As
anyone who has followed horse racing for any length of time knows
perfectly well that there is no such thing as a certainty in this
highly unpredictable and thrilling sport.
But at
this stage there will be very few people who bet
on racing
prepared to go against the majestic Sprinter Sacre after the
champion-elect put up another awesome performance at Cheltenham
recently to strengthen his stranglehold on the ante-post market for
the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the March 13 showcase event having
appeared to a great degree to have been conceded by many in the sport
to him with fully six weeks to go before the big race itself.
Of
course there is no certainty that Sprinter Sacre will even make the
starting line-up as even the best of athletes are vulnerable to
last-minute hitches and unexpected injuries. If he arrives at the
Festival though in top order it is hard to see anything getting
within shouting distance of the horse that a growing number of
seasoned observers suggest could be the best at the distance in more
than a generation.
The
current top-priced 2/5 ante-post favourite in the Cheltenham
betting
odds
glided around Prestbury Park on January 26 as if he was out for
morning exercise, Nicky Henderson’s imposing seven-year-old oozing
class as he tracked the leaders before coasting through to take up
the running before the seventh fence. From then on it was very much a
case of who would be second – for the record, Mad Moose achieved
the feat some 14 lengths behind the winner – as Barry Geraghty’s
mount drew clear from the third last to win the Grade 1 Victor
Chandler Chase in simply stunning fashion.
Unbeaten
in all seven starts over fences and the winner of 11 of his 13 career
outings, it can honestly be said that the gelded son of Network has
never really had a serious race over the larger obstacles and has
never won by less than six lengths. His last defeat came when third
to Al Ferof in the 2011 Stan James Supreme Novices Hurdle, but since
switching to chasing his only real dangers have been the fences
themselves.
His
stable companion and current champion chaser Finian’s Rainbow has
barely warranted a mention in the build-up to the big race, but the
fine performer (currently a 10/1 shot) could easily give Henderson a
famous one-two in a race he also won in style some years back with
the hugely popular Remittance Man.