Sceau can spark the Sandown Celebration

Sceau Royal can make up for a luckless run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase by winning the bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown tomorrow.

Alan King’s nine-yearold has looked as good as ever this season, winning the Game Spirit at Newbury and the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton before meeting all kinds of trouble at Cheltenham.

Daryl Jacob had been cutting every corner on the inside, but just as the race was getting going in earnest, he was badly squeezed up by Chacun Pour Soi moving in on him.

That caused Jacob, who looked to have the perfect position, to take a pull, losing all momentum and finding himself with plenty of ground to make up.

To his credit Sceau Royal did not wilt and battled all the way to the line to finish fifth, beaten a little over three lengths which, considering he lost at least that amount of ground before the turn for home, was very commendable.

The key to his claims for turning the tables on the Queen Mother winner Put The Kettle On is the fact she seems to save her best for Cheltenham, where she is unbeaten in four outings, while former champion chaser Altior looked a light of former glories at Kempton at Christmas.

Sceau Royal also loves to hear his hooves rattle, so he has plenty in his favour.

It seems folly tipping against an Irish horse in a major handicap in the current climate, but Irish Prophecy has always looked a likely type for the bet365 Gold Cup.

Emma Lavelle’s eightyear-old has not quite hit the heights he threatened to reach when beating Champ in a Kempton bumper.

He has clearly not been that easy to train, but there have been flashes of his previous ability.

Beaten a length by El Presente when getting 7lb at Exeter, he actually meets him on slightly worse terms having won next time out by 14 lengths.

Third at Ascot last time over an inadequate two miles and five furlongs, he gets an extra mile to run over here and will love the good ground.

While Mister Fisher clearly has plenty of ability, as we saw when he won the rearranged Peterborough Chase, he has had two bad experiences at Cheltenham and Aintree.

With that in mind, Frodon just looks a more solid proposition in the bet365 Oaksey Chase.

Frodon’s stamina may have given way in the Gold Cup, but he still ran his usual game race from the front, showing he remains as good as ever.

Paul Nicholls’ King George winner can add another nice prize to what is already an impressive record.