Sprinter Sacre all heart in Desert Orchid Chase battle of two-mile champions

Two years to the day after Sprinter Sacre, previously unbeaten over fences, was abruptly pulled up in Kempton’s Desert Orchid Chase with an irregular heartbeat, the former champion returned for the first time to the London venue to win the very same race.

And one thing can be said for sure: this time there was absolutely nothing wrong with his ticker. Sprinter Sacre, rated the best ever two-mile chaser in his prime, would not have beaten Sire De Grugy, who succeeded him as champion in 2014, without possessing the heart of a lion, as well as the spring-heeled legs of a gazelle.

It was a finish every bit as stirring as that dished up by Cue Card and Vautour in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, with these two protagonists locked together all the way up the home straight. A better final jump from Sprinter Sacre made the difference, though even then Sire De Grugy, on ground his trainer, Gary Moore, felt was too fast for him, would simply not lie down and harried the favourite all the way to the line, beaten three-quarters of a length.

Winning rider Nico de Boinville was in awe. “That was a sensational performance from a great horse,” he said. “It was a little below his level at Cheltenham last time, but it shows he’s got heart as well as class.”

Trainer Nicky Henderson was also very much taken with how the nine-year-old dug deep for victory. “Two miles around here is sharp enough for him and coming back to Kempton was a concern,” he admitted. “That was a completely different Sprinter Sacre, but sometimes you have to tough it out as well. And you’d have to say that his heart was in it!”

Sire De Grugy’s return to the top table after suffering physical problems of his own – this was the first time he and Sprinter Sacre had met when both were healthy – has been equally cheering and has added another dimension to Cheltenham’s Champion Chase, which looked at one stage to be falling into the lap of last season’s Arkle Trophy winner Un De Sceaux.

A second fall in six starts over fences in Sunday’s Grade One chase at Leopardstown – at the second last, when he was seemingly in total control, leaving Flemenstar to prevail – will be concerning for the Willie Mullins camp, but Un De Sceaux, successful in every race in which he has completed, remains a worthy Festival favourite.

Earlier, the next generation of two-mile chasers were on show in Kempton’s Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase and here again it was Henderson versus Moore, with Vaniteux and Ar Mad. And this time it was Moore who won out with Ar Mad, who put in a spectacular round of clean, bold jumping before rallying to claim the favourite on the run-in and win by a neck.

The race time was faster than that recorded by Sprinter Sacre and, although that can be misleading, there is no doubt that these are two high-class novices. Moore had intended to keep Ar Mad to right-handed tracks, but is having second thoughts, opening up the prospect of a Cheltenham Festival encounter with Mullins’ Douvan in the Arkle Trophy.

Trainer Colin Tizzard revealed yesterday that Cue Card will go straight for the Cheltenham Gold Cup without another race. One of his most dangerous rivals, Don Poli, appears to have a fairly straightforward task in today’s Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.