes of Blythe Knight and Clopf must be doubts after yesterday unless something comes to light so there appears to be a lack of depth. _________________ One way to stop a runaway horse is to bet on him.
I've taken a punt on Macs Joy coming back to his best (glad he swerved today's grueller!) and have an interest in Sizing Europe (impressed by his Cheltenham win and think he would have run Aitmatov very close, if not beat him, the time before).
Agree there is no outstanding contender, but Sublimity has nothing to fear this time either! _________________ ROLL OF HONOUR
It is borne out of a strange view that he would be given a chance at this trip and at worst I have a trading position. As it is now he is 33's so I have a trading position but I am being greedy - I want him at 16's before I make a move... Then again - a fast run two mile race may be the making of him _________________ One way to stop a runaway horse is to bet on him.
It is borne out of a strange view that he would be given a chance at this trip and at worst I have a trading position. As it is now he is 33's so I have a trading position but I am being greedy - I want him at 16's before I make a move... Then again - a fast run two mile race may be the making of him
The "One Man" of the 3m hurdling division........... !!!!! _________________ ROLL OF HONOUR
Alan - Fair point, maybe he wants to keep the horses apart (Clopf and Catch Me). I have also heard that Catch Me was on the easy list in November having suffered bleeding in his lungs after a racecourse gallop, so the race at Fairyhouse on saturday would have been a more appropriate starting point for the horse over hurdles this season than the Fighting Fifth.
Seeing as everyone else has, I'll chuck my two pence in.
I thought Katchit ran well yesterday; while I expected him to win, I also didn't expect a big return to form like that from Harchibald, so in hindsight I think it was a good effort- Harchibald is a seriously good, classy horse on his day, and for Katchit the 5y/o to get within a few lengths is a good effort. He does seem to love Cheltenham, and while he may not be a principle fancy for me, I wouldn't fancy laying him at 9/1. Thing is; Detroit City imo had much better claims to the Champion Hurdle around this time last year, than Katchit has. And as too bad to be true as DC's effort was at Cheltenham, he would have had to be seriously good to beat Sublimity imo. So, if DC can't do it having had better claims, I see no reason why Katchit should. I know racing isn't that crudely clear but you get my drift! However, still being young, having improved every run this year, there's no reason for that trend to stop for Katchit. I'll wait for the Bula before making a firmer opinion on him.
I'm getting more and more tempted by Swaggers arguments for Catch Me. Ran sound races in defeat in top company last year, and hacking right up yesterday was nice. I'd like to have seen a little more from Ebaziyan after his Supreme Novices win to consider backing him; he has disappointed drastically since for me. I do agree with YY that you can't really win a Supreme Novices Hurdle on a fluke, so it's just a matter of when he recaptures that form I suppose.
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