Quick interview on ATR and Nicky Henderson said .............. Sprinter Sacre is looking "unbelievable" as he returns to Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows stable following his summer break. The six-year-old turned in some awesome performances during an unbeaten novice campaign over fences, treating his rivals with contempt in the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival on his final start of the season at Aintree. The six-year-old is already as short as even-money with some bookmakers for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and his trainer is delighted after welcoming him back to Seven Barrows. "He came back in last week and he looks magnificent," Henderson told At The Races.
Wuby - at a preview evening last March a pro punter was asked for his best value bet for the festival (2012), his response was to tip up the 7/2 about Sprinter Scare winning the 2013 Champion Chase. Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course but this division will clearly be weaker with Big Zeb and Sizing Europe regressing, Finians will be 10 come March, who are the dangers ? 5/4 looks a great price but I couldn't bring myself backing at short odds at this stage....
*cough* Sanctuaire? Personally I will be having a decently sized bet on Sanctuaire for the Champion just before next seasons Tingle Creek (assuming both SS & Sanctuaire line up for it).
Sanctuaire at 10/1 is the bet for the Champion Chase at this stage IMO. I have him at 66/1. These two clashing in the Tingle Creek, plus maybe Finian's Rainbow and Sizing Europe, will be a terrific race. Assuming that the same or similar price differential is in evidence at Sandown I will be having a nice bet on the Nicholls upstart.
Sprinter Sacre is a special horse IMO, I'll accept that Sanctuaire has the ability to challenge but since his Fred Winter win his Cheltenham form is poor (F85) and whilst his Sandown peformances were impressive at the end of the season he would need to improve to figure in an average Champion Chase yet alone take on a horse with the talent of Sprinter Sacre. SS will need to be a non runner for Nicholls charge to stand any chance of winning IMO
I believe the form of Sanctuaire's Celebration win is superior to anything Sprinter Sacre has yet recorded. I looked at their official ratings and Sprinter Sacre's 169 is the highest he could reasonably have been awarded whilst Sanctuaire's 166 was the lowest he could have been awarded for the Celebration. It could easily be argued that he deserved a higher mark. I have little doubt that had Sprinter Sacre done what Sanctuaire did at Sandown he would have improved upon his 169. Any discussion about them is now in the realms of what they might achieve, what they might be capable of, and both look to have more in the locker. And both will need more if their official ratings are to be believed. I am not arguing that Sanctuaire is going to beat Sprinter Sacre, I don't know whether he will or not. However, I think it is far closer than many realise, including the betting markets. And if the betting markets continue to assume that it is a formality for Sprinter Sacre I will continue to support Sanctuaire because I don't think it is. I think Sprinter Sacre should be favourite but 5/4 and 10/1 is far too great a difference.
Reading the Henderson interview on Sporting Life I was amazed to hear him say the horse has filled out over the summer. He already looked like a monster when I saw him at Cheltenham in the parade ring before the Arkle, he must be frigging enormous now Henderson said: "He came back in last week and he looks magnificent." "He is gigantic, in the nicest way. He's not fat, he looks unbelievable. He's scary, he's just massive. He's thickened out a lot and he's undoubtedly stronger. "The obvious races for him early on are going to be the Tingle Creek and the Victor Chandler. He is a two-mile horse. I don't think there's any doubt about that. It does promise to be a very exciting season from everybody's point of view and something like Sprinter Sacre does make you gasp a little bit. Let's hope he lives up to the billing he's getting."
Don't suppose anybody knows anythign on SPIRIT SON ? Really fancied him for Champion Hurdle glory last March before his injury.
MORE INFO ............. The master of Seven Barrows has tremendous depth in almost every division and has a particularly strong team of staying chasers to look forward to. Established staying stars Long Run and Riverside Theatre are set to be joined by top novice Bobs Worth, while Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow could also be stepped up to three miles in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. "Bobs Worth will probably start off in the Hennessy. I think that's the right race for him and he probably prefers going left-handed rather than right-handed," Henderson told At The Races. "The idea would be to step Finian's Rainbow up in trip and really have a look at him. He'd be heading King George way, but then so will Long Run and Riverside Theatre. "There has to be a clash in the King George I fear, so that's a headache, but it's nice. It's pressure but it's pressure we like dealing with." One of the most exciting young horses in Henderson's yard is undoubtedly Simonsig, a brilliant winner of novice hurdles at both Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring. He is likely to embark on a novice chase campaign this season and is set to come back in distance to the minimum trip to begin with. "I would have no hesitation coming back to two miles. Barry (Geraghty) just felt that two and a half would help him over hurdles, but I think if he went to fences you'd probably see him coming back to two. I would like to think he's an Arkle horse," said Henderson. "He definitely stays, he stayed two and a half miles well at Cheltenham, but he's a frightening horse in that his gears are all there. He has a very high cruising speed. "Every now and then you have to do bits of work with these horses and I would let him play around Sprinter Sacre and things like that. "It's a bit frightening doing that, but as long as you've got very sensible boys on board, you can do it. "If you didn't, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble."
Mr Henderson’s strength in depth right now is confirmed by the fact that those bookie chappies make him just 1/3 to win the trainer championship this term! As my regular readers are aware I’ve been a huge fan of Sprinter Sacre for some time and deffo feel he has the capabilities, if he remains injury free, to win the Champion Chase for several seasons to come. He’s an absolutely joy to behold and hope he can confirm the undoubted promise of his novice year in all the top ‘open’ events this time around. Mr Henderson, who always does everything with the horse in mind so as they can achieve there potential, has recently said that as Sprinter Sacre is a ‘pure 2 miler’ that is the only distance that he will run. This is great news as unlike so many other trainers he will never be tempted to turn a 16 furlong horse into a 2 and a half or even 3 miler. Sanctuaire has been mentioned above as a possible to beat Sprinter Sacre but I’m afraid that’s not for me. I do think though that Sprinter Sacre’s biggest rival is housed at Ditcheat namely my other old fave, dear old Tataniano. Injuries have been cruel to this one these past couple of seasons but if Tataniano returns to full fitness and in the best of order I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran Sprinter close. However, I do seem to recall Mr Nicholls saying this one may benefit from a step up in trip so perhaps sensibly he may have other options this term.
Would also love to hear how Spirit Son is. Grandouet will be really interesting with another year on his back as he is a real talent but looked a bit fragile. Not sure the arkle is as clear cut as is suggested and I suspect we will have some very nice new kids on the block so to speak.
Ron, could we rename this thread something like Cheltenham Countdown, Cheltenham Chat, Festival Fancies, Festival Focus, Antepost Arrows, etc, etc and sticky it too please? I think a place for general Cheltenham discussion would be a good addition to the forum, even if the biggest four days of the year are still a way away. If it's easier (or preferable) I will start one off. I have a few points to make once the Olympics are finished.
Chrikey Zen, Cheltenham in August?! I think probably in October/November when we have seen some national hunt racing for a few weeks proper.
Only a place to post any news/points of interest/etc that may arise. I don't see there's anything to be lost by doing it. Never too early for Cheltenham anyway.
I love this horse and believe he'll climb to the very top. Then again, I though the same of Dunguib, so what do I know?
