Get a Ned start in Queen Mother

London - There is no room for sentiment in racing and while it would warm the cockles to see Sprinter Sacre regain his Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase crown, or even last year’s winner Sire De Grugy win again, it is time to welcome in the new guard led by Simply Ned.

It would go down as one of the greatest training feats of all time if Nicky Henderson can nurse Sprinter Sacre back to anything resembling the form he had two years ago.

In a five-week spell he won this race by 19 lengths, beating former winner Sizing Europe, stepped up to 4000m at Aintree to account for the Ryanair winner Cue Card and the great Irish hope Flemenstar and then went on to Punchestown to beat Sizing Europe again. It is no secret there have been countless issues since - heart trouble, rumours of breathing operations and the fact he bled after his comeback on that eagerlyawaited day at Ascot in January - and while there were flashes of his old self on his comeback, he folded rather tamely.

The noises coming out of Seven Barrows are positive, but they have to be, otherwise he would not be running. The fact remains at his unbelievable peak he would have beaten Dodging Bullets when half fit and that one beat him comprehensively at the finish in the Clarence House.

The Paul Nicholls runner has never performed at his best at this time of year and Sire De Grugy, while impressive at Chepstow after his clumsy comeback at Newbury, has had only just over two weeks to recover from two quick runs and would prefer much softer ground. Simply Ned is still unexposed. As a novice last season he was beaten only by Balder Succes at Aintree in Grade 1 company which sparked dreams for this campaign.

In three runs he has steadily improved. He gave lumps of weight to inferior rivals on his comeback before heading for vital experience of Cheltenham at the Paddy Power meeting where he finished second to Uxizandre, giving him 5kg and being beaten less than two lengths, with Dodging Bullets back in third.

Over to Ireland at Christmas he ran a cracker to finish third on ground much too soft behind Twinlight and Hidden Cyclone, turning the tables on Uxizandre.

Mallowney was back in sixth and he has won a valuable handicap and a Grade 2 since, franking that form. The key thing is the ground.

His resurgent trainer Nicky Richards remains convinced he is better on a sound surface and he looks set to get it.

Trailblazer Special Tiara could be the biggest threat. -