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Sprinter Sacre punishes error by Peddlers Cross

Sprinter Sacre won comfortably at Kempton © PA Photos

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The Wayward Lad Novices' Chase was brilliantly won by Sprinter Sacre after a mistake by Peddlers Cross at Kempton on Tuesday.

It was Peddlers Cross who made the early running but the race completely changed upon a problematic approach to the first fence. And in a contest that was realistically always going to come down to two horses, that was all the advantage that Sprinter Sacre needed to exert his authority.

Ridden by Barry Geraghty, the 11/10 winner was sublime over the fences and eventually finished 16 lengths ahead of Peddlers Cross for trainer Nicky Henderson.

Geraghty said: "I adore this horse. That was top class. He was all wrong at the last but was very clever at it. He jumped from fence to fence and is a horse that gets your blood up. We always knew he was going to make a smashing chaser.

"For a big horse, he is very clever. He shows plenty of respect for his fences and is not running like a headless chicken. He's got the right combination of pace and respect for his fences. He's one of the best I've ever sat on - he is frighteningly good."

Geraghty's day got even better when he later helped Finian's Rainbow claim the Desert Orchid Chase. However, victory did not come without alarm as the 4/11 favourite did his best to mess things up before pulling through.

Having made all the running, a nightmare jump with four fences remaining saw Geraghty's charge drop back to third. It appeared Wishfull Thinking or Oiseau De Nuit would take advantage, but Finian's Rainbow made amends at the last with an outstanding jump that effectively won the race - the eventual margin just three-quarters of a length.

At Leopardstown, Big Zeb won the Dial-A-Bet Chase for a third time. Repeating previous triumphs in 2008 and 2010, Colm Murphy's 11-year-old looked in supreme form to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

For much of the race Big Zeb stayed behind Noble Prince and Forpadydeplasterer, but as they jumped the last Robbie Power sent the 8/11 favourite up the inside of Noble Prince.

"It was always going to develop into a bit of a sprint from the second-last and, luckily enough, he met the last two spot-on," Murphy said. "I'm delighted with the manner that he did it in, even at this stage of his career.

"He still has enough pace and he seems to have plenty of his old sparkle. I would imagine he would go for the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown and we'll see how we go from there. He deserves another crack at the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He looks better this season. His coat is better and he seems a better horse."

Further back in the field there was a sad sight as Willie Mullins' Golden Silver suffered a serious injury. A heavy fall at the fifth marred what was an otherwise gripping race.

Elsewhere, the Future Champions Novice Hurdle was taken by Cash and Go (11/2) ahead of Dylan Ross (8/1) and Sous Les Cieux (4/9f). And the Paddy Power Chase went the way of Cross Appeal (7/1), who saw off competition from Treacle (20/1) and Groody Hill (5/1).

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