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Module confirmed today.
Seems to have been quite a lot of market support for Baily Green even though he is better on a right handed track and these days probably wants further. I am guessing he is being punted on the back of his second in last year’s Arkle. He ran well but I suspect the winner was way below his best.
Glad to hear the value bet of the race, Module, is being allowed to take his chance. Odd as it sounds, I think he had quite a bit in hand when winning last time and looked a horse on the up
At the prices it surely has to be worth a punt on Module or Baily ew.
Not a big ew player but these two both have place shouts with a decent win chance. This race is a headache of an open one. Think the Captain is risky, just don’t trust the horse.
On 26th October 2013 I was invited to Chepstow races by my employers who were sponsoring the event (guess who?!). A racing fan since the tender age of nine, who wouldn’t want to enjoy dinner, choose best turned out and take part in a presentation?
Earlier in the afternoon, I presented an award after the success of Get It On, trained by Evan Williams, but my attention was now drawn to the penultimate race on the card – a quality two mile handicap chase.
Sire De Grugy had won the Celebration Chase on his previous start, beating former Champion Chase hero Finian’s Rainbow. I wasn’t convinced that a combination of soft ground and an undulating track would suit. He was giving away plenty of weight to some decent rivals on his seasonal return and I passed him over in favour of Majala.
Watching from the paddock, this striking chestnut with his big white blaze, shouldering 11-12, gave upwards of 11lb and sauntered to victory – you would have thought he was thrown in from the two furlong marker. Speaking to a Chepstow regular, I was told that performance was the most impressive he had seen at the venue in years, adding ‘that horse of Henderson’s might just have a challenger’.
I took the 16s available for the Champion Chase – a Celebration Chase winner who had beaten a former champion and proved his wellbeing this term – decent value, I thought!
Watching the horse improve this season – and his flamboyant nature – have been a highlight. Forget the 16s, that’s just a bonus. He doesn’t hail from a powerful yard and the story behind his purchase is what horse racing is all about – we all have a chance!
I don’t think Cheltenham is an inconvenience. Two placed efforts in two starts isn’t exactly the stuff of nightmares! You simply don’t float around Chepstow and fail to handle Cheltenham.
My honest opinion is that since his defeat to Kid Cassidy, Sire De Grugy’s humble connections have started to believe that they have a genuine superstar. Jamie Moore’s confidence in the horse has grown and, with it, confidence that he belongs in the saddle.
You want evidence, compare his somewhat erratic ride in the Shloer Chase to that of oozing confidence in the Clarence House. It’s no coincidence that in three victories from as many starts since that sole defeat this term, he hasn’t put a foot wrong, winning two Grade Ones and a Grade Two.
The emergence of Sire De Grugy has given the two mile division plenty of credibility in the absence of Sprinter Sacre. What an uninspiring field it would look without him!
Superb story there Bosranic, it made great reading and no doubt the horse means a lot more to you, seeing him progress from that point, than simply the bet you have at 16s. I still hadn’t decided what way I was going to go with the QM Ch Chase, but I’d be more than happy for him to bolt in for you.
Best of luck mate.
As oon as I put down a good bet on Capt Conan I had a feeling that one of my Cheltenham Fiascos was at hand…
Amazing story! Excitement all the way! What a run that was.
I know how that feels, because I followed Burrough Hill Lad since he was knee high to a horseshoe himself.
As I said on another thread, those that opposed SDG on "Cheltenham" and/or "Going" were clutching at straws. :
In the Shloer SDG gave 10 lbs when 3 1/4 lengths second to Kid Cassidy on good ground. Had he won by 7 lengths off levels would there be a story? Judged by my own eyes and Racing Post Standard Times SDG chased a fast pace that day. Jamie arguably guilty of going for home too soon with AP (who’d been dropped out off a strong pace) found SDG coming back to him. So not only does the Moore’s marauder come out by far the best horse at the weights – considering the pace he’s value for an even better performance.
Also, in November 2012 SDG finished runner up to Captain Conan at Cheltenham in a novice chase off levels. Looking at how he beat that horse at Sandown this season you might think SDG was below form at Cheltenham. But in the Novice Chase it was Henderson’s horse that started 11/10 fav and SDG (7/2) actually improved his form to get within 2 lengths… Also improving since.
Sire De Grugy was the value bet of the year. My idea of his fair odds were 34% (almost 15/8). Went out to 7/2 (22%) in places! That’s a 12% Difference!!
Horse, jockey, trainer and connections all deserved a wonderful win.
Value Is EverythingSpot on Ginger and Bos: things just got monumentally stupid this morning pushing the horse out so far…bookies sometimes get brain freeze at Cheltenham…madness. I hope it cost them plenty, and the win was a proper fairytale – heart-warming stuff and a delight to watch
I loved it when Camilla wore the scarf and they said ‘she’s always been a palace fan’.
Thanks for the kind comments, guys
What a wonderful result for racing – a stricking and flamboyant chestnut, owned, trained and ridden by genuinely nice people.
Sire De Grugy has suffered just one reversal this season. His seasonal debut was a superb weight-carrying effort, he landed a Tingle Creek, won another Grade One in testing ground and now rightfully sits at the top of the two mile chasing tree after winning the Champion Chase on good ground.
What a versatile chap – good ground, heavy ground, left-handed, right-handed, flat track, undulating track, level weight, giving weight. It all comes the same to him. And to achieve what he has done in such ebullient fashion makes him such an endearing and true champion.
I love the fact that Jamie Moore and the horse have grown together – both have improved throughout the season and now have the utmost confidence in themselves and each other.
A special mention for Sizing Europe and Somersby. I wouldn’t put them in the same bracket as Kauto Star and Denman, but wasn’t it great watching the old rivals doing battle, perhaps for the final time? They have been grand servants over the years and contributed so much to the division.
Well done to anyone who picked the winner or placed horses
We took him on and did our bollocks on the race but it’s a cracking story and the scenes after the race were just lovely.
Well done to the Moore’s = a credit to racing.
I only realised yesterday that Sire de Grugy had won the same race [the Desert Orchid] that Fiepes Shuffle had won all those years ago. We arrived at Buxton for a short break; ran into the hotel asking for the racing results to be put up and found he’d won at a huge price [thanks Darren wherever you are these days]. It was Jamie that rode him that day, and I’ve loved him ever since for it. I hate it when they do these big build ups to races; it seems to bring bad luck to all concerned so I was a wreck yesterday. It’s the first time in many years that I haven’t been able to watch a race and cried my eyes out with relief afterwards [One Man in the QM; See More Business whenever he ran]. Don’t care what happens for the rest of the week; this was THE race that epitomised everything I love about NH racing. Trouble is that, for the rest of his career I’m going to have to hide behind the sofa every time he runs.
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