EVEN by his own lofty standards, former Champion Chase winner Sprinter Sacre looked magnificent in the paddock at Kempton, and he showed that his jumping is still an enormous asset when putting in a spring-heeled leap which got him past the redoubtable Sire De Grugy at the last in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. The win brought a deal of praise, with the consensus being that he had cemented his position in the market for the next Queen Mother Champion Chase.

A more measured analysis of the performance raises serious issues however, with sectional analysis showing that he wasn’t finishing his race off as strongly as it first appeared, and indeed the entire race was considerably less impressive than the novice event won by Ar Mad on the same card. The conclusion is that while Sprinter Sacre is clearly the best of the speed chasers seen out in Britain this winter, he’s much more vulnerable than when at his peak. That’s not news, of course, but the reason why he appears less than invincible may not be the obvious one.