Past Winners » Quilixios

19th-Mar-2021

(Message of 18th February 2021)

I think that Quilixios has been under-rated a little for the Triumph Hurdle, in the face of all the talk about his stable companion Zanahiyr.

You can understand all the talk, because Zanahaiyr is very good, all that he has done, and his times have been very good, and he has proven that he can do it off a fast pace and off a slow pace.  But the performance that Quilixios put up in winning the Spring Hurdle was very good also.

He had to do a lot of running too into a fast pace, and the time that he clocked was faster than the time that Appreciate It clocked in winning the Chanelle Pharma Hurdle, albeit carrying 10lb more, and faster than the time that Grangee clocked in winning the Grade 2 mares’ bumper, when she didn’t have any hurdles to jump.

That was Quilixios’ first run too since he was so impressive in winning at Down Royal in October.  He should progress from it, and the Spring Juvenile Hurdle has a fantastic record as a Triumph Hurdle pointer.

The non-runner-no-bet safety net is important, because Gordon Elliott has been talking about possibly going for the Fred Winter Hurdle, depending on what handicap mark Quilixios gets.  That would be surprising, he is surely a Triumph Hurdle horse but, at the same time, it is no harm in having the reassurance that we get our money back if he defects.

QUILIXIOS WON (ADV 5/1, SP 2/1)