Wednesday, 6 March 2013

2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase Preview


Queen Mother Champion Chase

The feature event on day 2 of the festival features a horse that I really cannot see past: the mighty Sprinter Sacre. He’s a class apart from any other 2 mile chaser at the moment, his speed and jumping ability really is out of this world. Whoever turns up next Wednesday has got a mountain climb. The current market reflects this with most betting firms making the ‘black aeroplane’ a 1/4 shot.

Sprinter Sacre picked up where he left off after the impressive Arkle win last year with some very impressive performances at Sandown and Cheltenham this season where he has seen off Kumbeshwar and Sanctuaire on both occasions. Sanctuaire (SS main rival this season) and Ruby Walsh tried two different tactics with neither prevailing as Geraghty cruised past to take victory and I cannot see any reason why this form will be reversed.

Sizing Europe will be coming back to what could be a last hurrah at Cheltenham, the main question is will he try and regain his Champion Chase crown or go to the Ryanair which he has a much greater chance of winning. A tough defeat last year, where I still think he wasn’t at his best and he would have won if they didn’t bypass the final fence. Finians Rainbow who has been a complete flop this season, may be in with a sniff for a place if the ground comes up better as he clearly doesn’t like heavy ground being beaten by many lower rated horses in his two appearances this season. I can’t be having Wishfull Thinking at all, he is one horse I just can’t trust and his form says it all really, he’s just too inconsistent (crashed out last season in this race). The same applies for Somersby who hasn’t backed up that brilliant performance to beat Finians Rainbow at Ascot last season, so ill happily strike a line through him from what I can see as the last possible challenger.

Advise:  I cannot see any reason why Sprinter Sacre won’t win here with Ruby walsh saying the only possible chance of SS getting beaten is if ‘the horsebox breaks down on the way’ so sit back and watch this machine of a horse glide round Prestbury Park. 

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