Sire De Grugy earns chance to go for Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase

The white-faced chestnut travelled with effortless ease during the Group One Sodexo Clarence House Chase at Ascot before pulling clear of his rivals.

His task was made easy when Guiseley-born Dominic Elsworth parted company with Somersby, but Sire De Grugy’s athletic leaps were reminiscent of Sue Smith’s Mister McGoldrick in his prime.

A second Grade One success this season for the horse who is trained by Gary Moore, one of the sport’s unsung heroes, and ridden by his son Jamie, it sets up a potentially fascinating clash with Sprinter Sacre at Cheltenham in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on March 12.

There are still two significant imponderables – Nicky Henderson’s Sprinter Sacre, the reigning champion, needs to prove his fitness after treatment for a fibrillating heart and the Moore family need to be convinced that their stable star can handle Cheltenham’s unique undulations where he has suffered two defeats in the past.

Moore senior acknowledged his concerns about Cheltenham but confirmed that Sire De Grugy will line up in the Champion Chase rather than chase Grade One prizes in France after becoming the first NH horse this season to win more than £200,000 in total prize money.

“He’s got to go for it. I think he’s an improving horse and I’ve got nearly two months to freshen him up,” said the trainer, “I’ll give him a nice break for a couple of weeks then we’ll bring him back purposely for the Champion Chase. He deserves to be in it. When he first came to us he was a very free horse.

“Jamie’s done a great job and settled him now.”

Now eight years old, Sire De Grugy only ended up at the Moore family’s stables near Brighton after his jockey schooled a string of potential horses in France.

Not only was the gelding the cheapest, but he was the most fluent jumper and Jamie Moore, brother of top Flat rider Ryan, was insistent to his father that they acquired Sire De Grugy before he was snapped up by a more high-profile yard.

The horse’s success – he has now won 12 of his 23 career starts – has helped the jockey take his career to new heights after he initially failed to live up to the early promise that he showed a decade ago at Martin Pipe’s yard when he was champion conditional.

Asked if Sire De Grugy was the best he had ever ridden, Moore junior said: “I rode Well Chief, he was very, very good. Sire De Grugy does look like him, as a chestnut with a big white face. I’m not sure he’s as good as Well Chief yet, but he’s getting there. This is all about the horse – some of the jumps he put in were spectacular.

“I’m not saying he’ll beat Sprinter Sacre, but he could do.”

There were Cheltenham Festival clues in abundance at Haydock when AP McCoy and Taquin Du Seuil gradually pulled clear of Sue Smith’s game Coverholder in the Grade Two novice chase.

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “We’ll put him in all three races at Cheltenham – the Arkle, JLT and RSA.”

The Aidan Coleman-ridden Zamdy Man, trained by Venetia Williams, was impressive in claiming the notable scalp of David Pipe’s £450,000 purchase Un Temps Pour Tout in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle. “He’ll definitely handle better ground and you’d have to say he’s a Cheltenham horse now,” said Coleman.

Melodic Rendezvous once again sparked Cheltenham dreams for his owners with a smart victory over Ptit Zig in the stanjames.com Champion Hurdle Trial – Jeremy Scott’s stable star was found to have torn a muscle after being well beaten in the Fighting Fifth behind My Tent Or Yours at Newcastle.

The feature Peter Marsh Chase went to Wales and the Evan Williams-trained Wychwoods Brook, who was completing a memorable double on the day for young conditional Conor Ring.

He just outbattled Vintage Star for the Grand National-winning team of Sue Smith and Ryan Mania, though the latter was not downheartened and said the second-season chaser was “still learning”.

It was the same in the finale over fixed brush hurdles when the Smith-trained and Mania-ridden Straidnahanna was caught on the line by Tom George’s expensive purchase Wuff.

He is another horse, like so many of the weekend winners, who will only improve with experience.