2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase

[iainmcf]

Un De Sceaux is the no 1 horse from the Mullins yard for the QM chase and rightly so, no other horse has got past him yet, hes faster than Vautour at 2 miles and is now a backable price now that Sprinter has won again.In my opinion he'll run the opposition into the ground and then this hirse might start getting tge credit he deserves.

[mayo]

Henderson had an upbeat report on Josses Hill today - jumping straight now, UDS has done nothing wrong but just doesnt float my boat even at the current price.

Ruby thought SS got tired ?

Sprinter Sacre looked very good on Sunday and back to the Sprinter Sacre of old. He got tired going up the hill but you would expect that on his first run of the season.

He was getting 10lbs off Mr Mole but it was the manner of the win – rather than the form of it – that made you sit up and take notice.

He had all his old zip back – the ‘wow factor’ looked to be there again.

It’s hard to compare the bare form of that run with Simonsig’s comeback defeat to Bobs Worth (after a long absence).

But after that performance you’d be mad not to pick Sprinter Sacre if you’d the choice between them with next month’s Tingle Creek in mind .

[paz247]

SS looked mighty again on Sunday, but you just have to wonder what might happen again ( hopefully nothing ) because if he turns up fully wound up and ready for it it will be great watching him and UDS going at it in the QM

[Old Vic]

Lydia

For the third season running since he won the 2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the name Sprinter Sacre conjures a very different mental image.

This time two years ago, he was an imperious unbeaten bull of a chaser, winner of seven Grade Ones and proud owner of an elite 188 rating. Last year, he was the cringing cripple whose heart condition risked - at worst - ending his career and - seemingly, at best - permitting only an unconvincing shadow of a version to remain. The horse himself seemed tentative - at his fences, in a finish - as if he dared not express his athleticism of old in case it hurt.

Now we're talking joyously of revival. Nicky Henderson, his trainer, had spoken of Sprinter being "fit, fresh and well" and "a lot different to last year". His "grumpy and feisty" demeanour was back in evidence and his imposing physicality had returned, he said. On Sunday, we all saw what he meant.

The difference between the disappointments of last season and the promise of this can be distilled into two moments in Cheltenham's Shloer Chase: when Sprinter surged on under Nico de Boinville after soaring over the fourth last, instantly quelling his opposition, and how, after looking briefly vulnerable after the second last, he powered up the hill for a 14-length success.

I'd found Sprinter Sacre a hard horse to love when he was humbling all comers two and three seasons ago. I admired him enormously, yes, and marveled at his ability but I didn't root for him. Call me sentimentally exacting, but I like a bit of vulnerability in those whom I cheer for. He had none; then last season, that was all he had.

Watching in front of the big paddock screen at Cheltenham, I found myself letting out an involuntary roar four out before fretting audibly two out and then grinning idiotically from the last fence until about half an hour later. I love horseracing: its mass emotional manipulation in the open air.

Barry Geraghty must have had mixed feelings as he galvanised an instantly back-footed Mr Mole to go with Sprinter Sacre from the fourth last - the only rival to even attempt to do so. He conceded the game was up approaching the home turn, nursing his mount home thereafter in a race in which the relative weights greatly disadvantaged him.

Being brushed aside by the horse that he has described as "set apart" even from the other brilliant horses he has ridden must have been both desolating and uplifting. A brief flash of bleakness that Sprinter is no longer his ride since taking the JP McManus job; a surge of pleasure in watching his old ally get his mojo back.

My feelings distorted my interpretation of the race on the day: Sprinter Sacre was in reality even better than I'd hoped. Admittedly, Simply Ned was below his best and Mr Mole is yet to perform well at that track, but this was a substantial performance from the winner and in a very good time.

Somersby tends to improve for his first run of the season but the fact he was wearing cheekpieces - an aid usually kept for his Sunday best - and had seemed favoured by the race conditions, in receiving weight from all bar Sprinter Sacre, may suggest this was one of his fitter seasonal debuts.

Savello was given a picking-up-the-pieces ride on only his second start for Dan Skelton but he did win the 2014 Grand Annual off 147, finished third to Sizing Europe in a Punchestown Grade One on his next start and put up a not-dissimilar performance when winning there in June.

That means, at worst, Sprinter Sacre has posted a performance better than Un De Sceaux's Arkle and at least comparable to the two-mile champion Dodging Bullets' Clarence House win at Ascot in January - considered his career best - when he beat a muted Sprinter by three lengths.

At 13/8 best, Un De Sceaux is a truly dreadful price even in a shallow division. Given Uxizandre is out for the season, I can count four-and-a-half current players, completed by Vibrato Valtat and - the half - Simonsig. I'm possibly being unfair to Sizing Granite, the Aintree Grade One novice chase winner.

I therefore flirted with the idea of putting up Dodging Bullets each-way at 7/1 with Paddy Power. He has met with a small setback in training of late and may not recover in time for the Tingle Creek but - taking at face value that his tardiness is nothing more troubling - those odds are not unreasonable.

If you took 6/1 immediately after Sprinter Sacre won, well done. That price was roomy enough to accommodate the risks inherent in backing four months before D-day a horse who has bled and reportedly made a noise at Cheltenham last year - the latest in a list of breathing problems.

Vibrator, as trainer Paul Nicholls often appears to call Vibrato Valtat with his West Country burr, seems to have manned up another notch this season if his Haldon Gold Cup success is to be believed - a race in which 2014 Champion Chase winner Sire De Grugy weakened disappointingly and was declared to be "not as good as he once was" by rider, Jamie Moore.

Vibrator learned to see out his races last season; this time around, it seems he needs even less kidding and cajoling. But there will be sterner tests in which to judge that and he needs to improve another 10lb anyway.

Simonsig had his first run for 20 months when finishing second over hurdles at Aintree earlier this month. He'd need to improve on his peak Kempton form of December 2012 to get involved here and may not now be capable of that. That said, Henderson did describe him as "probably one of the most exciting chasers in the country" in his Racing Post stable tour a few weeks ago.

I must admit I've never thought there was much fight in Simonsig on the rare occasions his opponents were good enough to put him in one. Granted there were extenuating circumstances at Aintree - long absence, keenness, testing ground, possibly better at two miles - but I saw nothing to alter my view.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/article/2/10069717/lydia-hislop-road-to-cheltenham-festival-2016-part-one

Was that Uxizandre news confirmed ? I think we had conflicting interpretations when first reported.

I enjoy her reports.

[johnno]

Dodging Bullets is the forgotten horse again !

Was Sprinter Sacre's performance any better than the comeback run in January ?

He beat Somersby by 14 lengths on Sunday. In January be beat him by 12L. The Shloer was the Clarence House again but without Dodging Bullets.

[Faugheen_Machine]

If dodging Bullets wins back to back Champion Chases I'm never betting again!!

[gjt7756]

That is a very fair point it is only rated 3lb higher than that run in january, however if you watched that run in january and watch that run last week there is huge difference in the manor in which horse went about his running, he jumped with enthusiasm and was chomping at the bit, a complete contrast, also the way in which once he hit the front he just kept going, of course he was running on empty but what horse wouldn't on their first run back after what he has been through, i'm not saying this horse will win the champion chase but my god what a race it will turn out to be with him and UDS, dodging bullets for me won what was a very week renewal last year and bossed a category in which there was not many great 2 mile chasers about last season

[Old Vic]

I think Jonno was a lone DB voice one here back in january so maybe he has a point that reigning champ not being respected n the other hand better prices for the true Dodging believers.

[mayo]

If dodging Bullets wins back to back Champion Chases I'm never betting again!!

Still trying to figure out how he won the last one

[Faugheen_Machine]

Same here Mayo, although I think it's widely accepted that the 2015 renewal was the worst in recent years.

[mayo]

Apart from the fact that he is average has any horse with an interrupted prep won the champion chase ?

[Istabraq]

Apart from the fact that he is average has any horse with an interrupted prep won the champion chase ?

Going back more years than I care to remember Marthas Son won after falling in his prep race which was, I think, his first run for 2 years, but that was a freak, the importance of spot on can't be overstated....

[Morning Glory]

Timeform have rated Sprinters win the highest by a 2 mile chaser in two years. AP tried to make all with Somersby at Ascot and dont believe it was his true running.

In relation to the the prep point Masterminded in 2008 fell on his debut in December so probably not an ideal start. I dont think there is much wrong with the dodger. Tricky punting race now - if UDS and SS turn up fit and well only one each way place left,

[Old Vic]

Tingle creek looks like race of the year so far !

Sir de grugy back to his best - in de sceaux - sprinter - simonsig - one of de bromheads

[MrMcGoldrick]

Vautour taken out of the betting for the QM at 365, also cut the KG/GC double to 10/1, unchanged for the Gold cup at 9/2. They must have been watching a different race to me, there was nothing to my eyes that confirmed him as a stayer, he appeared to get tired if anything and had to pull the stops out to get home in front. He may well prove to be a player in the Gold cup at some point but it's an over-reaction to target the betting towards the longer races as if he'd romped home over 3m with no signs of stopping, I think there could be other twists with Vautour this season.
The same firm are also offering Sire De Grugy at 40/1, they clearly don't believe the reports from Gary Moore.