Champion Hurdle set to be a thriller
Some quality runners have been attracted towards the Champion Hurdle at Doncaster in England on Monday, February 4, 2013. However, the weather remains a threat for the organisers and they will be hoping that the situation remains under control over the next
few days.
Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said, “The main reason is to take account of the forecast overnight rain. It is supposed to rain from midnight until dawn, but there are quite conflicting totals. The most general outlook is for 10-15mm, but some have it
at the lower end of that scale. We will decide at 8am on Friday whether to have an all-chase card or stick with the original programme.”
He added, “At the moment the ground on the chase course is a mixture of soft and heavy, while it is heavy [soft in places] on the hurdles track. Several places on the hurdles course are currently saturated, bordering on false ground.”
Amongst some decent challengers Rock On Ruby, Darlan and Grandouet are looking to make a strong impression in the race. They will definitely give a tough time to each other and things will not be easy for any of them.
Veteran trainer, Nicky Henderson, will be confident of a strong show from his challengers, Darlan and Grandouet. Both have been trained really well and their performances in recent times have been brilliant. Moreover, they will not be worried about the track
conditions, as they have the ability to cope with different surfaces.
Out of his two competitors, Darlan seems to be in a better position right now, as he has been winning with more consistency. His strike rate is extremely good, as he has managed to succeed in six events out of eight attempts. There was only one occasion,
where he failed to finish in the top-two, but that was way back in February last year.
On the other hand, Grandouet has also managed to win six races, but his strike rate is a touch low compared to his stable mate. He finished as a runner up last time around, but will be hoping for an improved run this time around.
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