1.30 Nichols Canyon
2.05 Kings Palace
3.20 Sprinter Sacre
5.15 General Principle
Nichols Canyon I feel has a great shout, he is unbeaten over hurdles bar when he unseated his rider, and he already has a 3 length victory over one of his main market rival Windsor Park in a G1 only a month ago which reads well to me, there where a few other decent horses beat that day also. Outlanders form is comparable, though he was well beaten when stepped up to 3 miles by Martello Tower, so I fancy stamina could be an issue for him. He did reverse form with Martello Tower over 2m4 but he was getting 5 pounds that day and only just won. So I can see Outlander struggling up the hill in what will likely be a fast run festival race. Outlanders run though will be of interest to me as I do fancy Martello Tower in the Albert Bartlett, and have already backed him at 10s . But I think Nichols Canyon has to get the nod here, especially with Ruby in the saddle.
Kings Palace is a horse I've been very impressed with when I've seen him run, and it is hard for me to oppose the Mullins horse Don Poli when I've won so much on his horses so far. But i fancied him before, so I can't switch. Whilst the bare form of his runs may not look all that impressive it has been the manor of his victorys, especially when he was at Cheltenham last time when he gave weight to some decent horses and was very impressive. Don Polis form admittedly reads better, but sometimes you just have to go on how visually impressed you are and Kings Palace has looked like a horse with a lot in hand. This will be his 3rd chase start at Cheltenham so he knows the course very well, and with it being such a small field I can see him getting things his own way out infront, and being very difficult to pass.
Sprinter Sacre didn't look like he had a tough race at Ascot, Geraghty went very easy on him. No he was knowhere near the old Sprinter Sacre but he doesn't have to be to win this. That run at Ascot will have shaken some of the cob webs off and I can see him really improving for that run. He was probably 20 pounds below his best at Ascot, so if he can just find another 5-10 pounds he should be able to win this. Nicky Henderson is a shrewd trainer, he will have had Sprinter Sacre trained throughout the season with this race as the main goal. Sire De Grugy is a likeable horse, but he won IMO the worst Champion Chase I have seen for many years. He did win it well, but he beat nothing. Dodging Bullets has never won a race in the spring, he just doesn't like spring ground and Cheltenham, whilst Champagne Fever has never won a 2 mile chase in his whole life, so you have to question wether he has the speed for 2 miles these days. I think he's better off over further.
General Principle is my fancy in the bumper, mainly because most of the main protagonists look like much of a muchness. General Principle is the only one that looks like he has the potential to be abit special. He thrashed a Willie Mullins horse by 17 lengths on the bridle at Punchestown on his debut in what looked super impressive. It's hard to say what he beat as the Mullins horse hasn't been out again, but Mullins doesn't have bad horses, so you have to be impressed by the way he beat him and assume he's pretty good. How good like I say is hard to say, but he's definitely worth a punt at 16/1.
