12pm Sprinter Sacre delights Henderson in build-up to Cheltenham
Tony Paley: Nicky Henderson is leaning towards not giving Sprinter Sacre a racecourse gallop as he continues to impress the trainer in his build-up to the Cheltenham Festival.
The chaser was beaten for the first time in 11 completed starts over fences on his comeback from a lengthy absence at Ascot last month. A small trace of blood was found in his nostrils after the race, but Henderson has seen no sign of it since.
“He’s very good. Last week was good, he had a school and that is always exciting, for him anyway. He worked really nicely on Saturday so on we go,” Henderson told At The Races at the Grand National weights launch on Tuesday.
“We’ve just got to decide whether we have a racecourse gallop or not. I’m not really sure he needs one, so I think we’ll just creep along quietly. There’s no sign of any blood at home, I think and hope it’s a one-off. His work was great on Saturday so on we go.
“He could go to a racecourse - some are going to go to Kempton next week and some Newbury the following weekend. He wouldn’t go to Newbury as that is quite close to the Tuesday of the Festival so he could go to Kempton, but I’m not sure he really needs to. [The old Sprinter Sacre] was jolly nearly there last Saturday.”
Wednesday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
The Grand National is back on everyone’s minds following the publication of the weights for the race on Tuesday and you can read all the news that emerged from the traditional lunch here. Chris Cook has put up Soll ante-post at 50-1 and he will have a decent chance from the bottom of the weights if he manages to get in the race.
It’s a case of deja vu for me - this time last year I plumped for Godsmejudge and Teaforthree and can see both going well on 11 April. Godsmejudge, in particular, makes plenty of appeal given he has the perfect profile for a race which very much puts the emphasis on stamina these days. Alan King, who swerved the lunch yesterday to supervise his runners at Taunton, is not saying much in public but there is a chance his runner, who finished runner-up in the Scottish National last year after winning the race in 2013, will be out at Kempton at the weekend. If Godsmejudge runs well there he will surely contract in price and the 25-1 should be taken while it is available.
The other one who catches the eye at this stage is Spring Heeled. He is also likely to be running at the weekend - in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse - and is another who seems certain to be shorter than 25-1 on the day, although he comes with the proviso that he will be very well suited by good ground. His form with Road To Riches from last season’s campaign stacks up well and he should be in the mix provided the going rides fast.
As for today, I suggest waiting for Kempton tonight to have a wager and go for Thundering Home (6.40), who is very well treated back on the Flat on the strength of his much-improved form over hurdles of late.
Cheltenham Festival Stat of the Day
by Paul Jones, author of the Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide published by Weatherbys
For a horse who thrives on racing, the decision to give Sire De Grugy a run at Chepstow this weekend before he attempts to defend his Champion Chase title looks a sensible one, especially following an inauspicious belated seasonal debut returning from injury earlier this month. Part of the reason for Sire De Grugy’s popularity is that in these days when the best horses are often wrapped up in cotton wool, his connections just kept running and running him. In fact, no Champion Chaser had run so often earlier in the season since the notoriously-hard-to-get-fit Viking Flagship (Sire De Grugy ran five times beforehand) and then, after winning at the Festival, he won his sixth race in seven starts last campaign when striking again at Sandown on the final day of the season. However, returning Champion Chasers have found it tough in recent years with 11 of the last 12 who returned the following season failing to defend their title despite as many as ten of those starting favourite or second-favourite.
The Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide is published on 20 February and you can order it via www.weatherbysshop.co.uk or by calling 01933 304776. To receive £5 off simply quote CHELT15.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Gilzean 3-1
Gold Futures 6-1
Knock A Hand 4-1
Tuesday
Midnight Lira 13-2
Azure Aware 16-1
Hot Pepper 33-1
And our leader is. . .
mai11 +23.50
. . . who followed up Gilzean with Azure Aware AND Midnight Lira yesterday, which was as good as it got, since no one fancied Hot Pepper - indeed, only diegoisgod managed to pick a horse that was even placed in that race. Jakebuckfast (+16) and kingklynch (+15) were the others to find Azure Aware.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.25 Doncaster, 3.55 Doncaster, 4.15 Ludlow.
This week’s prize is a copy of The Racing Post’s Cheltenham Festival Guide 2015, which will be printed this week. It promises to be “packed with invaluable advice”, including a race-by-race guide, key trends analysed, details on the Irish challenge, jockeys and trainers to follow and the views of the Post team. It retails at £12.99 and, if you don’t win, you can buy it here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -6.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
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And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
