Harchibald
 

Im down in Tipp at the weekend so I might get to see this guy return. He is probably my favourite NH horse (the jumps version of Discreet Cat as well id say!) and I had my biggest bet of my life on this guy when he won the Bula hurdle. things havent really gone right since his injury, but Id love him to get back to his brilliant best.


from the racingpost.

Possible return for Harchibald in Grade 2 at Tipperary


byBrian Fleming
.
HARCHIBALD, off the track since running fifth in the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in April, could return to action at Tipperary on Sunday.

The enigmatic eight-year-old, runner-up in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2005, is oneof 11 entries for the Grade 2 Killerk Construction Tipperary Hurdle.

Harchibald won this race two years ago when it was sponsored by JP McManus but in three other attempts in the last four years has been out of luck.

His participation on Sunday isnot certain according to champion jumps trainer Noel Meade, who also has recent Cork winner Definate Spectacle in the race.

He said on Tuesday: "Harchibald is on track again but I'm not sure whether he's ready enough to win on Sunday but he is ready to return. We brought him to Roscommon for a piece of work after racing on Monday and it went pretty well.

"We'll decide later in the week but he wouldn't run on very quick or if it was a bog neither would run. Definate Spectacle will definitely run if the ground is good or better."

Accordion Etoile who had just one run last season over fences since winning the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup at Punchestown in 2006 is also among the entries. His last outing over hurdles came in the 2005 Galway Hurdle when eighth behind More Rainbows, the same year he finished fourth to Hardy Eustace in the Champion Hurdle.
Trainer Paul Nolan will not decide until the eight-year-old, who has encountered leg trouble in the past, works on Wednesday morning.

He said: "He'll do some work on Thursday and we'll make a decision but he's probably still a bit rusty. If I'm not happy with him he won't run. He wasn't himself at Fairyhouse and he's had an operation since but he seems to be doing okay."

Michael Halford will "most likely" run Tipperary All Star in the race and also intends running Athasi Stakes winner Eastern Appeal in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes.

Jim Bolger confirmed last year's winner Moderooch will be joined by Anna's Rock in the Concorde, while Eddie Lynam intends running Park Stakes runner-up Duff.

How dare you compare him to that overrated junk..... Discreet who?

dont be dissing a horse that beat Invasor (one of only 3 to do so and beat him by much further than the other 2!) and as a 3yo gave weight and a beating to older horses..

Didn't quite a few beat Invasor (when he was only 50% fit) in the UAE Derby??

I'm sorry, but he is overrated. He is a good horse, but not an exceptional one. Godolphin said he was fit and ready for his run the other day and were convinced he had the speed for six. Everyone on the track said he looked plenty fit enough, and these days it is much easier to get horses race fit after an absence. He was hust no where near good enough, and now they are being forced to run him in an ungraded mile race next time.

3 did, but the kitty cat beat him 7L..
and i suppose he is similar to harchi is that he causes so much debate. Remember after the champ hurlde 05? just so much talk..i think hes great though..

But as i say, Invasor was only about 50% for the run in the UAE Derby, and apart from him...... that race sucked.... and i mean sucked. Correct me if i'm wrong, but Testimony had only one a minor race before then and got stuffed in an average race after then.

The third horse didn't un since, all the horses that have run from that UAE Derby (apart from Invasor, who improved no end) have either not run or done no good.

As i said, he is a good horse, but not an exceptional one. He has many limitations in my opinion.

Harchibald is a character. There is no doubt he has a HUGE amount of ability, but he is a very difficult ride. Whether he does too much one the bridle and has nothing left at the end, or whether he just doesn't want to know...... there is no straight answer. What i do know, is that if they did find the key to him. He'd win next years champion hurdle standing on his head and giving the other a mile head start.

Love Harch.

Okay, resume your conversation. :p

i think that he doesnt give as much as he should and while him and Carberry look so good together, it mightnt be a good thing..

True, but i can't imagine 'Harchi' becoming friends with any jockeys who could be described at McCoy-esque

so good to see him back to his best. Brilliant..

just to say as well, i backed al eile but have never been so happy to lose a race...

Quite brilliant today.

It's a real shame he doesn't find much off the bridle, because he would surely win the champion hurdle every year.

Imagine how good he'd be if he found another gear when he was asked to :eek:

Couldn't understand why Katchit was SO short today, these second season hurdlers nearly always struggle when taking on the older horses and i think Katchit will fund it very hard in the championship races this season.

Similar to Detroit last year, you can easily rack up wins in the juvenile division, but it is a massive leap up to championship quality. There are few sights as good in racing as Harchibald swinging along on the bridle ready to cosily win. I had the biggest bet of my life on him when he won the Bula a few years ago..

Harchi makes you think. Although he jumped the last still hard held, i wasn't sure if he'd win. He's probably the only horse you could say that about. Even jumping the last i thought Al Eile might just battle him out of it.

I wish i had watched the in-running betting, i doubt too many people were wanting to risk too much on him even jumping the last.

Out of all the hurdlers running at the moment, i don't think i could name one who has as much ability as he does, well Inglis Drever perhaps (two completely different horses).

I'd love to see a race made for these bridle horses. That would be some sight. Harchibald Vs Black Jack Ketchum jumping the last both hard held. What happens? discuss.

Replay http://play.www.atr.servecast.net/pp..._12_01_07_1530

From RP....


by Tony Elves
.

HARCHIBALD is the 5-4 favourite with Stan James for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day as he bids put himself in line for a £1m bonus at Cheltenham in March.

The enigmatic hurdler was initially installed at 7-4 but the sponsors were soon forced to trim him to 5-4.

The eight-year-old did not perform to his best when coming back from injury last season but the spark was definitely back on his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle when the usual exaggerated waiting tactics employed by Paul Carberry paid dividends as he cruised to a length- and-three-quarter success from Al Eile.

Trainer Noel Meade has also entered Aitmatov and Jazz Messenger for the Grade 1 event, for which 11 horses were entered yesterday, but Harchibald, who is a 10-1 chance with Bet 365 to land the Fighting Fifth, Christmas and Champion Hurdle treble, will do the honours for the stable at Kempton.

Meade said: “Harchibald is likely tobe our only runner and Paul will ride. Harchibald is in flying form and worked well on the all-weather at Dundalk on Wednesday.

“Unless something happens, that is the plan for Kempton and we'll wait until nearer the day before deciding whether Aitmatov and Jazz Messenger will both run in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown on December 29.”

Straw Bear was himself in the running for the WBX-offered bonus after winning the Fighting Fifth last year but then could finish only fourth to Jazz Messenger at Kempton, and connections have yet to decide whether he will try to improve on that position this time.
The JP McManus-owned six-year-old finished sixth to Osana in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham at the weekend and trainer Nick Gifford is happy with the way he has come out of the race.

Gifford said: “It is just an entry at this stage and I will have to talk to JP before we decide. He's been A1 since Cheltenham but we have only made a precautionary entry and he's not a definite runner.”

The race is likely to feature the reappearance of the Nicky Henderson-trained Punjabi. The Komaite gelding showed his liking for course and distance when hacking up in the Grade 2 Racing Post Adonis Juvenile Hurdle last February and ended his first season jumping with victory in a Grade 1 contest at Punchestown in April.

David Pipe has entered Acambo, who has been chasing, but again his entry is precautionary rather than definite.

Pipe said: “We will have to see, I thought we would give him an entry as sometimes the race cuts up quite a bit. He seems fine after his fall at Taunton and I haven't had time to look at the entries yet.”

Paul Nicholls plans to run Gwanako, while Willie Mullins is likely to make a decision as to whether Ebaziyan travels over for the race today as he also has the six-year-old entered in a race at Leopardstown. Blue Bajan is a very unlikely runner according to Andy Turnell.