The 2-mile chase championship is contested on the Wednesday of the festival on the old course and there are 12 fences to be jumped. The race was named after the Queen Mother in 1980 (the year of her 80th birthday) in recognition of her support of jumps racing down the years. please log in to view this image The most successful horse in the history of the race is Badsworth Boy, who won 3 titles from 1983-85. There have been numerous dual winners, including Master Minded, Moscow Flyer, Viking Flagship, Barnbrook Again, Pearlyman and Fortria. The most successful jockeys in the race have been Pat Taaffe and Barry Geraghty (5 wins apiece) and the most successful trainer Tom Dreaper with 6 wins. The latest prices for the 2015 renewal can be found here courtesy of oddschecker. The market is dominated by 2 horses who have both spent the winter so far on the "sick list". Sprinter Sacre (11/4), the "Black Aeroplane", was the brilliant winner of the race in 2013 and unbeaten over fences until that fateful day at Kempton on December 27th 2013 when he was pulled up by Barry Geraghty. Subsequently found to have an irregular heartbeat, he did not race during 2014 but did manage to set foot on a racecourse just prior to year-end for a racecourse gallop at Newbury. He is set to reappear at Ascot for the Clarence House Chase on January 17th and the whole of the horse racing world will be watching to see whether this magnificent chaser has retained the swaggering talent which so often took our breath away in the past. Sire De Grugy (5/1) is the reigning champ and unbeaten in his last 5 starts, but has suffered a hip injury at home and is being carefully nursed back to health by trainer Gary Moore. The trainer reported him to have cantered just prior to Christmas and is optimistic that he will make Cheltenham in March to defend his crown. A prep run is possible, but no target has currently been given. Based on the health concerns around the top 2 in the market, there has been plenty of speculation and value seeking over the last couple of months, with horses such as Champagne Fever and Al Ferof introduced into the market by bookmakers looking to give the race a different angle. Whilst this may all come to an end with an emphatic voctory for Sprinter Sacre at Ascot on January 17th, a different result will throw the market wide open. Racing fans will be hoping that both Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grugy make it to Cheltenham in rude health to make the race a true spectacle. Al Ferof (9/1) won the Amlin Chase over 2m3f before finishing a credible 3rd in the King George and, whilst his trainer would love to have a crack at this race, owner John Hales remains convinced he is a Gold Cup horse. You pays your money and takes your chance. Champagne Fever (12/1), just touched off in the 2014 Arkle but nevertheless a dual festival winner, ran too freely in the King George and failed to get home. He will likely come back in trip and may well be aimed at this race or the Ryanair - again it will depend who else turns up where. Dodging Bullets, Uxizandre, Dynaste and Balder Succes head a list of "second tier" chasers who would surely only be of interest if the top 2 didn't show whilst it is anyone's guess as to whether Simonsig will see a racecourse again this season.
Wide open race if the principles don't turn up. Apparantly Nicholls has spoken to Hales and is now mapping out a plan for Al Ferof to be in this race, the Champion Chase. It is of course, complete and utter bollocks that he doesn't stay 3 miles (ran on again late in the King George when nicking 3rd) and I can't remember Nicholl voicing stamina doubts when he went dancing around 2m 4f of soft Cheltenham in a Paddy Power Gold Cup. Nicholls fancies Conti for the Gold Cup and wants to use Al Ferof for a crack at other races. Personally I just think the flat Kempton track really doesn't suit Al Ferof. Simonsig is trying to be made up into a 3 miler, and if he does race again this season, I think they'd head to the Ryanair over a Gold Cup, purely because they havent had enough time to show he is a Gold Cup (3m2f) horse. I've put Sprinter in a fun yankee at 4/1 but he has much to prove still.
My theory on Sprinter Sacre for what it's worth ..................... Henderson wouldn't have let him anywhere near Newbury and the general public if he wasn't 100% confident in the horse. He's clearly seen the old magic at home on the gallops and we saw a glimpse of it as well ................. the easy, lobbing along style, all power and grace, the effortless way in which he pulled clear of the other horse. He may not get back to 100% of the horse he was .................... but 85% will be enough to win this. I don't think Al Ferof or Champagne Fever will have the speed for this ...................... just my personal opinion. Lovely pic of the Queen Mum isn't it? I chose that especially for Sir Barney Chuckles - I'm sure he has the very same hanging over the mantlepiece in Chuckle Towers
Balder Succes up in trip for his next run ............................ looks like they're drawing stumps on a 2-mile chase career.
SPRINTER SACRE for me fellas but not having a bean on him ante-post and will probably be short enough on the day. Should he win his comeback he will shorten considerably and if I can get anything better than evens on the day he will be worth a punt.
Not sure I'd want to be backing either of the front two in the market in the circumstances. 2 miles probably will be a bit sharp for both Champagne Fever and Al Ferof. Tingle Creek winners have an excellent record in this, so why is Dodging Bullets 14/1?
Imo because the tingle creek was a very weak renewal and will have to improve a lot to win even if the top two don't make but you would imagine at least one of them will make it
People saying Champagne Fever doesn't have that speed he ran the arkle last yr in a very good time and just got done on the line he won the supreme over 2m. He has some very strong form over 2m add in the fact he will bowl along in front dictating the pace making it a real jumping test a lot of the field will not.be able to cope with it!
All about Sprinter, if he comes back and wins on his comeback he will be 1/3! Depending on what price he is on his comeback I might back him there or for this then
This looks a race centered on wether the real Sprinter Sacre will turn up, as if Henderson can put those magic hands to use and get SS firing again, then this race will be a precession! My head is almost telling me to oppose him in favour of Sire De Grugy though, but I know il be kicking myself if I desert him and he can get back to his best. I'm sure a few of you will remember how fond I was of him in his early career, getting on at 7/1 for his Arkle win. The vibe from Henderson is encouraging to, he's been very positive about his well being. The money is coming for him too, and we know how much they all love a punt at Seven Barrows. Sire De Grugy is a pretty good horse though, and he's not really done much wrong apart from unseating his rider a couple of starts back, but he bounced back well proving his well being in a handicap off top weight. I feel he will be the winner if SS bombs. Of the others I don't think Dodging Bullets has the class, and he's shown poor form at Cheltenham. Champagne Fever was beaten in the Arkle last year, but only by a head, so he is effectively from a ratings perspective an Arkle winner, so I wouldn't rule him out as Arkle winners have a strong record. Mr Mole looks a horse on the up, but his form doesn't quite look up to this level yet, this is maybe to big a step up in class. On a final note, why on earth is 13 year old Sizing Europe still entered in the race, are they trying to kill the old boy? I think more respect needs to be shown to these old horses, they seriously cannot believe that he has a genuine chance. Anyways, what's everyone's thoughts on this race?
Don't fancy sire de grudge or sprinter sacre both have too many questions to answer in my book .this is a championship race and I think neither will deliver when it counts. Mr mole on the other hand ticks all the boxes and has the best nh form this season. And nicholls rates him.
I get why you think SS has questions to answer after his last run, but not sure why you feel that way about SDG. Apart from the 1 fall that he bounced back from LTO, he hasn't really done much wrong.
It was an impressive win giving weight, but this is a championship race under extreme pressure and I think the trainer should have given him more time. For my money id want to see him have a more competitive prep race to be convinced.
They needed to get a run into him before Cheltenham though after the fall. He ran 7 times last season, and got better with every run near enough, so I reckon he takes his racing well. It wouldn't have been a good idea to go to Cheltenham after a fall, I think they needed that run to restore the horses confidence. To what level he ran to is hard to say, however I think he showed enough to suggest he's near his best. They may have been handicappers, but he was giving away lumps of weight
It's the injury that would worry me under extreme pressure. I think Mr mole has a similar profile as sag did last year and is improving.
