The Road To The 2018 Champion Chase

I sincerely hope Douvan comes back 100%...Chances of him taking on Altior at Sandown, as part of his recovery, run between nil & Zero
 
The Tingle Creek? Someone's hoping nothing turns up to take on Altior I'd say.

Hales does seem to think this horse is some kind of superstar. (biggest bet of his life at Chelters I believe/)

Won't have too many rushing to back him AP
 
"Douvan is in tip-top shape, I am delighted to say," the champion trainer said. "The Hilly Way at Cork is a race we've had plenty of runners in but with it being in December we'd be inclined to look at an earlier race for his comeback run, potentially."
The Cheltenham Chase, known as the Shloer Chase, which takes place in November on the Sunday of the Open meeting, may be a possibility.
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Sire De Grugy may start off in the Welsh Champion Hurdle Oct 21st or run in a handicap chase at Cheltenham's October meeting, all depends on going. Tingle Creek a possibility too.
 
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[FONT=&quot]Colm O'Connell, son of the owner, told Press Association Sport: "Un De Sceaux is in great form. He had a great summer and looks a million dollars.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]"No screws have been turned at this stage and I wouldn't like to second guess Willie where he'll start him off.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Last year he went to the Tingle Creek, the Clarence House and the Ryanair. I suppose the Clarence House would be pretty high on our agenda again as he's won it the last two years and no horse has ever won it three times.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"It would be nice to see him defend his crown in the Tingle Creek. He'd probably be up against Altior, who looks a superstar, but Un De Sceaux on soft ground around places like Sandown and Ascot takes a bit of beating.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"I'm not sure if I owned another horse I'd want him to run against Un De Sceaux first time out.
"Whatever runs against him, you know they'll have a hard race."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Even if Un De Sceaux does not make the journey to Sandown, he looks sure to be seen in action on British soil at some stage this season.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"For whatever reason, when Un De Sceaux crosses that Irish Sea, he turns into a different horse. He seems to thrive on the travelling," O'Connell added.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Because of that we like to see the horse running in England and France and when you go to places like Cheltenham the management team there look after you so well.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Willie obviously has Douvan coming back and then there are horses like Yorkhill and Great Field, so he has a lot of very good horses for two- and two-and-a-half-mile chases.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"As well as being a great trainer, placing these horses is an art in itself and we'll always leave it up to him."[/FONT]
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If they are serious about the Shloer then there is good reason behind it. They are either going after Altior in the Tingle Creek or they are going to have a crack at the King George
 
They'll do both.

They'll make the Kempton entry, then confirm the King George as the target, after Altior has beaten him in the Tingler.
 
I would love to see UDS on soft ground take on Altior in the Tingle Creek and at long last give him a real test.

Can't trust the Special Tiara form he's brilliant one day and moderate the next.

Of course if he sent Douvan over.........game set and match without a shadow of a doubt.
 
I'm not convinced, to be honest.

UDS's stamina is a bit suspect anyway, I reckon (well beaten on only try over 3m1f at Auteuil), and any chance he does have of getting home, will be heavily-compromised due to the clip Might Bite' will set and sustain. It is practically a given that MB will look to bowl along out-front, meaning the race that should be genuinely truly-run, which will place a huge emphasis on stamina this year - more so than it usually does, imo.

Might Bite is able to go the kind of pace over 3-miles, that few other stayers are able to match, let alone a horse with question-marks about the trip. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see less than a handful complete the race this year, to be perfectly honest. If MB, Sizing John and Thistlecrack all make it, it is going to be a seriously high-class renewal, and whilst UDS is undoubtedly a high-class animal, his limitations (in terms of performing at his peak vs trip) would be exposed in such a race.
 
Tanlic said:
I would love to see UDS on soft ground take on Altior in the Tingle Creek and at long last give him a real test.

Can't trust the Special Tiara form he's brilliant one day and moderate the next.

Of course if he sent Douvan over.........game set and match without a shadow of a doubt.
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not happening. Douvan will be handed a series of egg and spoon races in ireland before cheltenham. they won't want to be chucking him at the deep end before then.

which hopefully leaves his price an appetising one for when it matters.
 
UDS was more of a head banger back in the day though. He didnt look to be stopping at Cheltenham and I would think that ground conditions will suit him that bit better at Kempton

I'd have preferred to see him last year take it on to be honest, he has had a fair bit of racing now and if MB is what he was at Kempton last year, there won't be much stopping him





Grasshopper said:
I'm not convinced, to be honest.

UDS's stamina is a bit suspect anyway, I reckon (well beaten on only try over 3m1f at Auteuil), and any chance he does have of getting home, will be heavily-compromised due to the clip Might Bite' will set and sustain. It is practically a given that MB will look to bowl along out-front, meaning the race that should be genuinely truly-run, which will place a huge emphasis on stamina this year - more so than it usually does, imo.

Might Bite is able to go the kind of pace over 3-miles, that few other stayers are able to match, let alone a horse with question-marks about the trip. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see less than a handful complete the race this year, to be perfectly honest. If MB, Sizing John and Thistlecrack all make it, it is going to be a seriously high-class renewal, and whilst UDS is undoubtedly a high-class animal, his limitations (in terms of performing at his peak vs trip) would be exposed in such a race.
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One things for sure and that's this coming season is the most exciting for years.

Might Bite, Douvan, Altior, Thistlecrack, Min, Defi Du Seuil, Buveur D'air,Great Field, Our Duke, Faugheen, Sizing John,Yorkhill, Yanworth and a hoard of others with huge potential.

Be too much to ask for them all to stay sound but here's hoping
 
Still beating the Yanworth drum?

Boat! :lol:

Generally though, I agree - a good season is in store. Hopefully we have fewer falling by the wayside, than we did last season.
 
granger said:
UDS was more of a head banger back in the day though. He didnt look to be stopping at Cheltenham and I would think that ground conditions will suit him that bit better at Kempton

I'd have preferred to see him last year take it on to be honest, he has had a fair bit of racing now and if MB is what he was at Kempton last year, there won't be much stopping him
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Even when UDS is being held-up, it's only a matter of time before he bullies his way to the front.

The scenario I run through my head is that UDS tries to take-on MB at the head of affairs. In that scenario, I cannot see UDS getting home. Way I see it, he will have to expend too much energy too quickly, just to keep himself in the race. I'm not saying he is a complete no-hoper - far from it, in fact. On any measure, UDS is a very high-class chaser, that would be fully-entitled to take his chance at Kempton, should connections choose to go down that path. But if that is their decision, then he is likely to find himself running in an a very-high-class edition of the race, where every weakness will be exposed. There are just very-few scenarios in which I can see UDS winning.
 
Does anyone know UDS’s breeding? Would he stay 3 miles? Sprinter was actually bred to stay the distance but was never risked. UDS is a fantastically underrated horse: only a Sprinter Sacre away from completing a Festival hat trick.
 
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