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The winner only has to jump to collect in my opinion. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Sprinter Sacre would make the frame. But what about the rest?
What are your choices for 2nd and 3rd in that race?I still think
Sprinter Sacre
and
Sire de Grugy
can be placed behind the Winner who only has to turn up!
Despite the casualties today, Mr Mole hacked up. Dodging Bullets still the choice, but 16s Mr Mole very good value imo
Surely the question of who will win it is still a puzzle.
Dodging Bullets usually runs poorly in March, Sprinter Sacre’s not out of it, Sire De Grugy was tanking before he unseated and Mr Mole is clearly improving despite being extremely ungenuine.
It’s great to see so many big contenders in the race this year – a refreshing change from the one-horse shows of so many recent years.
Let’s say that Sire de Grugy would come on for the run, but how can you rate Mr. Mole? He won today’s race in style and he also gave them a 10 length start!!! The best trials fo the QM are obviously the Tingle Creek plus the Clarence House and today’s race. All three won by Paul Nicholls trained horses. Now whch performance is the best one? I would go for the Clarence House since the very fast improving horse beat Somersby but a wider margin than in December. Plus his jumping is also better.
So a Nicholls one-two wouldn’t surprise me and you would get decent odds for the forecast.I thought Mr Mole had SDG in trouble even before he fell. Very impressive performance after giving away lengths at the start, and seems to be improving. A serious contender
Sire De Grugy was going nowhere when he nudged the previous fence then ploughed through the one where he unseated. He’ll come on for it but it’s a stretch to see him winning in March.
Dodging Bullets or Dodgepot as he was fondly known before this season is no shoo in for the race either. Mr Mole was impressive today, and whilst I’m not sure I’d take the form at full face value he’s well into consideration.
But writing off Sprinter Sacre seems very premature. He was entitled to run as he did at Ascot and it should have sharpened his jumping and fitness.
I was rather disturbed by the fact that Sire De Grugy’s jumping got progressively worse through the race. He didn’t seem to be jumping with any fluency down the far side and then totally guessed at the first two in the straight.
Just watched the Game Spirit again. SDG jumped 3 fences competently – that’s all. He wasn’t even that clever at the water.
He left his back end in the cross fence, battered his way through the next and unseated at the next. He was either very very tired, or whatever has been ailing him cracked again.
Wouldn’t be surprised to hear over the coming days that he’s out for the season.
It’s a tough call the connections of SDG would have to make. The way he ran and especially jumped today suggest that he isn’t anywhere near his best form. If you rule him out for the season you should consider that he will be 10 next season, not necessarly the ideal age for a 2 mile Grade 1 chaser given the fact that the 2 mile department is always a strong one.
Since 1986 only three QM CC winners were aged 10 years or older: the remarkable Moscow Flyer, One Man and Martha’s Son. The last two won rather poor renewals of the Champion Chase and as mentioned before the 2 mile department will be a even stronger one next year once Willie Mullins decides which two "sprinters" he will put in the race.
The only alternative for SDG would be the Mumm Melling Chase at Aintree and the Celebration Chase (a race he won last year for the 2nd time in a row) at Sandown.
In the post race interview after the Betfair Hurdle Gary Moore didn’t seem that relieved about winning the race. It seemed to me as if he was thinking about SDG’s performance today. He knows that he has plenty of work to do or even making a tough decision regarding SDG’s participation at the Festival.
I would love to see the all lining up at Cheltenham this March, but only if they are 100% fit. But there is still some four and a half weeks left.
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