Sprinter Sacre ?

The horse ran well and with joy, anybody could see that, to expect him to win first time out after 13 months only dipsticks would expect that to happen. I just enjoyed seeing him enjoy himself and Dodging Bullets is on the upgrade, something to look forward too come March. :)
 
teapot said:
Another glad to see him back out on a course and hope he improves further having a run, and gets that real sparkle back.

Also I wouldn't underestimate Dodging Bullets - horse in form, won on all types of ground, fab trainer and has a pick of good jockeys on top. Sprinter Sacre wasn't exactly in a comeback race in a 4.30pm at Fontwell.
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Completely agree with you Teapot - Dodging Bullets different horse this season, and PN horses flying now. Also still improving - beat Somersby by 2 lengths in Tingle Creek and 7 today. Can't wait to see Sire De Grugy comeback run, Champion Chase looking very interesting!

Sure Sprinter Sacre will have needed the run after a year off the track - today was a prep run and they clearly wanted to look after him. We'll see different horse come March
 
Totally agree with the above re him needing a run and not having been trained with today as his target. I thought Barry Geraghty gave him a perfect ride under the circumstances. I for one would certainly not be writing him off in the strength of that run. Roll on March!!
 
I disagree, there was too much at stake and the stable waited and agonised about running today. I don't think it was a prep race for Cheltenham or anything else. The Sprinter Sacre of old would have won today.
 
If it wasn't a prep race what was it ? They needed to get him out & racing to see if he retained any of his enthusiasm. On that evidence he does. He's just not match fit.
 
To add I thought he looked v well in the paddock, he walked well & his skin looked good. He went to post brightly too.
Whether he will win again in the manner of his previous races is unknown but I see no reason why he won't train on.
 
KautoStar1 said:
If it wasn't a prep race what was it ? They needed to get him out & racing to see if he retained any of his enthusiasm. On that evidence he does. He's just not match fit.
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I agree. Of course they would have liked a win but Barry G was patently instructed NOT to empty the tank if the horse was tiring. SS started to show some of his class over the fences but there wasn't quite enough in the tank and DB dug deep and ran hard. Well deserved win for DB. I suspect that race will have taken a lot out of DB whereas SS will have a quicker recovery. There are some disgruntled people who seem to think this wonderful horse should have been chased hard for a win but not me. I enjoyed the race. We saw this horse is on his way back and I can't wait for Cheltenham. Photos and television really don't do this boy justice. He is beyond magnificent in the flesh.
 
I think he will train on and be fine ,however after yesterdays performance im not sure I would risk him going to Cheltenham and getting in a big battle that may finish him off I think it would come to quick for him. Whatever gloss is put on yesterday he should have won easily at those weights even if not fully fit.You could see the disappointment in NHs face in running,I dont think it was what he hoped for its not like he does not know how to get a horse fit to win first time out! I just wonder why he has not come back sooner .

I think yesterday has opened up more questions than it answered!
 
Luci07 said:
I agree. Of course they would have liked a win but Barry G was patently instructed NOT to empty the tank if the horse was tiring. SS started to show some of his class over the fences but there wasn't quite enough in the tank and DB dug deep and ran hard. Well deserved win for DB. I suspect that race will have taken a lot out of DB whereas SS will have a quicker recovery. There are some disgruntled people who seem to think this wonderful horse should have been chased hard for a win but not me. I enjoyed the race. We saw this horse is on his way back and I can't wait for Cheltenham. Photos and television really don't do this boy justice. He is beyond magnificent in the flesh.
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Good post.
The horse has had aproblem and they did the right thing imho, all on target for the festival which is two months away!
and PNs horses look absolutely terrific this year, there will be no stopping him, again :)
 
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Bonkers2 said:
…….., all on target for the festival which is two months away!
and PNs horses look absolutely terrific this year, there will be no stopping him, again :)
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For those who bet, the early money placed on Sprinter Sacre and for Cheltenham, will produce dividends, I'm almost certain! The horse 'needed' yesterday, and there is better to come. Will he be as good as he was? I doubt it. Will he be bettered? I doubt that too.

Alec.
 
Only time will tell but for all of you that think he needed the race, I think you are wrong and he would have been fit enough yesterday. Most horses don't come back.....for me it's Big Bucks all over again and however great he looked he was a different horse to the champion that he once was.
 
bonny said:
Only time will tell but for all of you that think he needed the race, I think you are wrong and he would have been fit enough yesterday. Most horses don't come back.....for me it's Big Bucks all over again and however great he looked he was a different horse to the champion that he once was.
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I hope you are wrong but you are forgetting Denman & Well Chief who was off the track longer than he was on, but performed really well on their return and SS has age on his side as well whereas the 2 Ive highlighted were getting on.
 
We'll have to agree to disagree bonny 😉

BG was pleased with performance and has said he was just a bit ring rusty and got a little tired which is clearly why he wasn't pushed hard. This may have been a Grade 1 and I'm sure they had him pretty straight but to imagine this wasn't a prep run for his main aim for the season is a little naive. He was never going to go straight to Cheltenham so had to run somewhere and such a highly rated horse would not have too many options. The only other option would be the Game Spirit which is another 2 wks away, 2 wks closer to the festival, take into account unpredictable weather at this time of yr etc, etc

I would imagine connections will be satisfied and now have time to get him spot on
 
bonny said:
Only time will tell but for all of you that think he needed the race, I think you are wrong and he would have been fit enough yesterday. Most horses don't come back.....for me it's Big Bucks all over again and however great he looked he was a different horse to the champion that he once was.
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Nicky Henderson quoted as saying he was 90% fit on the Racing Post website. Think the trainer knows his horse best and I look forward to seeing how he comes out at Cheltenham.
 
Alec Swan said:
For those who bet, the early money placed on Sprinter Sacre and for Cheltenham, will produce dividends, I'm almost certain! The horse 'needed' yesterday, and there is better to come. Will he be as good as he was? I doubt it. Will he be bettered? I doubt that too.
I never bet ante post these days, the bookies know far more than the punter, so it's a waste of money.
I don't know what 90% fit means or how it is measured, its just a soundbite imho.
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popsdosh said:
I think he will train on and be fine ,however after yesterdays performance im not sure I would risk him going to Cheltenham and getting in a big battle that may finish him off I think it would come to quick for him. Whatever gloss is put on yesterday he should have won easily at those weights even if not fully fit.You could see the disappointment in NHs face in running,I dont think it was what he hoped for its not like he does not know how to get a horse fit to win first time out! I just wonder why he has not come back sooner .

I think yesterday has opened up more questions than it answered!
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I agree with most of this but I do hope I'm wrong. NH racing hasn't got too many charismatic characters at the moment and SS was/is one of my favourites. It will be a great shame if he fails at Cheltenham but I get the feeling that NH was trying to put on a brave face and say the things we wanted to hear. I will be shouting him home at Cheltenham and I haven't written him off yet, I am just not as confident as some of the other posters on this thread.
 
Interesting views from everyone! As this section is relatively slow moving, history should be able to reveal who's right, or not, and so we can watch S_S's progress, with interest!

Alec.
 
I don't think he will ever be the horse he was. I think, with the time off and age (although he is not old in horse terms, race horses do 'age' quicker due to their life style) some of that speed and edge may be blunted. So I don't think we will see a demolition job as his previous races have been. Also bear in mind that the horses he is likely to face this season are a whole lot better than those of previous seasons, so he may have to work just that bit harder by default.
 
Couldn't resist finding and reading this thread again, it's interesting in view of what happened today and sad that those of us who thought he wouldn't come back have been proved right. I though Ruby Walsh was amazing with his insight just before the race, talk about getting it right !
 
bonny said:
Couldn't resist finding and reading this thread again, it's interesting in view of what happened today and sad that those of us who thought he wouldn't come back have been proved right. I though Ruby Walsh was amazing with his insight just before the race, talk about getting it right !
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I hope the others did not lose to much on him he just did not look right last time and sadly my feelings were not wrong . I have seen it a few times a horse that is off the track a while will not give it all again it is sad but he does not owe anybody anything its just a shame we shall possibly never see his exuberance again because the first time I saw him I was in awe. I in many years had not seen his equal ,only in my mind wayward lad came anywhere near him.
 
I don't mind being proved wrong re Sprinter Sacre (shows I'm not infallible) and I'm glad he came home but doubt he'll be racing much again.

Though my comment about not writing off Dodging Bullets was correct :biggrin3:
 
bonny said:
…….. I though Ruby Walsh was amazing with his insight just before the race, talk about getting it right !
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It's only a shame that the horse's Owners and Trainer didn't give the horse and the race a little more thought. The poor creature was pulled up, all credit to his jockey, but the truth is that the animal should have been previously retired. If Walsh could see that the horse had no chance, would it be credible to believe that the Trainer wasn't also aware of just how futile their efforts would be?

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
It's only a shame that the horse's Owners and Trainer didn't give the horse and the race a little more thought. The poor creature was pulled up, all credit to his jockey, but the truth is that the animal should have been previously retired. If Walsh could see that the horse had no chance, would it be credible to believe that the Trainer wasn't also aware of just how futile their efforts would be?

Alec.
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With all due respect Alec I think thats a little harsh ,they gave it a go maybe he is good at home!
I have seen it several times were a horse has had an experience on a racecourse ,like for example when his heart issue first came to light. This then goes on to mean they can work really well at home yet because of whatever happened will not go well on the course a memory maybe ,if only we knew what was going on in their heads.
I was very sceptical of his previous run as he did not look the same horse he fiddled fences which suggested he was holding something back as SS in earlier times never hesitated and I still say NHs face in running told the story .

You are now saying he should have been retired however in previous post in this thread you do not mention that, in fact you seem of the opposite opinion.Please dont get me wrong I am not getting at you I just think its a little unfair to suggest they had done wrong by him ,having up until now said he would train on and needed that run. The brave thing in hindsight was to retire him after his last run and I sincerely hope they will now he is a shadow of his former self and it would be better to remember his previous achievements.
 
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I agree with popsdosh. The horse's comeback run wasn't great but it wasn't so bad as to suggest he should be retired on the spot. I personally think they were entirely justified in running him yesterday (presuming he was fully fit and going well at home - and I can't imagine they'd have run him if he wasn't). But I do think that on yesterday's evidence the time probably has come to retire him.
 
I have to disagree Alec. His comeback wasn't great, although he's been apparently been amazing at home. I am friends with one of the Seven Barrows team and I know they all absolutely adore the horse, I'm sure they wouldn't race him just for the sake of it.

Nicky said in Racing Post " "I don't think we can make any brave predictions today about what's going to be the future. He has been a great horse and if it is wrong to go on, I am sure we won't do. But if there a switch we can find that gets rid of whatever has afflicted him today then who knows? But he won't be abused.

"It is disappointing, of course it is for everybody. Everybody has worked their socks off to get him back. Nobody was pretending he was the horse he was two years ago, otherwise he would have been threes-on. But we have taken a massive step backwards today."

I have massive respect for Nicky Henderson, he's gracious in defeat and in victory - and not all trainers are like that.
 
I was lucky enough to attend a pre Cheltenham evening with various trainers, pundits and 2 irish jockey's.

Both the jockey's who I won't name, said the horse would be pulled up.
 
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I really think if he was showing them at home all the right signs then they had to give him a chance. BGs instructions would Im sure to pu if he didnt feel the horse was right, I watched the race again last night and SS was up there for quite a while so I dont blame the owners or NH for giving it a go.

I didnt make a prediction on this thread but merely pointed out horses that had come back successfully after health issues and a long break, those being Well Chief, I dont do statistics.
 
Do you remember everyone writing off Kauto Star and then he came back and won the Boxing Day cup for the fourth time? Horses are not machines. Sprinter Sacre was a sensation in his prime. He could have done it again. But it was not to be.
 
madmav said:
Do you remember everyone writing off Kauto Star and then he came back and won the Boxing Day cup for the fourth time? Horses are not machines. Sprinter Sacre was a sensation in his prime. He could have done it again. But it was not to be.
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I think the point that's being made is that some knew he wasn't going to come back, you can't compare him to Kauto, he did it all and was written off by some because of his age, Paul Nicholls always knew differently. Presumably Sprinter didn't run for so long was because the stable couldn't get him right and they knew that. Wishing something to be doesn't make it happen !
 
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