2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase

[iainmcf]

Mr MMG..you backed Vautour for Champion Chase with the assumpton UDS was targeted for the race...whats your take on it now..do you still think Vautour is going to run here..

 

[mayo]

Un De Sceaux is the fastest horse ever over 2m in my book.....Vautour would not beat this horse over 2m ..I think the world of both these horses and its getting clearer by the day that Vautour is going to run in Gold Cup.Djackadam is not in the same league as Vautour.

No way UDS the fastest 2 miler chaser ever. Too slow over his obstacles. Maybe fastest between fences but not sure of that either.

Every multiple (and single) winning champion chaser deserves to be rated above him at present.

 

[MrMcGoldrick]

Mr MMG..you backed Vautour for Champion Chase with the assumpton UDS was targeted for the race...whats your take on it now..do you still think Vautour is going to run here..

Not likely now I have to admit, regarding betting I'm covered on Vautour in any of the 3 races, biggest win would have been the QM but I'm not convinced he's a stayer, time will tell I suppose. The. bookies still seem to think they'll target the Ryanair but stable noises are Gold cup, if he does run in the blue ribband I hope you're right about Djakadam not being in the same league but I have to admit, again, that I'm a fan of that horse (Djakadam), and I think he will win on the day, so fingers crossed that wherever Vautour turns up he wins

 

[loveracing]

No way UDS the fastest 2 miler chaser ever. Too slow over his obstacles. Maybe fastest between fences but not sure of that either.

Every multiple (and single) winning champion chaser deserves to be rated above him at present.

Sprinter was much faster and cleaner through the air. It is very hard to judge this young UDS against SS, but I would pick SS all day in his prime.

 

[iainmcf]

It would be interesting to hear Rubys comments on whether UDS is the fastest 2m chaser he has ridden, to my eye it looks the fastest ive seen, yes Sprinter was the best jumper ive seen gaining lengths by taking off early and landing clear over a fence a beautifull sight but I just think on pure basic speed UDS looks awesome but I appreciate very difficult to compare.

 

[Morning Glory]

I think this should be a race to savour now. UDS have age on his size but will be fascinating to see what happens if sprinter gets upsides three out and takes a length out of him over the fences. SDG took a length out of him at one down the back yesterday and didnt jump as well as he can.

 

[Sprinter]

UDS needs to win one if not two Champion Chases to be considered as good as Sprinter Sacre, Moscow Flyer, Masterminded or Sizing Europe.

Of course he can win this years race but I dont think he would have lived with Sprinter at his peak. If he beats him this year will prove nothing in that regard either.

 

[mayo]

Have come around to the view that Traffic Fluide is the value in the without market. Still only 6 so more scope for improvement than anything else in the field.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

Agree with that mayo.
Did Pricewise give him a positive ?
I seem to remember him going blue across the board when the bible did their ante post preview 66s or thereabouts into 16s

 

[Old Vic]

Pricewise went with Simonsig but not sure what he said about Tf.

If you like TF does Sizing Granite come back into play. Very disappointing this term but could be a ground issue.

 

[mayo]

Pricewise went with Simonsig but not sure what he said about Tf.

If you like TF does Sizing Granite come back into play. Very disappointing this term but could be a ground issue.

but he was so well beaten OV.

 

[MrMcGoldrick]

Special Tiara still being largely ignored, would have won the Tingle Creek in my view and that was his only run, has avoided hard races in the mud, unlike several others, so could go to the fez a fairly fresh horse. SDG had another hard race at Christmas which could have accounted for him not giving his running, so with that in mind if ST has come on for the race he could well have been a lot closer to UDS than the others managed in last weeks race, and looks to represent excellent ew value to me

 

[Deleted member 4957]

Good points re ground Mr M, but twice not good enough alread so to my thinking this year would have to be a weaker race for him to prevail unless he's improved significantly and I'm not sure there will ever be a weaker race than last years renewal.
He came there a fresh horse last year too

 

[MrMcGoldrick]

Good points re ground Mr M, but twice not good enough alread so to my thinking this year would have to be a weaker race for him to prevail unless he's improved significantly and I'm not sure there will ever be a weaker race than last years renewal.
He came there a fresh horse last year too

All true Isty but the race doesn't look that strong to me, and ST looks a different animal based on that first tun, I don't think he would have been close in the Tingle creek in past seasons

 

[Old Vic]

I dont think either SDG or SS are what they were. Moore said he has SDG ready on Saturday and was beaten by a better horse.

ST is one of the less exposed horses in the field and a definite "without fav" horse to keep onside imo.

 

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Pricewise tip a NR ?

Of his other stable stars, Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig, Henderson told Racing UK: " Sprinter is in good form, he's just about finished his quiet time and we'll start to build him up towards March.

"He's had a spell of taking it easy and won't do anything drastic in the near future.

"Simonsig has a time schedule that is going to be tight, I'm a bit more worried about him."

 

[johnno]

Dodge is back


Writing in his blog, Derham, the former rider and nephew of champion trainer Paul Nicholls, said: "I ride 'Dodge' every day and have done for some time now, however most people that ride racehorses regularly will tell you that on grass they give you a whole new feel to how they do on the gallops at home.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't thoroughly enjoy it. We galloped two miles and, after sprinting over the last few furlongs, 'Dodge' extended and thrilled me and Paul with his performance.

"For the rest of the day it's fair to say I was on a bit of a high. I think I told Tom [Jonason] our assistant at least 25 times how much I enjoyed my day, much to his delight!"

 

[mayo]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yanworth put in a massive figure on Saturday according to <a href="https://twitter.com/Timeform">@timeform</a>. <a href="https://t.co/uY5izwkJ4X">pic.twitter.com/uY5izwkJ4X</a></p>— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) <a href="https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/694138686150053888">February 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[johnno]

Dodging Bullets won’t be out of it in the Champion Chase, believe me. He’s definitely as good as he was, I’ve been seeing that at home. But whether he can deal with Un De Sceaux is a different story, isn’t it?

Mr PFN

 

[Morning Glory]

Pricewise went with Simonsig but not sure what he said about Tf.

If you like TF does Sizing Granite come back into play. Very disappointing this term but could be a ground issue.

The Grade 1 winning chaser Sizing Granite has been moved to Co Wexford trainer Colm Murphy by his owners, Ann and Alan Potts.

Formerly handled by Henry De Bromhead, Sizing Granite won the Maghull Novices Chase at Aintree in April and was last seen finishing fifth to Flemenstar at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The horse is a general 33-1 shot in ante-post betting for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Another Potts-owned horse transferred to Murphy from De Bromhead is Mick Thonic, runner-up in a handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.

“Both Sizing Granite and Mick Thonic have been transferred to Colm Murphy by Ann and Alan,” said De Bromhead. “I’m delighted to be training the other horses here for them.”

The Potts colours are among the best known in National Hunt racing in Ireland and the owners have enjoyed a string of major victories with horses trained by De Bromhead, most notably the now retired Sizing Europe, winner of the Champion Chase and the Irish Champion Hurdle during a glittering career.

Last July, Shanahan’s Turn landed the Galway Plate for the Potts-De Bromhead alliance under the owner’s retained rider, Jonathan Burke. Among the Potts horses still with De Bromhead is the highly-rated novice Supasundae, a leading fancy for the Supreme Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Sizing Granite’s move is another boost for Murphy, whose career had been in the doldrums but whose fortunes have taken an upturn in recent weeks, most notably with Empire Of Dirt’s Leopardstown Chase success.

Gorey-based Murphy won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2006 with Brave Inca and also scored in 2009 when Big Zeb landed the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

His Grade 1 CV also includes top-flight successes with Quito De La Roque and Voler La Vedette.

Meanwhile De Bromhead’s principal hope for Champion Chase glory this year is Special Tiara, who is a possible starter in Sunday’s Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown.

“He will be entered and we’ll see. I’ll talk to the owner [Sally Rowley-Williams] but ground would be a factor in whether we run or not,” De Bromhead said.

Special Tiara hasn’t been seen in action since finishing an unlucky runner-up to Sire De Grugy in Sandown’s Tingle Creek Chase last month. He is a best-priced 14-1 for Cheltenham’s two-mile championship in March.