The major news issued at 6pm on Sunday evening was that SPRINTER SACRE is not going to run again this season. Apparently, the horse isn't showing the same "sparkle" as he did last season. Henderson is quoted as saying "(Sprinter Sacre is) ...not showing the same brilliance as last season; he is just 10% short of that. Thankfully his heart is fine and there is no problem there."
Nobody who loves horseracing wants to see the horses pushed beyond the limits of what they are capable of, but this is a sport after all, and you can't win races if you don't run your horses. There seems to be an awful lot not being said at Seven Barrows (the home of the Nicky Henderson stable) and - to me - it just doesn't seem realistic not to race a horse who, when fit, is just so much better than any other horse in racing. One fact that has been reported by the yard is that the heart irrgularities have not reappeared.
Unfortunately for me, that Sprinter Sacre has been officially "scratched" from the Cheltenham Festival races this morning, thereby preventing a recurrence of the Binocular affair (Binocular was "retired" for the season 2-weeks before the 2010 Champion Hurdle, and then ran in the race and won it!) has had a big effect on my personal antepost wagers.
On Friday, I issued my Cheltenham Festival Bulletin for 2014 out to donators since the 30th September 2013 (minimum donation £10). If you want a copy, merely hit the donate button at the top of this blog-page and donate a minimum of £10 (some people donate more, about 20% of donations are £20+) and I'll send out a copy of my bulletin via email.
The plan is to look at the novice chanpionship races this week (Arkle, RSA, Jewson, Supreme Novices Hurdle, Neptune Hurdle, Albert Bartlett Hurdle) and issue a supplemement to the bulletin this coming Friday. Then, over the following week, I'll be looking more in-depth at the handicaps and trying to find the value. All information gleaned will be issued to donators first before being added to the blog.
There were just a couple of selections for the blog on Saturday, but we drew another blank day despite MIDNIGHT APPEAL running a great race and looking like the winner 2-out at Kempton only to fade in the last 300 yards to be 4th. Even so, the full narrative of the blog gave some great pointers for the day's racing on Saturday from the opening race at Kempton which I wrote would be dominated by Ballinvarrig and Present View - and they duly finished 1st & 2nd, with the Exacta paying £10.50. I also wrote that Balder Succes should win, and win he did. As his morning odds were under 2/1 he wasn't recommended as a wager (I only recommend wagers when the odds are 9/4 or larger), but his SP was 9/4 and he even touched 9/2 (5.50+) in-running.
There are a couple of meetings today at Plumpton and Musselburgh, but I cannot see a wager to recommend.
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