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I think Home By The Lee has caught horses and people alike on the hop a bit this year. Given Joseph started him at Down Royal in August, I wonder is he surprised by the horse winning a Grade One so well? There is a small feel to Home By The Lee picking up the pieces on the day this season, but the horse can only beat what's put in front of him, and he has done that well.
You've got to hand it to connections, they are making hay while the sun shines this season and capitalising on the opportunities. The Stayers' division is maybe not a weak division, but it's certainly open and it feels like the race is there for the taking for any number of horses. It wouldn't be any surprise to see the fella carry on winning, especially as we know he stays.
Strengths - It's an open race this year and this fella is improving at the right time.
Weak spot - I know he has improved this season, but he was well held in last year's race.
I do like Teahupoo but can't get away from the fact that the trip is still a doubt in the Stayers' Hurdle, especially if we get a true end-to-end gallop from the likes of Flooring Porter.
He was really impressive, visually, when winning the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, but that race played to his strengths with him stepping up in trip. Teahupoo was long odds-on and entitled to win on form, even under a big penalty, but they really did play into his hands, making the race a test of late speed.
We are talking about a horse who Gordon Elliott felt was classy enough and quick enough to run in a Champion Hurdle, and who beat Klassical Dream and Honeysuckle in a Hatton's Grace so the Galmoy couldn't have fallen better for him given the steady pace, both in terms of him 'staying' the trip and also not having a hard race.
Even how Gordon's jockeys have ridden Teahupoo in the past - they have dropped him in - clearly they never thought he was a slow horse and was the type to pick up well.