Listen to enough people uttering enough negativity about the chances of each and every one of the 11 runners in today's BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase and it's possible to wind up thinking nothing is worthy of donning the two-mile crown: however no amount of drama – and this is a race with a history of providing it – will prevent something winning and there is an argument to be made for Special Tiara being that 'special something'.
If that’s hardly a ringing endorsement it’s hardly a shock. With the outstanding Sprinter Sacre on the easy-list, an opportunity for festival immortality is up for grabs and an ‘after-you’ atmosphere seems to be prevailing.
Certainly for a day two feature with a near 55-year history that also includes legendary winners such as Flyingbolt, Badsworth Boy and Moscow Flyer, this appears to be a sub-par renewal, more Drumgora than Dunkirk.
Sire De Grugy is easily the outstanding form candidate but even the home team appear less than enthused about him, arguing he's been beaten on both runs at Cheltenham, has been hard-trained for a pair of Grade One victories already this season, maybe prefers going right-handed and jockey Jamie Moore is relatively unused to being in a position where the cream of his profession will be out to get him.
Handsome horse
If Sire De Grugy may prefer going right-handed, all the evidence suggests Arvika Ligeonniere definitely does: Captain Conan is the sort of big, handsome horse that promises the world but has a discomfiting habit of letting the side down when it counts: Kid Cassidy has beaten the favourite around here already this season but is a desperately free-running sort that needs everything to drop perfectly while Hinterland's form is on soft ground and it doesn't look form worthy of winning a race like this anyway.
In the circumstances then it’s almost reassuring to see the name of one quality proven performer, and if Sizing Europe can put the seal on his career with another win in the race, then sentiment will be given free-rein to water Prestbury Park.
On his sixth festival appearance, Henry De Bromhead’s stalwart boasts a remarkable record, winning this in 2011, a year after he landed the Arkle, and finishing runner-up in 2012 and 2013 in circumstances that almost defied belief.
The scale of Sprinter Sacre’s achievement in beating Sizing Europe by 19 lengths last year provoked handicap ratings that put the reigning champ at the top of some modern-day steeplechase lists and nothing has ever got closer to Sprinter Sacre than the five and a half lengths Sizing Europe ran him to at Punchestown last season.
In 2012, the infamous last-fence debacle which contributed to Finian's Rainbow getting the better of Sizing Europe in farcical scenes reminds us anything can happen when horses run two-miles at speed.
Uncomfortable reality
In terms of achievement and class, nothing gets within a donkey's screech of Sizing Europe today, but the uncomfortable reality is that he's 12, and more importantly comes here on the back of a pair of runs which looked depressingly like age was catching up with him.
What he does have in his favour though is better ground, a comment that applies to his younger stable companion, Special Tiara, in spades and something that could see De Bromhead having to deal with a conflict of emotions come half past three.
Special Tiara boats one outstanding piece of form, when he sprang a 28/1 shock in an Aintree Grade One last year, and it came on a rare foray onto good ground. He had a certain Sire De Grugy back in fourth that day, not to mention Baily Green pulled up, and he was on the heels of both Sire De Grugy and Kid Cassidy when running here back in November.
“I’m hoping for better ground for Special Tiara as he’s much better on better ground and should improve a huge amount as he hated the ground at Punchestown,” De Bromhead confirmed.
“It was yielding when he won at Aintree and anything like that I’d be happy.”
De Bromhead has indeed been desperate to get the seven-year-old back on a decent surface again and after a tumultuous season when losing his Gigginstown Stud job, a victory for jockey Davy Russell would be particularly sweet for the Corkman. And whatever about overall quality, a winner is a winner, and Special Tiara is a value option.
