Hamlet without the Prince!

The big race at Cheltenham today is the Queen Mother Champion Chase over 2 miles at 16.20 CET, but this is very much a case of Hamlet without the Prince, as Sprinter Sacre, last year´s impressive winner and easily the best 2-miler in training, will not be running. He has not run since being pulled up with an irregular heartbeat in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton at Christmas.

That race was won by Sire de Grugy (Gary and Jamie Moore), who had earlier beaten Somersby (Mick Channon/ Dominic Elsworth) and Captain Conan (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty), all of whom run today in the Tingle Creek. Henderson, also of course Sprinter Sacre ´s trainer, now saddles King Cassidy (Tony McCoy) as well, but we definitely prefer Capt. Conan. Sire de Grugy has since won very easily at Ascot and is clearly the form choice here, but there is a doubt about his handling the track - he has run below form here before and also probably prefers softer ground. There is of course a strong Irish challenge as well, with Arvika Ligeonnaire (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh), Baily Green (Mouse Morris/ David Casey) and Harry de Bromhead´s two runners Sizing Europe (Andrew Lynch) and Special Tiara (Davy Russell) all fancied. The first-named is another one who will probably not act on the track- we was pulled up here at the last Festival- and he is much better going right-handed. Sizing Europe is now 12, but he has an excellent course record, winning the Akle in 2010 (from Somersby), this race in 2011 and runner-up in both 2012 and 2013. Despite his age we make him our selection, as CD form is worth a lot at these big meetings; he was 19 lengths behind Sprinter Sacre last year, with Wishfull Thinking (Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson), but in this (with all due respect) sub-standard field, that form could be good enough.