Sprinter Sacre Heads Queen Mother Champion Chase Field

Equine superstar Sprinter Sacre will face a maximum of nine rivals in the Queen Mother Champion Chase after the six-day acceptances were taken today.

The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding has been simply flawless this season winning the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase and Victor Chandler Chase by a total of twenty-nine lengths.

The seven-year-old is set to take on toughest field he has faced in his racing career but will still start the race as the shortest Cheltenham Festival favourite since Arkle in the 1966 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Henderson said he is extremely confident that Sprinter Sacre will win his twelfth race in fourteen starts but admitted that he does not enjoy watching him race.

“I find it terrifying, but we just have to endure it,” Henderson told The Telegraph.

The leading trainer said he has told jockey Barry Geraghty to let the powerful galloper set his own pace in the Champion Chase.

“There is no question of us ever wanting to rein him back,” Henderson said.

“You just have to let him stride on.

“It would be counterproductive keeping him back.”

The past two winners of the Champion Chase, Sizing Europe and Finian’s Rainbow, remain in the field but connections are yet to confirm whether they will actually take their place.

Sizing Europe has not lost since his defeat to Finian’s Rainbow in the 2012 Queen Mother Champion Chase and is aiming to become the first horse since Moscow Flyer to win the race twice in non-consecutive years.

Finian’s Rainbow has been very disappointing this season and will need to produce a major turnaround in form to compete with Sprinter Sacre and Sizing Europe.

French import Mail De Bievre was supplemented for the Champion Chase and trainer Tom George is confident he can run a big race after impressing with a front-running effort in the Denman Chase.

“He has delighted us with his work since his reappearance at Newbury last month and the drop back in trip should be to his advantage, making use of his long stride and jumping,” George said.

Sprinter Sacre is currently on top of the Queen Mother Champion Chase betting market (1/5) from Sizing Europe (13/2), Cue Card (9/1 but is unlikely to contest the race), Finian’s Rainbow (10/1) and Mail De Bievre (12/1).

You can find the best Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Festival odds at Bet365.