Can Sprinter Sacre win a Gold Cup?

Will never run in the G-Cup imo.

Far from out of the question imho. Trainer selfishness may be the real reason we won't find out, as he's got Bobsworth for the GC. If he was mine, granted decent ground I would go 3m1f at Punchestown and see what happened. Certainly can't see why he wouldn't win a King George.

Would be great to see him run in some handicaps too. true greats should be tested, not wrapped in cotton wool.

good post Barry.

I think only when he wins a Gold Cup can we start talking about him in the same terms as Arkle. It would certainly be unfortunate if he did a Frankel and was remembered more for the races he never ran in than the ones he did.

Fully agree Barry. great to see him stepped up today but this is only the beginning. If/when it wins at kempton then you couldn't not line up in the gold cup. then we would have a superstar

Oooh, you could. Gold Cup is a much great stamina test altogether. I really can't see him running in it next year.
The more I think about it the more I think Punchestown is the place to test his stamina if you are so inclined, because a) it's a stiffer test than Kempton, and b) if he gets tired, it doesn't matter so much, because he's got 6 months off afterwards whatever the outcome.

Was a bit disappointed BG didn't give him a kick in the belly once he'd got over the last today, and show us a bit of what he's got. Unless of course they are saving energy for Punchestown.

Agree about the frankel comment we need this horse to take on the history books

Well, what do they know for certain?  He cruised round 2m at Cheltenham making the odd niggly mistake but wasn't off bit. ditto Aintree today over 2 and a half miles.
  He is beating every other horse remotely in his class easily without being asked anything.  He has given no indication whatsoever that his tank is rapidly emptying. Surely they must feel they have to have a pop at the Gold Cup in the future?

They have worked hard on getting him to settle, arguably suppressing some of his brilliance in the process. There seems little point doing that if you don't plan to step up in trip. If you want a pure 2 miler, fine, let him jump off and go for it.

yes barry M makes good sense

and the noises eminating from the yard are that they are starting to realise the horse can do anything they want

prolly be 2015 before they go GC but certainly a possibility

should anything happen to BW then I think it would be on

What about Long Run for the National?

They'd have to run the Becher in February to give them extra time to mend all the fences Long Run demolished in the National.

Harsh, he doesn't usually clout more than 2 or 3. I think he's made for it, in it's new incarnation as a 4.5m slightly large hurdle race. There were horses literally stepping over some fences on the 2nd circuit through the holes. They have to rebuild the fences every day, they are pretty slick at it.

Yes, if he is to be compared with Arkle and Flyingbolt then he must, for me, prove himself at the classic steeplechasing distances of 3 miles plus. If they spent his career at shorter trips I suppose that would either be because they are cautious (cf Cecil with Frankel) or because they feel he is not a true stayer. But, if he stays sound, it would be very strange to stay cautious for what could be another four or five years. And it would be very baffling, if he were to win the King George, not to go on and try the Gold Cup. Geraghty did say that he felt 2.4 was as far as he would want him to go, and the owner has said she won't ask him to try farther but it would seem to be fainthearted in the extreme to shirk the challenge. The Bob's Worth aspect may keep their ambitions with SS in check the coming season but surely one day they must have a go? Hope they don't leave it too late; you never know how long a horse will be around. Flyingbolt's connections, as he was stabled alongside Arkle, swerved the Gold Cup, winning the 2 mile chase and coming third in the Champion Hurdle the next day as a consolation, but he contracted an illness the following summer and was never the same again.

If they don`t put him in the next KG they want arresting. No stud fees to worry about, if he is outstayed by something else then so be it. Horses bounce back after Kempton, we will not think any less of him as a 2 mile beast.