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Badsworth Boy won the Champion Chase by a distance in 1983. I wonder if connections will allow Sprinter Sacre to stride on and emulate* that achievement in March?
* the margin of "a distance" no longer exists, but you know what I mean.
That was ridiculous.
I honestly believe Sprinter Sacre would win the King George in a hack canter. Three miles round Kempton would be a stroll in the park for this monster.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Spectacular; the 2 mile division is much too weak, this horse would be a monster at 3 as well. King George, Gold Cup, what a prospect that would be.
Before the race Sprinter Sacre was rated 180p by Timeform, that compared to 184 Moscow Flyer. The "p" means there’s every indication he’ll improve to at least be as good as MF. Can’t remember a novice with as high a rating as 180 anyway. However, although he’s obviously still got that potential and could be the best 2 mile chaser we’ve ever seen – I believe he will be, but is still (imo) to show it. Ruby went off far too fast and SS can not be rated by S’s run. Even in a stroll, how good is a 15 length beating of Kumbeshwar? Yes, he had "any amount" in hand and the "p" might even be replaced by a "P", but the form performance wasn’t any better than Sprinter Sacre’s brilliant novice form (imo). Brilliant though it was, I don’t think we learnt anything more about him than we knew already.
P.S. Anyone thinking he’s a 3 miler should look at the horse pulling over the first fence. No going up in trip at the moment please.
Value Is EverythingI think nicholls and walsh are getting a bit over-confident now. clearly all those big wins have gone to their head, because sanctuaire was ridden there like he was frankel in the 2000 guineas. daft.
can’t take anything away from the beast though. I disagree that he showed nothing we didn’t know before. he utterly destroyed his opposition, which just goes to show what he’s capable of with a decent pacemaker to stop him pulling
I think nicholls and walsh are getting a bit over-confident now. clearly all those big wins have gone to their head, because sanctuaire was ridden there like he was frankel in the 2000 guineas. daft.
can’t take anything away from the beast though. I disagree that he showed nothing we didn’t know before. he utterly destroyed his opposition, which just goes to show what he’s capable of with a decent pacemaker to stop him pulling
I don’t think it would have mattered at all how they rode Sanctuaire. Ruby said that the horse takes himself to the front and that is his natural style of running. The race today was akin to a schoolboy trying to run away from a headmaster, before being caught and having his backside well and truly spanked, then watching the master casually strolling back to the staffroom for a cup of tea.
Before Finian’s Rainbow’s ultimate debacle of a comeback race this season, the commentator declared:- "This is the best 2 mile chaser in the world"
It sounded like bull plop to me at the time and, after today, I reckon it smells like it as well
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I think nicholls and walsh are getting a bit over-confident now. clearly all those big wins have gone to their head, because sanctuaire was ridden there like he was frankel in the 2000 guineas. daft.
I can understand team Nicholls going out in front at a strong pace. There was a bit (only a bit) of a question whether Sprinter Sacre would stay/act on soft ground in a strongly run race. However, at such a suicidal lick there was no chance of Sanctuaire getting home. A strongly run race at 2 miles should be a strongly run 2 mile pace; not 1m4f pace.
Value Is Everythingcan’t take anything away from the beast though. I disagree that he showed nothing we didn’t know before. he utterly destroyed his opposition, which just goes to show what he’s capable of with a decent pacemaker to stop him pulling
But didn’t
WE
know that ALREADY EGS.
A quality performance he could’ve put up last season.
Value Is EverythingBefore the race Sprinter Sacre was rated 180p by Timeform, that compared to 184 Moscow Flyer. The "p" means there’s every indication he’ll improve to at least be as good as MF. Can’t remember a novice with as high a rating as 180 anyway. However, although he’s obviously still got that potential and could be the best 2 mile chaser we’ve ever seen – I believe he will be, but is still (imo) to show it. Ruby went off far too fast and SS can not be rated by S’s run. Even in a stroll, how good is a 15 length beating of Kumbeshwar? Yes, he had "any amount" in hand and the "p" might even be replaced by a "P", but the form performance wasn’t any better than Sprinter Sacre’s brilliant novice form (imo). Brilliant though it was, I don’t think we learnt anything more about him than we knew already.
P.S. Anyone thinking he’s a 3 miler should look at the horse pulling over the first fence. No going up in trip at the moment please.
For once I would beg to differ Mark. I learnt plenty.
Yes Sanctuaire went off quickly but he always does. The difference is he normally has his opposition beaten so far out that Ruby can give him a breather turning in and then kick on again or even just coax in. He was not allowed that luxury today as SS went by him on the turn in.
Secondly SS followed that fast pace – I imagine Barry was unsure exactly how good Sanctuaire was and didn’t want to give him too much rope. Kumbeshwar was really ridden to pick up any pieces and with far more restraint, so I think SS is worth a fair bit more than the 15 lengths especially when you add the fact that he was still on the bit. I doubt Sanctuaire will take SS on again and so I doubt SS will be asked to go quite that quickly on that sort of ground again.
Watching it I thought SS looked in trouble at the start of the back straight but the further they went the more impressive he looked. He was keen but that might be down to it being his first run of the season. I could certainly see him staying further someway down the line and on better ground.
All in all I think it was a breathtaking performance and certainly proved to us that we are dealing with an exceptional animal here. Radio 5 live are already calling him jump racings "You Know Who!"
I just wish dear old HGM/Fist was still with us as I know he would be doing hand stands now!!!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
lol yeah. in any case their tactics seemed a bit desperate. more reserved and he would have got a comfortable second place.
the queen mum now looks a procession for sprinter and i’d be amazed if he didn’t frighten almost everything off. I can see sizing europe going for the ryanair, finians the same so it could turn into a walkover.
the only possibility of him getting any sort of race at cheltenham, is if they find out in the king george that the likes of cue card/al ferof don’t stay and they drop them back in trip. flemenstar might be able to give him a race as well if that proves not to stay.
I think we might have to wait until next season for the emergence of a wothwhile challenger to the beast. avrika legionaire perhaps?
captain conan? simonsig?For once I would beg to differ Mark. I learnt plenty.
Yes Sanctuaire went off quickly but he always does.
The difference is he normally has his opposition beaten so far out that Ruby can give him a breather turning in and then kick on again or even just coax in. He was not allowed that luxury today as SS went by him on the turn in.
Yes, Sanctuaire "always does" go off quickly Joni, but if a front running 400m runner does 200m pace for the first half of the race; he/she will not get home.
Yes, Kumbeshwar was flattered by his proximity but (unlike when Frankel won the Guineas by going off "too fast") there is no knowing just how much Sprinter Sacre would have won by. One thing’s for sure, with a sensible strong pace SS should’ve beaten Kumbeshwar by
far
more than 15 lengths and therefore (imo) can not be rated as "improving" on his out of this world novice form.
Don’t get me wrong Joni, this is a truly exceptional racehorse, but we knew that beforehand.
Value Is EverythingOnly a fall or an injury will stop Sprinter Sacre winning every race at two miles in the next five years. I would like to see him tackle Finian’s Rainbow and Sizing Europe this year just to see how easily he brushes aside the best in the division.
I hope he does step up in trip at some point, too. Maybe next year or his 8/9 year-old season. He looks a bit too keen to last home at the moment.
For once I would beg to differ Mark. I learnt plenty.
Yes Sanctuaire went off quickly but he always does.
The difference is he normally has his opposition beaten so far out that Ruby can give him a breather turning in and then kick on again or even just coax in. He was not allowed that luxury today as SS went by him on the turn in.
Yes, Sanctuaire "always does" go off quickly Joni, but if a front running 400m runner does 200m pace for the first half of the race; he/she will not get home.
Yes, Kumbeshwar was flattered by his proximity but (unlike when Frankel won the Guineas by going off "too fast") there is no knowing just how much Sprinter Sacre would have won by. One thing’s for sure, with a sensible strong pace SS should’ve beaten Kumbeshwar by
far
more than 15 lengths and therefore (imo) can not be rated as "improving" on his out of this world novice form.
Don’t get me wrong Joni, this is a truly exceptional racehorse, but we knew that beforehand.
I think we pretty much agree Mark. I would rather compare it to Excelebration almost losing second in the Queen Anne because he tried to BEAT Frankel not finish second to him. Like Side Glance, Kumbeshwar is greatly flattered by being ridden for a place. However going off quick and exposing any stamina issues was the only way Sanctuaire was possibly going to win. As Nicholls said "we had to go for it". If SS had not been running Ruby would have been able to get a breather into him and he would have beaten Kumbeshwar comfortably imo.
I think we can safely say SS could have won by a lot more if a) he had sat a little off the pace and b) if Barry had got serious with him.
Bookmakers clearly think THEY learnt something anyway as he is now 1-2 from evens for the QMCC.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Watching it I thought SS looked in trouble at the start of the back straight but the further they went the more impressive he looked.
I thought the same Joni, but when he got to within 3 or 4 lengths it looked all over bar the shouting. You could watch him jump fences all day long.
Barring accident the QM is at his mercy. Sizing Europe may be the only real opposition in March. I’d say Sizing Europe will run in the QM or the Gold Cup, as I feel the owner will want his star in one of the championship races.
Watching it I thought SS looked in trouble at the start of the back straight but the further they went the more impressive he looked.
I thought the same Joni, but when he got to within 3 or 4 lengths it looked all over bar the shouting. You could watch him jump fences all day long.
Barring accident the QM is at his mercy. Sizing Europe may be the only real opposition in March. I’d say Sizing Europe will run in the QM or the Gold Cup, as I feel the owner will want his star in one of the championship races.
If that’s true, then he’ll surely run in the queen mum, as you wouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to see how he might struggle to get the trip in the gold cup.
which would be interesting, but perhaps only in the sense of offering a credible rival for which we can gauge sprinter sacres true greatness against.
I honestly think he could be the best chaser we’ve ever seen.
captain conan? simonsig?
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