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it’s the sprints in humanracing that are regarded as the ‘blue-riband’
I clearly remember that when Coe, Ovett and Cram were dominating middle-distance running, the 800m and 1500m were the ‘blue-riband’ events.
Nowadays, of course, the true blue riband events are to be found only at the velodrome or on the lake…
Mike
Intresting – the 800m was the best race of the Olympics but received nowhere near the publicity it should have due to the lack of GB medal chances.
I’m surprised at NJH not knowing about Sprinter Sacre’s breeding. He says the dams side is all about stamina but the sire himself has a good crop of some top class stayers.
Some horses have a range of a few hundred yards or half a mile to perform at their best. I think SS can race at Grade 1 level between 2 and 3 miles.
Really hope they go for Aintree and Cue Card stands his ground – the latter looks more unlikely than the former though
I’m not massively concerned which races SS goes for, but I would like to see him tested over fences. Even if it’s just for my own peace of mind.
There are only a limited number of races where it’s likely top quality opposition will turn up and the King George must be one of the most prestigious of those, so why would you not give it a go?
It would be interesting to see SS off the bridle and really racing, which to my eye anyway, has yet to happen over fences. I remember Azertyuiop finishing 3rd in the King George after travelling easily until 3 out and not staying (admittedly it wasn’t a deep race). SS is a better horse and should be able to coast to 2 out without stamina becoming an issue. If he has more stamina than such a fast 2m horse may imply, then winning is definitely possible.
The Frankel comparison is relevant, and with the (hopefully) longer career of NH horses it is more likely we will see SS over a range of distances. It’s not about only certain races or racecourses having any value, it is about seeking genuine competition and testing the limits of a horses ability. At the moment I don’t think there is a horse that could get SS off the bridle over 2m and such is his apparent raw ability it may not happen over 2 1/2m so lets see what happens over 3m.
I said before Boxing Day, 2012, that Sprinter Sacre should contest the King George. I have little doubt he would win that race just as comfortably as he has done his two mile races. He is the most naturally gifted chaser I have seen since Arkle.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
It may not be a coincidence connections are thinking of upping Sprinter Sacre in this race in particular.
It is often thought a slow pace suits those with form at shorter trips. This is only true if the horse settles well.
Obvious the pace will usually be slower racing at a longer trip. If at 2 miles the early pace is slow – Sprinter Sacre can take a while to settle. It doesn’t matter to him at 2 miles, but might over further. However, with front runners Cue Card and Flemenstar in the field, a good pace is almost assured, allowing Sprinter Sacre to settle
and
get the trip.
Value Is EverythingI clearly remember that when Coe, Ovett and Cram were dominating middle-distance running, the 800m and 1500m were the ‘blue-riband’ events.
Nowadays, of course, the true blue riband events are to be found only at the velodrome or on the lake…
…indeed, and another compelling reason to add darts to the Olympic pantheon: tie a (very long) blue ribbon round the old Sir Phillip Taylor
So why are we so bothered about Sprinter Sacre? A French non-thoroughbred for goodness sake!
A little off topic, but does the fact that potentially one of best NH in horses history is a non-thouroughbred show the obsession with bloodlines, especially on the flat, as pretty pointless?
Or is SS a complete exception / freak?
A good number of the high-class French-breds to have raced here in recent years are non-thoroughbred, being Selle Francais and/or AQPS, not sure what the difference is
Quevega, Sir Des Champs, Mon Mome and Neptune Collonges spring to mind, in addition to Sprinter Sacre
Such horses are only allowed to compete in NH, not Flat
‘Good bone’ is a phrase popularly applied to these cross-breds, which can only be a good attribute for a jumping horse
A good number of the high-class French-breds to have raced here in recent years are non-thoroughbred, being Selle Francais and/or AQPS, not sure what the difference is
Quevega, Sir Des Champs, Mon Mome and Neptune Collonges spring to mind, in addition to Sprinter Sacre
Such horses are only allowed to compete in NH, not Flat
‘Good bone’ is a phrase popularly applied to these cross-breds, which can only be a good attribute for a jumping horse
Thanks for the response.
In fairness to Quevega’s connections – the mare suffered a serious suspensory ligament injury at Auteil in May 2009. They feared she’d never race again and promised that if she did, she’d be kept for only the best races.
Whether that ‘promise’ was made because of the potential for further damage to the suspensory, or simply to reduce the chances of some other mishap befalling her on course, I don’t know. But the owners are entitled to honour their promise to themselves/the horse, without being castigated imo.
On Sprinter Sacre, I’d be pretty confident he’d get the 20 furlongs at Aintree all right, but much less so the 3m of the King George.
In the QM, he was fairly keen till after the 4th when he settled nicely. He took hold of his bit halfway along the back but BG had little trouble settling him again. Whether he’d behave so amenably in a slower-run race (as you’d assume anything above the minimum trip would be, all else being equal) remains to be seen.
Two things struck me at Cheltenham: it was the worst round of jumping I’ve seen him put in, and BG was able to pull him up quite easily (I’d say Sizing Europe took a few strides longer to pull up).
I’ve never thought him a great jumper. He’s often a spectacular jumper but he’s seldom economical. I suspect those leaps take a fair bit out of him; he’ll regularly show noticeable lateral movement in the air too. Maybe that style of jumping, in the energy used V ground gained, is not ideal.
It’s to be hoped that he is not one of those whose jumping deteriorates with racing (Voy Por Ustedes would be a classic example).
His key weapon, imo, is that huge stride with which he can put a race to bed some way out. Geraghty, perhaps as part of his general strategy on such good travellers, seems to ride Oscar Whisky (over 20 furlongs) using similar tactics: track the leaders, take it up around 3 out and put them to the sword from that point.
For those who wish to see the horse ‘tested’, I suspect like many ultra-strong travellers, SS will find little off the bridle.
The Flemenstar camp seem keen to take him on at Aintree despite their doubts about their horse not being a good traveller (as in making the trip from Ireland). The wily Mr Tizzard seems much less inclined to face SS at Aintree and says he might reroute Cue Card to Punchestown, although I think he’d relish a crack at the big horse in the King George.
Mr Tizzard says the decision on Aintree will rest with the owners. It would be worth going a long way to see those three horses, assuming all were at the top of their form, battling it out round the tight Mildmay course where the layout should be to Cue Card’s advantage.
Whatever happens, let’s hope they all stay healthy so we can look forward to next season’s battles.
Just an update on my previous post: it now looks like Cue Card will go for The Melling Chase. It should be a cracking race. I see PPower go 7 Cue Card and 4 Flemenstar – it should be the other way round in my book and even with 6 runners, I think Cue Card is well worth an EW bet.
As mentioned, Flemenstar might not react well to travelling. He is 2 lbs inferior on official ratings. He did not finish off his race last time, with connections blaming a lung infection. He has been in just two close battles and lost them. Cue Card has been in one when he went down by a nose to the Gold Cup winner to whom he was conceding half a stone.
Still, both horses might well be examples of what I mentioned in my last post – excellent travellers who don’t find much off the bridle.
Anyway, it’s a monster task for Cue Card to beat Sprinter Sacre, but he should not be a 7/1 chance to do so in what is effectively a 3 horse race imo.
After his Cheltenham display, I’d want to see SS put in an error-free round before considering him a betting proposition at 1/4 in any race, let alone a hot Melling Chase.
As good and fascinating a race as it would be, I hope Sprinter Sacre doesn’t run, for two reasons:
1) I’d like to see Cue Card and Flemenstar shoot it out
and
2) I want to see the Black Aeroplane at Punchestown
As good and fascinating a race as it would be, I hope Sprinter Sacre doesn’t run, for two reasons:
1) I’d like to see Cue Card and Flemenstar shoot it out
and
2) I want to see the Black Aeroplane at Punchestown
Yeah, I don’t want to see Sprinter Sacre, Cue Card or Flemenstar run in case it interferes with the big Menorah/Wishfull Thinking clash.
Mike
It will the race of the season if all 3 turn up.
I am a big Cue Card fan and I think he can turn his Arkle form round with SS over 2 1/2.
A fantastic raceFairly selective analysis there Joe re Cue Card’s likely superior battling qualities compared to Sprinter Sacre and Flemenstar.
I’m not saying either of them would come out on top if it came to that (as I have no idea) but to suggest Cue Card would be the one most suited seems a bit strange.
I like many were there when he came swinging on the bridle in the Supreme Novices only to find little and he was quickly brushed aside when push came to shove by Menorah in the International.
We’ll never know how he wouuld have got on against Captain Chris had that one not clouted the 2nd last in the Betfair and admirable as his defeat was when beating by Bob’s Worth, beaten he was.
Those races may have no meaning whatsoever in relation to future races – just as Flemenstar’s two recent defeats over a trip too long will most likely have little bearing on his finshing prowess when reverted back to 2m 4f.
For what it’s worth, in my opinion the race finishes 1. Sprinter Sacre (without coming off the bridle), 2. Cue Card and PU. Flemenstar after never getting into contention.
Too much doubts about the latter horse, such as recent health scare, concerns about his ability to travel and how he would handle quicker ground should it indeed dry out significantly – the only time he’s won on ground described as good or better was the Powers Gold Cup which recorded a time 15s slower than standard.
All that make Cue Card pretty much a certainty for 2nd at worst and if RaceBets (who price up daily match bets) go anything like evens or above in a Cue Card v Flemenstar match I’ll be wading in.
Lee
In fairness to Quevega’s connections – the mare suffered a serious suspensory ligament injury at Auteil in May 2009. They feared she’d never race again and promised that if she did, she’d be kept for only the best races.
I wouldn’t say the Mares race at Cheltenham complies with the idea of the "Best races".
Whether that ‘promise’ was made because of the potential for further damage to the suspensory, or simply to reduce the chances of some other mishap befalling her on course, I don’t know. But the owners are entitled to honour their promise to themselves/the horse, without being castigated imo.
The owners can do what they wish. Their horse, their decision. Doesn’t mean one can’t find the hype around the horse a little ludicrious. I’ve seen many better horses who recieve much less media hype and discussions. 5 is great and all, but it’s going to be taken out of context by the media for years to come.
In the QM, he was fairly keen till after the 4th when he settled nicely. He took hold of his bit halfway along the back but BG had little trouble settling him again. Whether he’d behave so amenably in a slower-run race (as you’d assume anything above the minimum trip would be, all else being equal) remains to be seen.
The horse was still absolutely tanking going round the bend. BG still had a grip. He’ll pull at Aintree, no question, but then he’s beating quality 2 milers by sar far that the question is, does it matter?
Two things struck me at Cheltenham: it was the worst round of jumping I’ve seen him put in, and BG was able to pull him up quite easily (I’d say Sizing Europe took a few strides longer to pull up).
Don’t really understand how easy it was to pull him up means (Especially relative to Sizing Europe). The margin between the two was increasing right until the line. Not sure what you’re tyring to imply.
I’ve never thought him a great jumper. He’s often a spectacular jumper but he’s seldom economical. I suspect those leaps take a fair bit out of him; he’ll regularly show noticeable lateral movement in the air too. Maybe that style of jumping, in the energy used V ground gained, is not ideal.
Economical isn’t the best term to describe his jumping. He is however a great jumper in any context. He’s fast despite the height he often gives fences, he’s incredibly athletic and flexible and almost never loses ground at a fence. Although having a different style of jumping, i remember people used to say Kauto star wasn’t a great jumper, which was entirely wrong. It’s perplexing to say SS isn’t a great jumper.
If those leaps take a fair bit out of him, why does he win every single race by a signifcant distance on the bridle? Seems like conjecture rather than anything based on evidence.
It’s to be hoped that he is not one of those whose jumping deteriorates with racing (Voy Por Ustedes would be a classic example).
Voy Por Ustedes was an economical low jumper. SS has an entirely different style, and is quicker. It’s not an apt comparison. Voy Por declined for numerous reasons. He raced frequently from a young age, he had an injury that was diagnosed later and he was ridden by Thornton (Who seems incapable of riding chasers these days) amongst other things.
Sprinter Sacre and Voy Por Ustedes are different animals in every imaginable way, outside of the fact they are both horses, and both ran over the same trip.
For those who wish to see the horse ‘tested’, I suspect like many ultra-strong travellers, SS will find little off the bridle.
It’s true that horses will find less "off the bridle" than one would think, though it can often be linked to jockey style. Harchibald was unfairly maligned, when in actuality, Carberry simply made it look like more was there. In the Chmapion Hurdle the horse was simply flat out after the last, but Carberry wasn’t moving.
Of course, to get Sprinter Sacre off the bridle, a horse needs to be close enough to him at the end of the race. We’ve yet to come close to that scenario. In every singe race over fences to date, BG still has some form of a grip on the horse at the end of the race. He’s never been fully extended. Unlike Frankel, who was always asked to extend for maximum output, it’s quite obvious SS has truely had the gun to his head for maximum exertion yet. For that to happen, you need higher quality competitors, or for connections to want to create a spectacle. The latter is unlikely to happen.
The Flemenstar camp seem keen to take him on at Aintree despite their doubts about their horse not being a good traveller (as in making the trip from Ireland). The wily Mr Tizzard seems much less inclined to face SS at Aintree and says he might reroute Cue Card to Punchestown, although I think he’d relish a crack at the big horse in the King George.
Cue Card doesn’t stay 3 miles. It’s quite obvious. Although having never been tested, Sprinter Sacre has a greater chance of staying 3 Miles/being competitive in the race, since A) We categorically know Cue Card won’t stay B) Sprinter Sacre will be good enough to cruise/tank around longer than Cue Card, before the stamina button is truely pressed.
Sprinter Sacre would in my opinion beat Cue Card over any trip.
Hopefully the three horsed do meet at Aintre, since it’s simply a new angle to see how awesome SS is.
Whether it happens or not, the race i would truely love to see is SS versus Simonsig in a Tingle Creek. Simonsig has incredible speed and scope and would in my opinion provide a set of characterstics and attributes in a rival that SS has yet to meet.
Just an update on my previous post: it now looks like Cue Card will go for The Melling Chase. It should be a cracking race. I see PPower go 7 Cue Card and 4 Flemenstar – it should be the other way round in my book and even with 6 runners, I think Cue Card is well worth an EW bet.
The angle will be we know Cue Card can’t beat SS assuming both are at peak abilities. Flemenstar has never raced against either.
As mentioned, Flemenstar might not react well to travelling. He is 2 lbs inferior on official ratings. He did not finish off his race last time, with connections blaming a lung infection. He has been in just two close battles and lost them. Cue Card has been in one when he went down by a nose to the Gold Cup winner to whom he was conceding half a stone.
A race over 3 miles in soft ground is entirely different to the proposition Aintree will offer. I don’t see what losing "two close battles" has to do with anything. Horses aren’t humans.
Cue Card losing to Bob’s worth a season and a half over has no relevance to this race at hand.
Still, both horses might well be examples of what I mentioned in my last post – excellent travellers who don’t find much off the bridle.
Cue Card isn’t a bridle horse.
Anyway, it’s a monster task for Cue Card to beat Sprinter Sacre, but he should not be a 7/1 chance to do so in what is effectively a 3 horse race imo.
Whether it’s a 3 horse race or a 29 horse race, the odds are based on the chances of Cue Card winning. He has very little chance of beating SS.
After his Cheltenham display, I’d want to see SS put in an error-free round before considering him a betting proposition at 1/4 in any race, let alone a hot Melling Chase.
You mean a display where he beat a reliable yardstick by 19 lengths on the bridle to record one of the highest national hunt ratings of all time? You must be difficult to please.
Error free round? He didn’t look remotely close to falling, and never has. You’re being pedantic for the sake of it.
He’s 1/4 for a very very good reason.
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