Sprinter Sacre, who has not seen a racecourse since being pulled up with an irregular heartbeat in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton last Christmas, will gallop and school before racing at Newbury on Monday as he prepares for a possible return to action in the Grade One Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January.
Nicky Henderson, Sprinter Sacre’s trainer, has already scratched the eight-year-old from possible starts in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in early December and the latest renewal of the Desert Orchid Chase on Saturday due to concerns that the 2013 Champion Chase winner was not showing his usual sparkle on the gallops. Racegoers will have a chance to judge for themselves on Monday, however, when Sprinter Sacre is expected to be in the paddock at 11.30am before exercising and jumping several fences a quarter of an hour later.
“He won’t be galloping round for two miles but he’ll have a spin out and jump a few fences and it just fits in nicely with the race at Ascot [on 17 January],” Henderson said on Tuesday. “The plan is to go to Ascot if everything goes well in the meantime and, timing-wise, taking him to Newbury is perfect.
“Hopefully he’ll start work at around 11.45am and should be in the parade ring to have a walk around at about 11.30am.”
Sprinter Sacre is expected to gallop round one circuit of Newbury and conclude by jumping the four fences in the home straight and his appearance will help to promote the card at the track that afternoon, which features the Grade One Challow Hurdle.
“We are delighted that the highest-profile horse in jump racing will be working and schooling at Newbury on Monday under his regular rider, Barry Geraghty,” Andy Clifton, Newbury’s head of communications, said. “It is a great gesture by Nicky Henderson to allow this to happen on our festive raceday, so that as many people as possible can see Sprinter Sacre back on the racecourse.”
Sprinter Sacre had won all 10 of his starts over fences before his defeat at Kempton last year, when he was pulled up after jumping seven fences in the two-mile race. Despite his long absence and reports that he has not been working with his usual zest, Sprinter Sacre remains the narrow favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on 11 March at a top price price of 4-1, just ahead of Sire De Grugy, who replaced him as the two-mile champion last season, on 5-1.
Sire De Grugy has also yet to make his seasonal reappearance after suffering an injury before the Tingle Creek Chase, though he cantered for the first time since his setback earlier this week and is still being aimed towards a defence of his title in March. The first horse in the betting lists with form this season is Alan King’s Uxizandre, the winner of the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in mid-November, who is due to line up for the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Uxizandre is one of several contenders for big races at the Cheltenham Festival who will be travelling to Ireland this weekend for Leopardstown’s four-day Christmas meeting. Henderson’s Bobs Worth, winner of the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup, is due to line up for the Grade One Lexus Chase on Sunday, a race he won 12 months ago, while Sam Winner, who is unbeaten in his two races over fences this season, will represent Paul Nicholls in the same event. At Fishers Cross, third home in last season’s World Hurdle at Cheltenham, is also expected to travel to the south Dublin track to line up for the Grade One Christmas Hurdle the same afternoon.
The going at Leopardstown is currently described as yielding, soft in places before the meeting opens on Friday, when the appearance of Vautour, the favourite for the Arkle Trophy in March, in the Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase will be the feature event on the card.
