Weighty task for Sire De Grugy at Chepstow
Sire De Grugy attempts to get his season firmly back on track in the Rifles Handicap Chase Supporting Care for Casualties at Chepstow today.
Jamie Moore, son of trainer Gary Moore, knows last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase hero better than anyone, having ridden him in all of his 26 career starts that includes 14 victories, and acknowledges the task at hand.
Their latest association was one to forget, however, as Sire De Grugy unseated his pilot at the third-last fence on his belated first run of the season at Newbury earlier this month.
The team have done plenty of work into getting Sire De Grugy back in the groove ahead of the defence of his crown in the two-mile feature on March 11, sponsored by Betway.
The nine-year-old faces the acid test as he gives upwards of 20lb to three rivals on his return to handicap company for the first time since he won over the course and distance in October
“It’s going to be tough for us, but we feel we need to give him the outing to see if his jumping is OK again, which we think it is,” he said.
“It’s all gone fine at home since Newbury and I think he’s the same as he’s always been – no better, no worse.
“He has always improved as he goes through a season, he gets better. When he beat Finian’s Rainbow for his first Celebration Chase at Sandown (in April 2013), he had won at Stratford six days previous to that with 11st 12lb on his back. He can take quick races.
“At Newbury it just all went wrong. I hadn’t asked any questions, but I don’t think I’d have won to be honest.
“He was still travelling OK but his jumping was poor from fence to fence and I’m looking forward to getting him back out there again.”
Moore knows one of Sire De Grugy’s three opponents, Grey Gold, very well having ridden him 10 times and he has the utmost respect for Richard Lee’s 10-year-old.
“He’s a good horse and he loves bottomless ground and I won on him earlier in the season over the course and distance. I’ve got a lot of respect for Grey Gold,” he said.
