GRUGY TO TINGLE IN THE CREEK
GARY MOORE expects Sire De Grugy to return to his majestic best in Saturday’s Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park.
Following his success in last year’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, Sire De Grugy has suffered from a catalogue of injuries but Moore believes his stable star can now put his troubles behind him.
“He’s showing all of his old enthusiasm and seems to have come out of his Exeter disappointment [last of the five runners] well,” said Moore, below.
“We were all obviously gutted with that effort, but the one positive has to be that he did get himself back into the race after making a bad mistake and was upsides at the second-last fence.”
The absence of Sprinter Sacre, now expected to run at Kempton on December 27, will certainly enhance Sire De Grugy’s claims but he still has a formidable opponent in Un De Sceaux.
The Willie Mullins-trained Un De Sceaux has only once tasted defeat in his 14 races, when he fell on his chasing debut at Thurles.
He heads the betting at 8-13 with Hills for Saturday’s two-miler with Vibrato Valtat 7-2, Simonsig 6-1, Sire De Grugy 10-1 and Special Tiara a 14-1 chance. Moore added: “Sandown seems to suit him really well – don’t forget he’s won two Celebration Chases and a Tingle Creek [2013] at the track. In fact, he’s unbeaten there over fences and has never been out of the three in all five starts at the course.
“He’ll head there fit and healthy and we’ll know afterwards whether he is still a genuine Betway Champion Chase contender.”