Wayne Mardle on the World Championships: Back White to produce a Diamond performance

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Jamie Lynch's Cheltenham Day Two Preview: Masterminding another Champion performance

Behind every great champion lies a well-run race, argues Jamie Lynch, as he tries to derive emotional, rather than financial, gain from this year's Champion Chase.

It happens infrequently, only five years in the last thirty to be exact, but every now and then the hare beats the tortoise on Timeform ratings, in that a two-mile chaser comes along who's so spectacular that it outranks the best in the staying division. Such speed-awareness horses are rarer still considering that those five supersonic years comprised just three chasers, as Badsworth Boy and Moscow Flyer did it in back-to-back seasons. Sprinter Sacre is about to become the fourth. 

Achieving a huge rating, as Badsworth Boy (179) and Moscow Flyer (184) did, along with Master Minded whose mighty 179 would have won him the outright rather than divisional award in almost any other era but Kauto Star's, can be as much about opportunity as ability. George Best had World Cup-winning ability but never the opportunity because of his compatriots. 

Likewise, to express their true talent, horses are sometimes at the mercy of comrades, but this specialist group - racing's adrenaline junkies - are reliant, above all, on pace, the faster the better. They feed on speed. That element has been the common denominator in each of the greatest displays in the Queen Mother Champion Chase over the last three decades. 

The gallop was strong when, in 1983, Badsworth Boy won, by a distance, the first of three consecutive renewals, while by far the better of Moscow Flyer's two Champion Chase wins, in 2005 when he finished clear with Well Chief of Azertyuiop, came courtesy of two outsiders following the Will.I.Am edict of going hard or going home.

It was the same scenario, only more pronounced, for Master Minded's show-stopper in 2008. A two-mile, undulating track incorporating 13 stiff, five-foot fences might not sound the ideal environment for an attempted land-speed record, but that's what Tamarinbleu and Schindlers Hunt did, and it proved the catalyst for one of the most memorable, as well as one of the highest-rated, performances in the history of the race, Master Minded storming away by 19 lengths.    
With that in mind, Nicky Henderson might as well go halves with Tom George on the £17,500 it cost to supplement Mail de Bievre for the Champion Chase, because his presence significantly increases the possibility of something out of this world from Sprinter Sacre. He has it in him, and the game is on, in a big way. 

Racing needs gambling and vice versa, but periodically, albeit fewer and further between than a two-miler who can outperform a Gold Cup winner, a thoroughbred emerges who uproots the whole sport from its entrenched betting foundations, so that the privilege comes in watching the horse rather than backing it, in the style of Frankel and Black Caviar. Sprinter Sacre is in the play-offs for that promotion, and a wingman like Mail de Bievre may give him a decisive leg-up. 

Is it better to be a wingman or a middleman? It sounds scurrilous to describe an Arkle and Champion Chase winner as a middleman, but that's what Sizing Europe might be reduced to by Sprinter Sacre, though he's the perfect link in the kingmaker chain. 

Visualise the composition. First the wingman, or wingmen if Sanctuaire reverts to type, provide the ideal platform by setting a searching gallop, before the all-important second stage, involving Sizing Europe. In his unbeaten time as a chaser, Sprinter Sacre has never played with a horse who can carry him deep enough into a race as Sizing Europe will. Then we'll see just how phenomenal Sprinter Sacre is. 

His current Timeform rating is 183p. He still has a little way to go to qualify for dressage, which is seemingly 191, the peak rating in Kauto Star's preliminary career as a racehorse, but, for Wednesday, the stage is set, the bit-part players are well-rehearsed, and we the audience are ready in anticipation of a seen-to-be-believed performance. Sprinter Sacre won't fluff his lines.

With odds of 1.282/7 and a sense of formality, the Champion Chase won't make us rich, but it may just leave us open mouthed in a way that Badsworth Boy did, that Moscow Flyer did, and that Master Minded did, the way that only crack two-mile chasers can. The blueprint has been mapped out for Sprinter Sacre to take his place in history, and for Mail de Bievre, Sanctuaire and Sizing Europe to be listed in the contributors.       
While the Champion Chase looks a race to savour first and bet in second if at all, the rest of the Wednesday Cheltenham card comprises races to bet in first and top up second, so let's look at a few:

The Make-Or-Breaker

This is personal rather than widespread make-or-breaker, but my biggest ante-post bet comes in the second race. Almost by the hour, the confidence levels from wager day to present day have diminished, firstly by the gradual revelation that Pont Alexandre is the second coming and then, more devastatingly, by the news that Dr Christian and his medical team have decamped to Grange Hill Farm hot on the trail of an equine scuppering bug. 

Sinatra permeated the Tuesday preview, and Mack is back in town for an explanatory singalong wittily entitled 'New One, New One'. (Let's forget about the word 'The' for now...)

Stop spreading the germs, I'm too late to lay
I want to see a big profit - New One, New One.
My savings bond dues, are going astray, 
Right through the very arse of it, Neptune, Neptune. 
I wanna wake up on the Thursday, and not to weep 
But to find I'm King of Cheltenham, cash in a heap.

And if I can make it there, I'll stroke Sam's ginger hair, 
It's up to you - New One, New One.  

Despite various shepherds and wise men with gifts gathering at a certain stable in Co. Carlow to proclaim the arrival of Pont Alexandre, and despite various vets and microbiologists in containment suits gathering at a certain stable in Naunton, I'm still a believer in The New One. I have to be. 

Amid the panic (sorry, my panic), let's not forget that The New One beat My Tent Or Yours in the Graded bumper at Aintree and that he could and probably should be undefeated over hurdles, but for Sam Twiston-Davies pressing on marginally too soon on testing ground at Cheltenham last time. 

Pont Alexandre looks a top horse, and he is one by the sounds of it, but he'll have to be to see off the classy and hardened The New One. 

Wednesday's C.H.I.L.D. Is Ex-Sheikh Mo

If The New One does shake off the twin troubles of the lurgi and the next Denman, then I promise to donate a portion of my winnings to Greatwood, a fantastic charity that provides fullilling futures for former racehorses. Equally productive, but less reliant upon benefaction, is a similar set-up by the name of Bloomfields, which gives regally-bred Flat horses a second chance as jumpers, and, under the management of John Ferguson, it's proving a huge success. 

Bloomfields is the source of Wednesday's C.H.I.L.D. (Cheltenham Handicapper Imploring Large Down-payment), as Bordoni looks the ideal type, and favorably treated, for the Fred Winter. Impeccably bred, by Bernardini and from the family of Allez France, Bordoni went the right way in his only season on the Flat and has taken well to hurdling... apart from that time he ran out when set to hack up at Ludlow. But he put that behind him when making short work of subsequent-winner Somemothersdohavem at Market Rasen, when looking for all the world as if the demands of a well-run race on a stiff track like Cheltenham will be the making of him, as supported by the fact he won at as far as two miles on the Flat. 

Career-changer Bordoni was bred for Epsom rather than Cheltenham, but better Cheltenham than Greatwood, or dressage for that matter.  

Read Jamie's Previews of days One, Three and Four.

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Follow the Money: Dick backed to put in clever performance

Follow the Money / Follow The Money / 21 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Taunton provides today's Follow The Money selections

"Conditions will suit Clever Dick today and his supporters can recoup their losses."

Today's three Follow the Money selections come from the National Hunt meeting at Taunton...

We start with the 14:30 Handicap Hurdle over three miles and Velator is showing some very interesting support from [11.0] into [5.8]. The in-form pairing of trainer Anthony Honeyball and jockey Rachel Green are two from five in the last two weeks when combining. Velator has not shown much in his four novice hurdles to date but he makes his handicap debut today and takes a huge step up in trip which makes the market support so interesting.

We move on to the 15:40 Handicap Hurdle for the day's negative and Sire De Grugy is now trading at [4.2] from [3.0]. It's only four days since he ran a great race in the Betfair Hurdle so although that form is the best on offer here; those exertions are surely going to play a part in this race. There has also been very some strong support for Phillip Hobb's Dare Me and Alan King's Devil To Pay who both ran eye-catching races last time out after a break.

Finally we go to the 16:15 Handicap Hurdle where Clever Dick has been showing continued support all morning from [4.5] into [2.8]. David Pipe's gelding was a beaten favourite on his last two starts but has been unlucky in both races running into trouble on each occasion. The heavy ground and longer distance played its part also in his defeat last time out as he travelled superbly for a long way before fading. Conditions will suit him today and his supporters can recoup their losses.

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Ryan ten doeschate: A repeat performance can see us beat the Windies

Netherlands / Ryan ten doeschate / 27 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Ryan ten doeschate's century against England was one of the highlights of the tournament so far

"Reaching my hundred was one of the sweetest moments of my career and I was on top of the world at the half-way stage. I've really struggled leading up
to this match and only found my rhythm on the day before the match. That performance has created a lot of interest in me and I've done an incredible amount of
press stuff this week."

Tuesday's Centurion Ryan ten doeschate on meeting his hero, gunning for Sachin Tendulkar's wicket and unprecedented media attention on himself.

The World Cup is up and running and some teams have put some early markers out. I think Australia have been wrongly undersetimated in the lead up to the tournament but have wasted no time in showing how good they are when the World Cup proper comes around. Pakistan are the other team who have shown a position of early strength with a narrowish but ultimately convincing win over co-hosts Sri Lanka.

Our first week has been fascinating and while we were ultimately very disappointed about losing to England, the team are as confident as I've ever seen them. It was a good all-round performance from us and people have certainly taken note of how impressive our performance was in pushing England so close. In my pre-match article I spoke about standing up to the big teams and really going at them and that's something
we felt we did well on Tuesday.

Our post-match debrief centred around the execution of our bowling plans and this is the area where we missed the chance to crownn a good performance with what would have been a remarkable victory. We know that we were below par with the ball and if the batters can give the team another chance by posting a decent score, I have no doubt we will see it home. Having said that, it is important to note that quality players like Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen are severe on anything remotely loose.

Reaching my hundred was one of the sweetest moments of my career and I was on top of the world at the half-way stage. I've really struggled leading upto this match and only found my rhythm on the day before the match. That performance has created a lot of interest in me and I've done an incredible amount of press stuff this week. The highlight for me was being invited to discuss my knock with Sir Viv Richards on a live Indian cricket show. He always comes across as a good bloke but he exceded every level of my expectations and it was truly great to see how someone like him is so humble and genuinely friendly.

The West Indies pose the next challenge for us on Monday. Dwayne Bravo's injury is a real shame and a big loss for the tournament because he's such a colourful guy as well as such a great player. I guess that will place extra emphasis on Chris Gayle and keeping him quiet will be our top priority. But we are are certainly full of confidence and I expect everyone to be up for it on Tuesday. We had a run out on the field today and the stadium is pretty special.

We only have two days between the West indies match and our next fixture, which is against South Africa in Chandigar. For obvious reasons its a game I'm looking
forward to and in particular to playing against my childhood hero Jacques Kallis. Apart from him, I am probably most excited about playing against Sachin Tendulkar. His name invariably pops up in all interviews and the hype surrounding him here is too difficult to articulate. I can't see myself getting another chance to play against him so it will be a big moment for all of us. All the bowlers will be queing up for the honour of bagging the 'big fish' of the World Cup.

But before we get ahead of ourselves and worry about Kallis and Tendulkar we need to follow up our opening performance with a good showing against the West Indies.
We'll be sticking to our processes and will keep pursuing a brave style of play. We really believe that if we can replicate the performance we put in against England, we can actually get over the line this time.

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