Still miffed at him for costing me the placepot on Tuesday last year with an abject display in the Arkle. Should've switched off emotions and looked at the hard form in the book
Not surprised but a shame to see the end of a great champion Well done to STD but Un de Sceaux will win this easily next year
Well done Dodging Bullets and connections. Sad to see a great like Sprinter just a shadow of himself. The warning signs were there at Ascot when he jumped nothing like the monster he was and went out like a light. Don't want to take away anything from Dodging Bullets but that's a poor race he has won. The principles never fired and he has beaten Somersby a length? Cue Card and Al Ferof would have been right in this had they have been fit and aimed this way?
If any horse in the field deserved to win it the right horse did win! Even tho he wasn't the most talented he was the most deserved winner!
A poor QMCC and a predictable but unfortunate display from Sprinter but still a fine horse. Raging Champagne Fever couldn't run he would 110% have at least placed.
I have my nuts on SIRE COLLONGES in the Cross Country but all I can think now is "no way can STD ride a treble"!
Surely champagne fever would have been there there abouts fast! High tempo on good ground 2m the race was there for him !!
Still not convinced Dodging Bullets is the same horse in the spring, that's his worst run of the season and still good enough to win! Beat a 13yr old a length
Well done to connections of Dodging Bullets, but will Sprinter Sacre be retired? Looks like he will be. Clearly a shadow of his former self. What a shame we won't get to see more of him at his brilliant best. Reminds me of when Big Bucks returned from injury last season, only had two runs before he was retired. I see no reason why Dodging Bullets won't win the Queen Mother Champion next season, he won well today despite him beating an old horse!
Was in Hills watching the race and they showed a Jim McGrath clip twice in three minutes in which he said that Timeform rated Sprinter Sacre 27lbs below his best and he ran like it. It would be no surprise if he has been retired by the time I post this; clearly not the same horse and it would be unkind to let him dwindle at a lower level. McGrath tipped Sire De Grugy and they will no doubt come up with some excuses for him failure to feature in the finish. The race was set up for Dodging Bullets as Sam had him handy behind the pacesetting Special Tiara and he was able to pounce after his big rivals had wilted.
