Have you ever seen a better chaser than Sprinter Sacre?

There's no doubt he's a serious horse and is extremely flashy with it - but - i seem to remember the same plaudits being handed out after Master Minded won his Champion chase by the same distance and may i add in a quicker time x2 on the same going. Time will tell how good he really is.People talking of Gold cups etc need their heads testing. There's no way a horse with this much raw speed will ever win a modern day Gold cup. He certainly has all the tools to go on and win multiple Champion chases and who knows may win a KG at a stretch.

 

The one real shame is that there is no rivalry at the moment- like an Azertyuiop/Moscow kind of battle.

Then again, look at those front 4 in the Supreme Novice 2011 and he has blown them all away over fences when given the chance, and Cue Card and Al Ferof both look smart chasers now. (Shame Sprit Son couldn't go on and win a Champion Hurdle but that wasnt his fault!)

He won 19 lengths on Tuesday but did it like it was a piece of work. He'd have beaten Master Minded I've no qualms about that.

Would like to see Simonsig given the go ahead to race him so we can measure Sprinter a bit more.

 

Master Minded at his 08 best, would not get Sprinter out of 3rd gear

 

I can see them taking each other on once and when Sprinter beats him diverting to the Ryanair.

 

I reckon that SS will get the 3miles of the KG well as an 8 or 9yo. He was beaten 5l by Al Ferof over 17f at Cheltenham in the Supreme Novice Hurdle (ridden by AP and hit the last when going well), and as a 4yo in a 20f hurdle on soft at Ascot finished second. More recently won easily and impressively over 17f at Cheltenham in heavy. I'm not 100% sure but I think they tend to go further over fences than over hurdles. A NH horse is also, generally speaking, in its prime at 9/10 and will be much stronger and stay further. Desert Orchid was a flamboyant 2 miler and actually managed to win a Gold Cup in heavy ground.

If SS was entered for a KG I certainly wouldn't want to be laying him.

 

Anaglogs Daughter,Chinrullah,Azertioup,Remittance Man,Native Upmanship,Travado,Deep Sensation and many others have tried and failed in the KG.

Having said that,Edredon Bleu and few 2m specialists have won the race.

Hard to see it being on the radar of SS although NH does love the race and has tried several of his 2m'ers in the event.

 

I don't see why Sprinter has to step up in trip, or why connections would want to. He's a 2 miler, and a world class one at that and if he stays sound he can win the Champion Chase every year, for the foreseeable future.

Even if he did stay 3+ miles, the Gold Cup is a gruelling race, and 1 race in that can leave lasting damage on any horse

 

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Anaglogs Daughter,Chinrullah,Azertioup,Remittance Man,Native Upmanship,Travado,Deep Sensation and many others have tried and failed in the KG.

To be fair Dexter SS is in a different league to those horses.If any 2 miler can win multiple KG's and then drop back to win more QMCC's it SS.He travels like an absolute dream,has an engine like no other and certainly doesnt look like hes stopping in any way at the end of his races.

 

I think Sprinter Sacre will take the same route next season as this time around - Tingle Creek, Victor Chandler and then QMCC.

The only question will be who could oppose him. Cue Card possibly in the Tingle Creek?
I somehow don't think Simonsig will enter that but would love to see them clash in the QMCC

 

Taking into account
1. The relative times of Simonsig and SS
2. The fact that the going was slower for SS
3. How hard Simonsig had to race to win
4. How easily SS won

I can't see how, in a million years Simonsig could ever hope to get within striking distance of SS. SS would win as he likes, effortlessly.

 

Simonsig scoped dirty after the Arkle Ron according to the the Yard.

Some at Seven Barrows think Simonsig is better than The Black Aeroplane.

That does sound fanciful but perhaps if a clash did materialise it may not be the mismatch some think.

 

Even if Simonsig's engine was as good as SSs, which Id be amazed if it is. His jumping is average at best, and even as a hurdler he struggled to jump, that's why they went for the Neptune over the Supreme to give him more time at his hurdles.

SS on the other hand is the best jumper I've seen, I've not seen a horse clear a fence like he can. I just can't see Simonsig's jumping matching up.

I fancy they might take him on in the Tingle Creek, and will no doubt take a severe beating. Then Simonsig could be ruined, as all his confidence will be gone.

Look what beatings from SS have done to the careers of other horses, like Peddlers Cross, or Sanctuaire. They've never been the same since

 

Your enthusiasm has to be admired Oddy, but would Flemenstar even get the better of Sizing Europe? I doubt it myself.

Connections of Flemenstar and Sizing Europe, who I'm sure will reopose must have felt sick when they found out SS is heading for Punchestown

 

Flemenstar has Cue Card to beat first at Aintree. No foregone conclusion.

 

Through First Lieutenant, Cue Card is superior to Flemenstar. The only worry with him is will he be 100% at Aintree after his race at Cheltenham, were as Flemenstars going there nice and fresh

 

SS is nowhere near the best jumper of a fence I have seen.