Gashboy he was well fancied. I never said he was their number 1 supreme horse either.

Is that opinion or fact barman as your stating it like a fact? Spirit Son was very impressive but I think Sprinter would have done the same. Just have to wait and see now.

Ah fair enough. Yes he was staying especially for Spirit Son to decide his Supreme pick. I think both horses are extremely good. Buckley must have spent a fortune this year. I love his bumper horse Tour D'argent. Probably the best looking horse I've seen this year.

Ye IMO the ratings rather lofty but we shall see.

There is no way on earth that he will put either of these in a 20+ runner handicap hurdle. Just not going to risk horses of this potential in a race like that. In any case they'll both be rated near 150 now so I think this has already gone out the window.

And as for Cue Card's rating, (which he mostly got for beating Dunraven Storm), there must have been a massive office party the night before at the BHA to come up with this number. Dunguib wasn't rated this high last year after absolutely smashing up in 2 Grade 1's. Behind Menorah he was absolutely hammered by a horse who doesn't like a slow pace, in relatively slowly run race, finishing upsides a staying novice who was giving him 4lb. How that makes 159 I have no idea.

Quantativeeasing was never in this class. He was beaten at Kempton by a rogue, they then nominated the Coral Cup. They had Finian's Rainbow in the Neptune anyway, and JP loves a handicap. So these are all completely different factors to what either of these are facing now.

hopefully the owners will take njh's original advice and look after sprinter now that barry will be riding spirit son.the horse is a phenomenal chasing prospect but at the moment a big baby( unlikely to handle cheltenhams undulations becos of his size,he looked well suited to a flat galloping ffos.)  he could have his brain fried by chelters....watch how keen he is at both ascot and ffos ,i can't imagine a day out at cheltenham is going to calm him down much fast pace or otherwise.they already have a handy 2nd string in any case with gibb river.

They might as well run him in the Neptune instead

I take your point Simon, however I think over the years, unless there is a very good reason not to go (which I can't see there is here), then usually they do go and take their chance as they have no idea what they have otherwise. He's not going to do the horse any harm running him in the Supreme, in fact it may be seen as a beneficial experience for him. I do agree that he may perhaps suit a galloping track, but if you travel well that's all Cheltenham is. If he is hard on the bridle then he won't have any problem handling it, and from what I've seen this horse travels like no other. So all in all if the horse was well I'd be very surprised if he doesn't go. However, the worry I have is if BG decides to ride Spirit Son then they may decide to wait. And I'm not convinced Sprinter is second string - BG has already said he thinks he could be the best novice they have. Just depends how he sees it.

Think the ground will be the deciding factor re partcipation and jockey choice - Spirit Son clearly relished very testing ground and had a distinct knee action whereas Sprinter Sacre has won on good spring ground at Ayr.

Haing watched both horses,i see no reason why both should not run in Supreme.Both have earned the right to be there,both have real good chances imo,and they are owned by different people.
Both should run.

Oh are you,fair enough.

Rondetto - not sure about the point about Sprinter only being backed atre his run. He's one of the biggest talking horses around, and even when he was not entered for months, his price held up (and probably a talking horse with good justification, he looks serious, as does Spirit Son).

Spirit Son will improve on better ground........so assistant trainer is quoted as saying in today's Post.

Minella Class = Forgotten Horse
2 from 2 win on  good/heavy ground and a grade 1 winner

how lucky was kid cassidy on saturday to still be alive i just hope what happend to him dosent affect him in the future cos he a seriously good horse

Alvarado - agree re Minella and Kid Cassidy - would worry about Kid Cassidy's state of mind appearing before the Cheltenham crowd if its last race course memory was getting zapped. Saturday is interesting as Megastar links the form between these two whatever you say about the Newbury fog run (my view is that Rock on Ruby is a very good horse and  was too good for the both of them in that ground).

^ I think the market currently suggests that Spririt Son is definitely going for the Supreme - so Sprinter Sacre may be routed elsewhere (obviously if he runs this weekend we will know  alot more) but I wouldn't be surprised if they save him for Aintree.

I've now laid off my Sprinter Sacre bets (had a bit of 42 from the start of the season and then backed him pretty heavily last week at 14/1) and will wait until the day of the race to see what the runners are and what conditions are like. For all that Spirit Son has won easily both times my own opinion is that So Young looks more of a machine

Minger: They are checking him out at the longer trip to decide if he goes for the Supreme or the Neptune. But don't tell anyone you might break their hearts LOL

I'm 99.9% certain Sprinter Sacre will not run in the Neptune, it will be the Supreme or nothing.

They have Minella Class for the Neptune.

I'd doubt if Spirit Son would be as effective on good to soft or better, regardless of what the assistanst trainer says.

Sprinter Sacre is the better prospect, the only reason he wouldn't run in the supreme is if they thought he was still too much of a baby, he's all about chasing. However with him looking likely to get another run into him, I think he will run. He won't run in the Neptune.

.....or Gibb River or etc etc....ahhh the stressful life of a trainer.......what a problem to have if you are Henderson......25 novice hurdlers ranging from decent to awesome and only  3 novice hurdle races at the festival (have not included triumph or any of the handicaps)...
These are what he has entered....would be decent races in their own right:

SUPREME

Lifestyle,
Secret World,
Pippa Greene,
Oasis Knight,
Gibb River,
Brunston,
Tetlami,
Minella Class,***
Buckie Boy,
Napoleons Mistress,
SprinterSacre,***
Kid Cassidy,
Heather Royal,
Spirit Son

*** = also entered in Neptune


NEPTUNE

Cheney Manor,
Prince of Pirates,
Chablais,
Bobs Worth,**
Minella Class,
Sprinter Sacre,
Joseph Lister,
Cavite Beta,
Mossley,**
Master Fiddle,
Problema Tic

** = also entered in Albert Bartlett

ALBERT BARTLETT

State Benefit,
Bobs Worth,
Mossley,
Loose Performer