2014 Queen Mother Champion Chase

[Old Vic]

Catching pigeons bullish on the captain

Plenty are making ripples in the ante-post markets, but the name on everyone's lips in the famous Downland establishment is Captain Conan, who bids to follow stablemates Finian's Rainbow and Sprinter Sacre on the roll of honour for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

He was found not to be right after his pretty comprehensive defeat by Sire de Grugy at Sandown in December, and his trainer has given him all the time he needs to comeback to himself.

It remains to be seen if he has enough improvement to see off Gary Moore's star this time, but his high quality work - including a very good gallop midweek - and a brilliant schooling session under Barry Geraghty, suggests he should prove a big threat.

 

[Hoof]

@claimsfive: Hinterland to be ridden by Noel Fehily at Cheltenham Festival, at request of owner

 

[mayo]

Strong View from Ian mc Clean

Sometimes horse race markets get formed in the most unorthodox ways. Since Sprinter Sacre didn't make it to the Tingle Creek, Sire De Grugy, which captured the Sandown Grade 1 in the absence of the champion, became touted as the sole pretender to the crown in the two-mile division. Sire De Grugy's win in the old Victor Chandler only cemented the idea and the greater the doubts around Sprinter Sacre's participation, the more the idea of a credible heir apparent grew until at one point SDG was as short as 5/2.

With Sprinter Sacre's withdrawal, SDG suddenly collapsed to 5/4 for the race. As it is now, some sanity has been restored to the market and he has eased to a general 2/1, but he is still the shortest price of any favourite in the 27 Festival races barring standing perennial Quevega and he MUST be opposed. All SDG's victories this season have been magnified by his favoured soft ground; his Cheltenham record does not match his overall record (has been beaten by two of the field on his only two runs here); and he has been over-raced this campaign. No horse to have won any of the big four championship races in the last 16 years has run more than four times since the previous spring.

Captain Conan (nap) already has a win over SDG over course and distance and wasn't right when defeated by Gary Moore's horse in the Tingle Creek. He is a triple Grade 1 winner over fences last season and has never got the credit owing to having Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig in the yard. However, this time around cometh the hour, cometh the Captain.