The 2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase

As good as Sprinter Sacre was today, lets look at the form with some objectiveness. Everyone knows I've always been a massive fan of Sprinter Sacre, I said after his first run over fences that it was the best debut over fences that I'd ever seen, and I tipped him up at 7/1 for the Arkle.

But was he anywhere near his best today? IMO he ran well, but he was knowhere near the Sprinter Sacre that smashed the likes of Sizing Europe 19 lentghs on the bridle. So still about 15 pounds below his very best.

That's why Un De Sceaux's performance was incredibly dissapointing, he struggled to beat Special Tiara ffs! I knew full well that if SS was at his brilliant best then nothing would get near him, but he wasn't at his very best, Sprinter Sacre was at 70% of his old self but was still able to show UDS a clean pair of heels. That's what's most alarming from UDSs point of view.

It makes you wonder why Willie Mullins chose UDS as his 2 mile prospect, when he had Vautour in his yard, probably one of the dumbest decisions in hindsight, no wonder Mullins still hasn't won either of the championship races over fences, as he cant even place them correctly. I said even before the JLT last year that Vautour should be campaigned for the Arkle and as a 2 miler for the rest of his career.

It's not the first time this week that Mullins placing of horses has been brought into question. Annie Power proved what a class act she is over 2 miles, so why was she forced to run in the 3 mile contest 2 years ago, or the mares hurdle last year when she's always had the ability to win over 2 miles. I said at the time that she'd of smashed Hurricane Fly in a 2 mile hurdle, and I think it's hard to disagree that she probably would have. She certainly would have destroyed Jezki that's for sure. It's ashame that they've wasted most of her best years running in races to far for her or in easy mares races, when they had a mare that was capable of dominating over 2 miles. There probably isn't much, if anything between her and Faugheen.

 

So just because it was an emotional day, we can't look at the form objectively. It's actually a big compliment I'm paying to SS by saying he was knowhere near his very best, as he was still able to win despite that. SS of a few years back would have been about 20 lengths clear pulling double.

I think the criticism of Mullins is fair, as not all the horses are owned by the same owners. Faugheen was not around the year Jezki won the Champion hurdle, where as Annie Power was, and more than likely would have won that race. He obviously didn't want to put her up against Hurricane Fly, but he really should have done as HF wasn't capable of winning that year anyways.

As far as Vautour is concerned, he ran away with the Supreme Novices, he's a horse with plenty of speed, yet he's turned him into a Ryanair horse, rather than the champion chaser he's always had the talent to be.

 

Wrong thread*