Champion Hurdle 2013 - Grandouet

The 2012 Champion Hurdle really wasn't very good at all. The winner and second are honest prominent gallopers and another one of those, Celestial Halo, finished 9th after helping to set the pace. Oscars Well had the choke out as has been standard for him (fading into 6th) and Zarkandar, like Hurricane Fly, came to the race off only a 1-stop preparation, leaving them physically weak and unprepared. Binocular had finished 4.5L behind Overturn in the Fighting Fifth and, having beaten the winner in the Christmas Hurdle, drifted a further 2L behind Overturn in 4th in a more physically demanding race. Overturn himself is admirable and tough, in some ways like Binocular himself, without either being a hurdling star in any way (although many will argue Bincoular was on one occasion at least). 

Given the weak texture knitted by those runners Hurricane Fly could well have been below par and won or been second but he was a mile from match-fitness and failed to respond in the way he previously could as far out as the second last. Here though lies a clue as to the overall weakness of the race.

The pace had been good without being breakneck which is eminently sensible. The entire field were still clustered quite closely together until three and two out at which point Overturn and Rock on Ruby engaged a battling stream of turbo grind leaving the aging Binocular and the ill-prepared Hurricane Fly staring down a physical brick wall. By the last hurdle however the also-ran, pumped along and off the bridle, had closed up once more to be challenging without any prospect of getting past the tearaway two. 

 

This "slipping" of the field by Overturn and Rock on Ruby had everything to do with the physical ability and preparedness of the front two compared to the declining forces of the third and fourth and the troubled preparation of the fifth (and third). Running evenly to the line was simply enough in this race and Rock on Ruby - having lost to Binocular at Kempton in the manner of a resolute galloper - did that best. It was in fact Overturn who emerged with the best performance, however, having been 8L behind Rock On Ruby on that occasion and only 3.5L at HQ, trumping Binocular in the process. 

The International on Saturday should help to enlarge the picture as three main rivals clash (depending on the ground) but whatever the outcome of that race the 2013 Champion Hurdle is open and available to be taken apart by a horse with a little star quality and, excitingly, some real speed.