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2017 Champion Chase

  • Thread starter Thread starter Morning Glory
  • Start date Start date
M

Morning Glory

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This seems a good place to start via timeform

Douvan vs Sprinter Sacre

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The Champion Chase was much quicker than the Arkle for most of the way, and Sprinter Sacre was running on empty by the end. He was nearly 10 lengths slower from the last than Douvan had been 24 hours earlier.

There are many different ways to win a race, of course, and there are many different ways to lose one, also. Given how strong the pace was in the Champion Chase, it might be considered a little odd that Un de Sceaux was asked to go on four out, when the pace was about at its hottest.

Sprinter Sacre briefly looked in a bit of trouble, but the pace had to give eventually, and when it did the old boy responded magnificently to sweep past.

Sprinter Sacre’s time was a pretty good one all the same, as can be seen from the headline figures for the day.
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Vautour ( for MrMG) is higher rated than any of them

Many people’s highlight of this season’s Festival will have been Sprinter Sacre regaining the Champion Chase, which he first won in 2013 when putting up the second-highest jumps rating in Timeform’s history. Though he was still around two stone below that level this time around (the proximity of the fourth, fifth and sixth hold down the form somewhat), this was the best Timeform rating he had run to since the 2012/13 season, where he completed a rare hat-trick of wins at the top level at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals. This was a remarkable – and emotional – victory and training performance, Sprinter Sacre is now Timeform-rated 175, higher than the odds-on Un de Sceaux (174+) who had his unbeaten record (when completing) over fences ended. Though it is fair to say things didn’t all go Un de Sceaux’s way (unable to dominate due to presence of Special Tiara) he probably wouldn’t have reversed the result if things had panned out differently, and was perhaps not quite at his best on the day for whatever reason.

This year’s Ryanair went from a below-par renewal to a rock-solid one in the blink of an eye when Vautour (Timeform-rated 180p) was controversially rerouted from the Gold Cup, and he blew away the rest of the field in some style, easily dispatching a trio of top-class chasers in Valseur Lido (165), Road To Riches (168) and Al Ferof (168). It is hard to see Vautour being beaten at this sort of trip, and it will be interesting to see him take on the likes of Don Cossack and Cue Card back at around three miles.
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Race two of the Festival, the Arkle Chase, saw Mullins’ first winner of the meeting, and it was certainly one of his most impressive, with last year’s Supreme winner Douvan sauntering to his third successive Grade 1 win over fences with the minimum of fuss and posting an outstanding closing sectional in the process as he quickened clear off a steady gallop. Douvan (168p) didn’t have to improve on his previous form to take this race, and given the way it developed, was more superior than the seven-length gap back to 153-rated Sizing John, who was placed behind the winner for the fifth time. Vaniteux (also rated 153) has a tendency to hit the odd fence, and a blunder here definitely cost him a place. He will need to improve that aspect of his game if he is to fulfil his potential over fences. This race was all about Douvan, though, and he is a most exciting prospect for open races next season; has a chance of putting himself in the truly elite bracket, with ratings in the mid-170s a real possibility.
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Could My Tent or Yours be a wild card for next years Champion Chase ?

He will be 10 next year so late for the switch but he doesnt really have time for messing about with the Arkle.
 
mayo said:
Could My Tent or Yours be a wild card for next years Champion Chase ?

He will be 10 next year so late for the switch but he doesnt really have time for messing about with the Arkle.
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I'd say no but the Champion hurdle next year has the makings of an epic renewal:

Faugheen
Arctic Fire
MTOY
Annie Power
Altior
Ivanovic Gorbatov
Yorkhill

No doubt there will be defections and injuries but that would be some race....
 
JP wont run three though ? Yanworth also in mix ?
 
Does anyone know the plans for Altior? I know I said I wouldn't back again until after Aintree but if puts in a brilliant performance in a couple of weeks the 8/1 will be long gone. I just loved the way he demolished the hill.
 
Faugheen_Machine said:
Does anyone know the plans for Altior? I know I said I wouldn't back again until after Aintree but if puts in a brilliant performance in a couple of weeks the 8/1 will be long gone. I just loved the way he demolished the hill.
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He's had a fairly long season so it wouldn't surprise me if they put him away now, I wouldn't want to bottom the horse between novice and championship years.
I can't see any other target for him than the Champion hurdle so I would expect all roads will be leading there regardless of how strong that renewal will be next year, given a strong gallop and reasonable ground and he's an outstanding prospect....
 
Vautour going 2 miles at punchy according to Willie in tomorrows RP.

MrMG knew. Willie a bit slower ;)
 
Good race

1 Baily Green R.A. Scott M.F.Morris Mark Enright(T) 11,12
2 Clarcam (FR) Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Bryan Cooper(B & T) 11,12
3 Flemenstar Stephen Curran Anthony Curran Keith Donoghue 11,12
4 God's Own Crossed Fingers Partnership Tom George (in GB) (Foreign) Paddy Brennan 11,12
5 Simonsig (GB) R.A.Bartlett Nicky Henderson (in GB) (Foreign) Barry Geraghty 11,12
6 Special Tiara (GB) Mrs S. Rowley-Williams Henry de Bromhead Noel Fehily 11,12
7 Twinlight (FR) M.L. Bloodstock Limited W.P. Mullins Paul Townend 11,12
8 Vautour (FR) Mrs S Ricci W.P. Mullins R. Walsh 11,12
 
Probably doesn't mean much at this stage but Skybet were 10's about Vautour for this a week ago, they've cut twice since and he's now 6's, most don't have him priced up but they could be hoping to avoid any big prices, if the stable suggested it was on the cards I don't think you'd see much above 2/1, quite possible Douvan targeted at longer races with Ricci being intent on a Gold cup horse, I can't personally see Vautour being taken down that route again, never know for sure with this mob of course
 
I've taken the 8/1 with Paddy Power. If he wins well later he'll be very short indeed.
 
They have gone with "looked like a stayer" after the race.
 
mayo said:
They have gone with "looked like a stayer" after the race.
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Should have gone with "Greedy connections lost their focus", it's laughable really, they know he's not a stayer they've tried it this season and almost ruined the horse's chance of winning anything, hopefully they will realise the tender ride/hard season/ and left handed track all combined to beat Vautour yesterday, otherwise we could get a rerun of this season
 
I think Willie and Ted were the ones with the stayer comment..

FWIW Rich Ricci, the owner of Vautour, said that his chaser had “probably had one race too many”. He added: “He looked flat to me and never had a good cut at his fences. Ruby [Walsh] said he never made any ground in the air and wasn’t himself.”

Simonsig ran well for along way - he may be in a similar place to where Sprinter was this time last year. My big concern is that he looks like he has to win easily - this is the third time I have seen him look less than resolute in a finish.

Kudos to Gods Own though - he is a better horse right handed.
 
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StanJames have Vautour at 5s and PaddyPower have Vautour at 25's. Maybe PaddyPower are trying to double bluff with those odds.

If Douvan takes a step up at a canter and won the King George, Vautour would maybe be brought right the way back down? Although probably the least likely of all of his targets now. He would surely have the beating of Gods Own, left handed at Cheltenham, but that isn't CC winning form.

I was a big fan of Ar Mad, and 25's seems fair to me. However Ar Mad was also better right handed and really you're looking at a place bet so I won't be getting involved. Not much point to this post is there really.
 
I saw Douvan when he made his chasing debut at Navan.

He was lean, athletic and quiet as a lamb.

I will follow him over a cliff if need be.

Wherever he lines up at the festival he will win.
I think it will be the Champ. Chase but the Gold Cup is wide open so he might work his way into it if he shows staying ability over the winter.
 
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