The Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase was meant to be the starting point for Sprinter Sacre this season but he has been ruled out after tests suggested that he was less than 100%. Obviously nobody wants to see Nicky Henderson take any chances with the highest rated chaser in training but it is disappointing for the Sandown crowd.
Henderson has diverted Captain Conan to take his place and he is no mean deputy. He was only beaten once last season as a novice and that was at the Cheltenham Festival in March. I had not rated him particularly prior to that run but I thought he stuck on gamely at Prestbury Park and he got his just reward by winning at Aintree subsequently.
I seem to remember jockey Barry Geraghty emphatically saying that Captain Conan was a two and a half mile horse so this is going to be interesting. If he proves good enough to win here, it will be difficult to find any opposition to Sprinter Sacre come March.
My idea of the winner on Saturday is Sire De Grugy. I first put him in my notebook after he ran a cracker in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury won by Zarkandar. He lugged some big weights over hurdles and was always going to make a smart chaser. He was not quite right early last season but showed his true ability when beating former two-mile champion Finian’s Rainbow at Sandown in the Celebration Chase.
I fully expected him to follow up at Cheltenham last time but he was caught by Kid Cassidy up the final hill. His jumping can be a little worrying at times and he took off a little early on a couple of occasions there. I’m convinced that he is a horse that is always going to be better on the so-called park courses and he looks a cracking bet at 9-4 with Bet365.
I have plenty of respect for Somersby who seems to have been around forever but is actually only nine years old. He is now trained by Mick Channon and won the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter when holding off Module in a driving finish.
Cue Card finished third that day but it would be foolish to take that form literally. Clearly Cue Card was a lot fitter when he contested the Betfair Chase and galloped his way into the Gold Cup picture.
Sire De Grugy 9-4 Bet365
Betfair:
Bet on Henrik Stenson to become the BMW PGA Championship Winner.
Paddypower:
Back Australia to take the Ashes home with them.
Betway:
Back Rafael Nadal to become the Mens French Open Winner.
Coral:
Back One For Arthur to win the Grand National.
Bet365:
Back Mexico to win the Confederations Cup.
