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This seems a good place to start via timeform
Douvan vs Sprinter Sacre
Vautour ( for MrMG) is higher rated than any of them
Douvan vs Sprinter Sacre
The Champion Chase was much quicker than the Arkle for most of the way, and Sprinter Sacre was running on empty by the end. He was nearly 10 lengths slower from the last than Douvan had been 24 hours earlier.
There are many different ways to win a race, of course, and there are many different ways to lose one, also. Given how strong the pace was in the Champion Chase, it might be considered a little odd that Un de Sceaux was asked to go on four out, when the pace was about at its hottest.
Sprinter Sacre briefly looked in a bit of trouble, but the pace had to give eventually, and when it did the old boy responded magnificently to sweep past.
Sprinter Sacre’s time was a pretty good one all the same, as can be seen from the headline figures for the day.
There are many different ways to win a race, of course, and there are many different ways to lose one, also. Given how strong the pace was in the Champion Chase, it might be considered a little odd that Un de Sceaux was asked to go on four out, when the pace was about at its hottest.
Sprinter Sacre briefly looked in a bit of trouble, but the pace had to give eventually, and when it did the old boy responded magnificently to sweep past.
Sprinter Sacre’s time was a pretty good one all the same, as can be seen from the headline figures for the day.
Vautour ( for MrMG) is higher rated than any of them
Many people’s highlight of this season’s Festival will have been Sprinter Sacre regaining the Champion Chase, which he first won in 2013 when putting up the second-highest jumps rating in Timeform’s history. Though he was still around two stone below that level this time around (the proximity of the fourth, fifth and sixth hold down the form somewhat), this was the best Timeform rating he had run to since the 2012/13 season, where he completed a rare hat-trick of wins at the top level at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals. This was a remarkable – and emotional – victory and training performance, Sprinter Sacre is now Timeform-rated 175, higher than the odds-on Un de Sceaux (174+) who had his unbeaten record (when completing) over fences ended. Though it is fair to say things didn’t all go Un de Sceaux’s way (unable to dominate due to presence of Special Tiara) he probably wouldn’t have reversed the result if things had panned out differently, and was perhaps not quite at his best on the day for whatever reason.
This year’s Ryanair went from a below-par renewal to a rock-solid one in the blink of an eye when Vautour (Timeform-rated 180p) was controversially rerouted from the Gold Cup, and he blew away the rest of the field in some style, easily dispatching a trio of top-class chasers in Valseur Lido (165), Road To Riches (168) and Al Ferof (168). It is hard to see Vautour being beaten at this sort of trip, and it will be interesting to see him take on the likes of Don Cossack and Cue Card back at around three miles.
This year’s Ryanair went from a below-par renewal to a rock-solid one in the blink of an eye when Vautour (Timeform-rated 180p) was controversially rerouted from the Gold Cup, and he blew away the rest of the field in some style, easily dispatching a trio of top-class chasers in Valseur Lido (165), Road To Riches (168) and Al Ferof (168). It is hard to see Vautour being beaten at this sort of trip, and it will be interesting to see him take on the likes of Don Cossack and Cue Card back at around three miles.
Race two of the Festival, the Arkle Chase, saw Mullins’ first winner of the meeting, and it was certainly one of his most impressive, with last year’s Supreme winner Douvan sauntering to his third successive Grade 1 win over fences with the minimum of fuss and posting an outstanding closing sectional in the process as he quickened clear off a steady gallop. Douvan (168p) didn’t have to improve on his previous form to take this race, and given the way it developed, was more superior than the seven-length gap back to 153-rated Sizing John, who was placed behind the winner for the fifth time. Vaniteux (also rated 153) has a tendency to hit the odd fence, and a blunder here definitely cost him a place. He will need to improve that aspect of his game if he is to fulfil his potential over fences. This race was all about Douvan, though, and he is a most exciting prospect for open races next season; has a chance of putting himself in the truly elite bracket, with ratings in the mid-170s a real possibility.
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