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RP story states Well Chief is on target to reappear in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury next month, presumably before having another shot at the Champion Chase. So can he come back from almost 2 years off to win the big one in March.
I think it will be next to impossible for any horse to retain the same level of ability after almost 2 years off with injury and couldn’t have him at any price.
It’ll be a hell of a training performance if David Pipe can get Well Chief back to a level good enough to win a Champion Chase.
Personally, I doubt it.
Does he need to retain all his old ability? I don’t think he does. This year’s renewal is looking even weaker than last year’s (and that’s saying something). If Well Chief is within a stone of the 182 he was capable of running to 2 seasons ago, he’ll have every chance in the Champion Chase.
Not saying I’d back him at current odds of 5/1, but double that and I think you would have a fair bet.
Can Well Chief win the Champion Chase? Undoubtedly.
Will Well Chief win the Champion Chase? Probably not.
Horses rarely return from injury 2 years older and retain all their old ability.That said, Well Chief wouldn’t have to be as good as he was to still beat the likes of Voy Por Ustedes and Newmill who are the 2 ahead of him in the betting for what looks a weak Champion Chase.<br>On a sentimental note he was my favourite jumper , performing bravely and valiantly a couple of years ago against top notchers like Azerty and Moscow Flyer and I’d love to see him come back and win it.<br>
It was never completely clear what the original injury was (or how serious it was believed to be). ÂÂÂ
When first diagnosed, it was said to be a ‘slight abnormality’ and connections were said to be erring on the side of caution in leaving him alone for the rest of the season.  Then there was the ‘will he, won’t he’ saga about his QM entry last season.
The fact that he’s not been seen since though suggests that it was a bit more serious than a slight abnormality and I can’t think of a single horse off the top of my head who has come back the same horse after a long-term tendon injury.
Something like that, Lingfield.
"Slight heat" in a leg though is a bit like being a "bit pregnant".
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I may be wrong, but I always had the impression Well Chief’s injury wasn’t that severe. Didn’t they talk about running him last year, only to err on the side of caution when it came to the crunch? <br> If I remember correctly, the reason he didn’t run in last year’s Champion was to make absolutely certain that he would be 100% this year? <br> Nothing unusual about him not running yet this season really, as there have only been a couple of worthwhile races, both on the wrong ground. I can’t really see where any of the top owners/trainers would have done differently in the circumstances?<br> A lot of supposition I know, but,on past form, he is surely head and shoulders above the likely opposition.
Well Chief’s injury was severe enough for connections to opt for that new-fangled "tendon works" treatment pioneered by Dr David Chapman-Jones, or so I’m told. It’s possible that I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, or indeed that the treatment was meant to be partially preventative but it’s a worry.
Put it this way, if the injury was so minor that he was nearly considered for Cheltenham last season, why hasn’t he been entered up so far this season?
There’s no doubt that Well Chief is capable of making a comeback, but I’d tend to be a place layer at 2/1 or less for the Champion until I see him show that he’s back to near his old form.
Tend to agree
Watched a lot of the comments last year and you would have expected to have seen him out by now..
I think before we can judge this we need some more information (or transparency) from the stable
At the moment, i couldnt back him
I wouldn’t be too confident at this time, Well Chief really impressed me as a novice and as a second season chaser, I thought he was the pretender to Moscow Flyer’s throne as top 2m chaser. It will be interesting to see if he still retains that sort of ability after a long lay off, I think he will definitely need a prep run before the festival to blow away some of the cobwebs and probably need to be quite impressive if taking in a run before Cheltenham. Even if the Well Chief of old turns up at Cheltenham he will have to produce a career best effort to beat Voy Por Ustedes in my opinion. That said I hope Pipe Sr. works some of the old magic and Well Chief wins in March.;)
On reading the story develop i don’t think the initial ‘injury’ was much to worry about, but i think one small problem turned into a big tendon issue, didn’t it?
No doubt his ability of old and the question was can he win it……. the answer to that is yes, any horse CAN win a race if everything goes right etc………. but WILL he win it? i can’t see it.
I mean, it would be great if he did, but its a very stiff ask for him. even though the race looks weak
(Edited by Stormont at 10:43 am on Jan. 19, 2007)
Martha’s Son and Call Equiname both won the Champion Chase after one run following a lengthy layoff due to injury. So it certainly can be done.
AP
Call Equiname won a rescheduled Victor Chandler Chase on his way to Champion Chase glory. With the VC looking to be rescheduled to Cheltenham, could Well Chief possibly be entered with a view to taking both? He won the race when it was last moved to Cheltenham a couple of years ago and is undoubtedly a better horse there than anywhere else.
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