Hinterland looks a leading player
CHELTENHAM’S highlight today will be the Gr1 Queen Mother Champion Chase over two miles, which is expected to be run in good to soft ground, and it looks up for grabs in a field that cannot be described as vintage.
One of the shocks of the festival build up was when the brilliant two mile chaser Sprinter Sacre, winner of last year’s Champion Chase, was pulled up midway through his seasonal reappearance at Kempton in January and was found to be suffering from an irregular heartbeat. It was subsequently announced that the previously unbeaten Nicky Henderson-trained star would miss the festival.
Experts have scoured the eleven runner field for a potential superstar that could fill Sprinter Sacre’s boots. The one that stands out as having a chance to do so is the Gary Moore-trained Sire de Grugy.
He was a useful hurdler, winning a Gr2 event, and since switching to jumps last season has won eight out of eleven starts, and this included two Gr1s at Ascot and Sandown respectively in his last three starts. The downside is that two of his defeats have come at Cheltenham over the Champion Chase course and distance and those were his only starts there.
He has clearly improved recently and is the highest rated horse in the field on 169, but that mark is officially 19 pounds lower than Sprinter Sacre’s mark, so he has a bit still to prove. He is about a 5/2 shot, which is not great value.
Henderson
The Henderson-trained Captain Conan beat Sire de Grugy over course and distance last season in soft ground. He was a 7,25 length third behind Sire de Grugy in the Gr1 Tingle Creek Chase over two miles at Sandown in December, but has been off with a problem ever since.
Furthermore, he only finished fifth in the Gr2 Jewsons Novices’ Chase over two miles and four furlongs at last year’s festival. However, he has attracted significant support in the betting for today’s race over a trip his trainer said was his optimum. He is currently second favourite at 9/2.
The Henderson-trained 10-1 shot Kid Cassidy beat Sire de Grugy over this course and distance in November last year in good ground by 3,25 lengths, but he was receiving ten pounds and the latter has improved a lot since.
The Willie Mullins-trained Arvika Legionnaire is the Irish equivalent of Sire de Grugy as he is in fine form and has won three of his four chases this season. One of these was a Gr1 over two miles and four furlongs in good to yielding ground, but he did win a Gr2 over two miles in heavy going last time out.
The question mark about this 7/1 shot is his ability to handle a lefthanded track.
The MF Morris-trained Irish horse Bailey Green finished second in the Gr1 Arkle Challenge Trophy over course and distance at last year’s festival to the outstanding Simonsig and previous festival form is always a significant pointer to a horse’s chances. However, his price of 8-1 is a bit disappointing for a horse that hasn’t won a race since November 2012.
Hinterland has been rerouted from the Gr1 Arkle Challenge Trophy, a race limited to Novices, to the Champion Chase. This is an interesting move from the many times champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
The six-year-old didn’t win in his first season as a chaser, but still managed a 3,5 length second to Captain Conan at Sandown and this season has improved after a breathing operation. He won a Gr2 hurdles race at Cheltenham as a late three-year-old. Last time out he won a Gr 1 Novices Chase over two miles at Sandown.
That run was in December, but Nicholls said this horse goes well fresh and he must be a leading player, so 11-1 could represent value.
Sizing Europe
The Henry de Bromhead-trained Sizing Europe won the Champion Chase in 2011 and has finished second in the last two years. He has found betting support into 14-1 despite being a twelve-year-old.
The De Bromhead-trained sevenyear-old gelding Special Tiara won the Gr1 Maghull Novices Chase over two miles at the big Aintree meeting last April.
However, his form since hasn’t been too inspiring, although he will be five pounds better off for a 6,25 length beating by Kid Cassidy over the Champion Chase course and distance in November last year.
The ten-year-old Mick Channontrained 16-1 shot Somersby was trav- elling well when unseating his rider quite early in the Champion Chase last year and his best performance at Cheltenham was when a 0,75 length second to Sizing Europe in the Arkle in 2010, showing that he does have ability.
The Tom George-trained 16-1 shot Module ran well in the Jewson’s last year to finish a respectable 4,5 length and his form would suggest he prefers a two mile trip. His best career performance is a Gr2 Hurdles win at Cheltenham over two miles and a furlong in January 2012, where he beat Hinterland by five lengths. He seems to enjoy the course and is in good form having won a Gr2 over two miles and a furlong in heavy ground at Newbury last time out.
The Phillip Hobbs-trained Wishful Thinking is the biggest outsider at 25-1. He has won over course and distance before and was a 25 length third in the Champions Chase last year.
In his last run he won a Gr3 over two miles five furlongs at Cheltenham in heavy going, but is now eleven-years-old and was beaten 6,25 lengths by Sire de Grugy over two miles at Sandown and the latter has subsequently improved.
The tentative selection is Hinterland to beat Baily Green with Captain Conan, Module and Sire de Grugy next best, but it is an open race and any one of the runners could win.