2015 Champion Chase

[johnno]

Thanks lads for all the well dones :o

[mayo]

Sire De Grugy blog wouldn't encourage me !

[iainmcf]

I would be concerned about SDG being off the track for a time, this horse needs runs and time is running out,if Newbury gets scuppered by the weather I wouldnt be backing SDG first time out in QM.

[Lester]

I would be concerned about SDG being off the track for a time, this horse needs runs and time is running out,if Newbury gets scuppered by the weather I wouldnt be backing SDG first time out in QM.

He is a horse who needs his first run alright.

[Old Vic]

Shark Hanlon is using the Boylesports Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday as a stepping stone for Hidden Cyclone towards the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Considered a nearly horse by many, the 10-year-old is one of 11 entries for the Grade Two over two miles.
"We have been unlucky with him in the sense that he hasn't won a Grade One race yet," said Hanlon.
"It would be great to see him win the Tied Cottage on Sunday and, all going to plan, the next step would be the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham."
Gordon Elliott has given the novice Clarcam an entry having been left in Un De Sceaux's wake in the Irish Arkle on Sunday.
Willie Mullins has entered Ballycasey, Turban and Twinlight, who claimed the scalp of Hidden Cyclone in the Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Bright New Dawn has the option, as does Baily Green and Days Hotel.
Irish Thistle, Heavenly Brook and Way Up In The Air complete the list of possible runners at this stage.

[Morning Glory]

If you can forgive Uxizandres last run ...best form this year and at a cheltenham to boot ?

HORSE/SP AGE WGT TRAINER/JOCKEY OR TS RPR

« 1 Uxizandre (FR) 15/8F 6 11-5 p Alan King 158 * * »Barry Geraghty


« 2 1¾ Simply Ned (IRE) 4/1 7 11-4 Nicky Richards 161 * * »Brian Harding


« 3 hd Dodging Bullets 9/4 6 11-5 Paul Nicholls 155 * * »Sam Twiston-Davies


« 4 23 Module (FR) 6/1 7 11-10 p Tom George 164 * * »Paddy Brennan

[johnno]

I'm in the sire de Grugy camp now but Uxizandre is only horse to beat DB this year

Update on Kings Blog

We stepped Balder Success up to 2 miles 4 Furlongs last month at Kempton and that seems to have done his confidence the world of good. He travelled easily through the race and, even though we’ve only done the odd canter since, he has been in wonderful form. Emma Lavelle’s horse (Fox Appeal), who was second to us at Kempton, has come out and run a cracker since, so the form looks solid too.



The plan is to stick to the same trip for the time being and head to Ascot in a couple of weeks for the Ascot Chase (2 miles and 5 furlongs). We haven’t run him over the trip before, but he certainly didn’t appear to be stopping at Kempton and has won over 2 ½ miles around Chepstow. You often find with these former good juvenile hurdlers that they end up needing further in time anyway.



Ascot will tell us whether we’ll head to Cheltenham for the Ryanair Chase or drop back for the Betway Champion Chase and I’m certainly not ruling anything out at this stage. We’ll know a lot more about Sprinter Sacre’s wellbeing over the coming weeks and we are all due to have our first look at Sire De Grugy at Newbury next weekend. The key, at this stage, is to keep all our options open.



As for Uxizandre, he’s just done his first bit of work since Leopardstown at Christmas and could head to Newbury next weekend for the Game Spirit if the ground isn’t soft or worse. We got away with conditions at Cheltenham in November as, even though it was soft, he could get through it. However, the very deep ground at Leopardstown was simply too holding for him and he hated it. If the ground softens at Newbury we are likely to head straight to Cheltenham for the Betway Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase - like Balder Succes, he holds entries for both races and we’ll keep our options open.

[Old Vic]

Tied Cottage Chase Stats

Form of Tied Cottage Chase winners going on to run in the Queen Mother is 141422P in the last decade.

and

Game Spirit Chase Stats

great race for favourites - top 2 in market have won last 12.

[Old Vic]

Pricewise will be pleased

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Now Hidden Cyclone cut

Tied Cottage winner in Champion chase is 141422P

Our Thread

<a href="http://t.co/3FyFGhUMoh">http://t.co/3FyFGhUMoh</a> <a href="http://t.co/QHQxmFUUMP">pic.twitter.com/QHQxmFUUMP</a></p>&mdash; Fat Jockey (@FatJockeyTips) <a href="https://twitter.com/FatJockeyTips/status/561916053740339201">February 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Old Vic]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>&quot;I&#39;d say that&#39;s the best he&#39;s ever jumped. Have to speak to owners but I&#39;d say it&#39;s straight to Cheltenham,&quot; Shark Hanlon - Hidden Cyclone.</p>&mdash; Irishracing.com Live (@IrishRacing365) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrishRacing365/status/561915846801776640">February 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Hidden Cyclone readily beats Bright New Dawn to win the Tied Cottage Chase. Four of the last 5 Irish trained Champion Chase winners ran here</p>&mdash; CheltFestNews (@CheltFestNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CheltFestNews/status/561913702879096832">February 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Old Vic]

On a line through Twinlight ....

[Morning Glory]

On a line through Twinlight ....

Stop it.

Shark getting a touch of the Willies ...WTF cant he say its the Champion Chase next.


Both Paddy Power and Betfred cut Hidden Cyclone to 12-1 (from 20) for the two-mile Grade 1 at Cheltenham in March and his trainer said: "I haven't spoken to the owner but we are definitely thinking down that road."

On the performance he added: "I was very pleased with him at home and the staff have done a lot of work to get him settled as he was always charging at his fences. We've done a bit of homework with him and it paid off because Andrew [McNamara - jockey] said he was so relaxed going to post.

"Today he was a different horse, the harder they go the better he likes it and going to the last he was the winner bar a fall. Andrew said he had a bit left in the tank but he did not want to knock him as he's had two falls this season and that's enough!

"We'll give him a week or ten days, he's not a hard horse to get fit so he won't be doing too much between now and Cheltenham. Hopefully he can win his Grade 1 shortly."

[MrMcGoldrick]

Hidden Cyclone appeared to win quite well but not sure it was more than he should have done given the weight differences. He finished just under 6 lnths ahead of Twinlight receiving 8 lbs, rating for Twinlight 3 lbs higher than Hidden Cyclone, so seems about right, and the former was soundly beaten by Dodging Bullets who has come on a fair bit since. Can't see why HC would finish in front of DB at the fez myself, and I fancy one or two to finish in front of DB, all there to be debated though.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Game Spirit only SDG, Uxizandre, Mr Mole, Vibrato Valtat, Upsilon Bleu and Karinga Dancer entered.

Where is Captain Conan ?

[Lester]

Hidden cyclone finishing second in four Grade Ones. One of those came in the Ryanair Chase at last year’s Festival.

He was given an entry in this year’s two-mile five feature, but Hanlon feels Hidden Cyclone has earned his chance at the two-mile title.

“He did what we know he can do. What was more important was that he settled. We’d been trying that at home for the past month and it worked,” he said.

“He came out of the race 100%. Even yesterday evening when I went down to the vet’s box he was on his toes. The race didn’t take anything out of him.

“His jumping yesterday was very good and the Queen Mother now looks the job.

“There’s doubts about a couple of the other ones. Sire De Grugy has to come back this week and prove it, then there’s Sprinter Sacre after his problems and Dodging Bullets as well.

“We have to go for the Queen Mother at this stage.

“He’s been knocking on the door of a Grade One. I know he hadn’t won for a while before yesterday but he had been placed in a lot of graded races and picked up a lot of money – more than you would get for winning ordinary races.

“The big day is only five weeks away. He’ll have a nice break between now and then and please god he stays in the one piece.”

Meanwhile three of Saturday’s high-profile races have been reoffered for 24 hours after failing to attract enough entries notably the Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury, while Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sire De Grugy is set to make his comeback in theGame Spirit chase.