true but little harsh he ran some blinders

he won that brutal hennessy...off a mere 174...

#the tank

Hand up here for 3/1 at start of season, 9/4 nrnb and a bit of arbing on here.

Overall position is still ok, would have preferred a victory cruise though!

I would be going 3/1 each of three, SDG, SS and DB. 16/1 bar. I don't believe that Sprinter was far short of fitness yesterday as they have been saying he was nearly ready for a while and he did have a racecourse gallop. I think that DB is at least 12lb better than last year while SS has probably gone back 12lb-hence the result yesterday. SDG was half way between them on last years form and would need to be right back to his best to beat either of the other 2.

Sprinter Sacre was found to be have suffered a small bleed after the race, but after consultation with vets at the racecourse, Henderson was left feeling more relaxed and some 18 hours after the race, he declared himself satisfied with the condition of his star two-miler.

"Most importantly he's fine this morning. He's been out and looked very perky. He was great, he trotted up, was very bouncy and full of it. I think it's safe to say he enjoyed himself," the Seven Barrows handler told At The Races.

"He's sound and his legs are good. He ate up and did all the right things. No damage done which is always a relief.

"It was great to see him out and everyone was pleased with what he did."

Asked about the post-race bleeding, Henderson admitted: "We'd have preferred it not to have happened. There was a show of blood in his nostrils when he was being routine tested and we scoped him after that.

"We don't want to see it. It's not ideal, but on the scope there, the significance of the score didn't seem to be too dramatic. It was probably acceptable.

"There was no mucus which was important - there was quite a bit of Ascot racecourse [ie mud in the scope], which there always will be with kickback and mud flying.

"They are bound to have a little bit, all sorts of things get breathed in as you can imagine, and there was a bit of blood there.

"I think we can accept that. It didn't affect him or his performance.

"We did weigh him and it depends how far you go back with his weight, but he was comparative to where he has been in the past. He was more than 80% fit - you can't come into a Grade One less fit than that - but there is bound to be improvement.

"He didn't blow up as such, but what he did do was get tired. The legs are going to get tired.

"They set a searching gallop yesterday and went out to test his fitness. That is perfectly fair game. AP went a good gallop there [on Somersby]. I'm not a great stopwatch man but the time was respectable - I'm not surprised, they went a good gallop and they are good horses.

"There is more to come and there is improvement. We weren't pretending he was back to his very best.

"In the autumn we knew he wasn't, but gradually it's been coming.

"You've got to let a horse find his best form. It's a work in progress, if you like. He's been pleasing us. He's gradually progressed, progressed, progressed.

"Newbury (where he worked last month) was a huge step forward and yesterday was another one."

While Sprinter Sacre will not run again before the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase on March 11, Henderson has not ruled out giving him a racecourse gallop.

"There is no other race he can run in between now and the Festival except for Newbury (the Game Spirit Chase)," he said.

"We're hardly going to go to Newbury in three weeks' time. That would be suicide.

"You could go to a racecourse. I don't think he particularly needs to, but we could take quite a lot of the Cheltenham horses that are not going to run again before the Festival. There would be quite a few to go to the racecourse.

"I wouldn't rule it out, but I wouldn't rule it in at the moment.

"What we are definitely going to do is have a quiet week to 10 days and then we will start the build-up. That is why the timing of yesterday was perfect for us.

"He's had a fairly intense build-up which is why he was more than 80% fit. He was probably nearer 90%.

"He just got tired yesterday and we feel that's perfectly acceptable, going that gallop in that ground in his first race really since Punchestown the year before last as he only went for a mile at Kempton (in December 2013).

"Realistically I was very satisfied and pleased to see him back.

"There was that moment turning in when you just thought a miracle was going to happen. It would have been fantastic.

"I think it's realistic for him to regain his crown at Cheltenham. We have lots to do.

"Dodging Bullets won the Tingle Creek and has now put up two cracking performance. We've got to find a couple of lengths. You'd like to think we've got that in our pocket somewhere.

"Now you've got Sire De Grugy to come as well and then the final piece of the jigsaw [would be] for us all to meet together in March.

"It could be one of the great races. That day we've got to be 100% or even more. I think we're on track.

"It would be great if they all meet and it would be one of the spectacles of the Festival."

Were did you read this?

Just had a look and couldn't find it. If that's what he said then I'm sure he'll be able to find 3 lengths on Dodging Bullets especially on Good ground.

He won't get his ideal conditions until Cheltenham. Going down the betting the only danger I see right now is Dodging Bullets and for the reasons stated above I think Sprinter cand get his revenge.

The more times I watch the replay of the Clarence House race the more and more convinced I am that SS will reverse the form with DB.
I just can't see how he doesn't improve 10+ lbs on that form. It had been over 600 days since SS last won and the only race he'd had since then he was pulled up half way round.
To be cruising coming to the 2nd last and empty, after that long off the track, is no shame. To my mind the only danger I see is CF but he can be quite inconsistent.
The 11/4 on offer at the moment could look very large on SS.

Looks like the ground is coming right for him. Will be declared good/soft at start of first day then changed to good on 2nd day. This will obviously not suit the staying types like Hidden Cyclone (drifting on here and shortening for the Ryanair) and Champagne Fever. Connections of SDGS and Dodging Bullets have also clearly stated that soft ground would be preferable. Ok SDGS won last years Champion on pretty quick ground but the field last year was poor at best. Feeling more and more confident about Sprinter every day and I think there'll be a lot of red faces on the doubters if he wins.

Geraghty on SprinterSacre: "he’s as well now as he was going into the race two years ago.”


All aboard the Sprinter Express to Winnerland

Time to bring this back to the top again

Better than last year according to NH will he?

Have to say took a little 25/1 last night for QMCC and 9/4 this morning, heart ruling head

Have to be impressed with that....he got tired late and was getting weight but really none of that matters....the telling part is that he appeared to power through the race similar to the old days...that was the most interesting part.....deffo hope there.

Well done Sprinter Sacre

25/1 pre race with baldy bet, ptl'd me last night for £20 each way but let me have it! Looking forwards to March now just hope to god he gets there safe and well

well he's not back to what he was,think that is pretty clear.
Good to see him back of course,and SDG,but they ain't as good now.
I suspect UDS will be too quick and will have them both under pressure a lot earlier than they would like.
Race needs Dodging Bullets back,he would add interest,or Vautour,otherwise I fear a rout.
That's of course if UDS jumps round!!!