Angus McNae's Racing UK Blog
	Saturday 11th January 2014

Pipe can Liquidate the Tolworth field

I have been very interested in what has happened to Sprinter Sacre. For so reason physical problems that affect horses really do interest me. Perhaps it is because I believe that too many in this Industry are ready to label horses as dogs or ungenuine, when in fact the truth is they have a physical infirmity.

I am no vet and have no experience of atrial fibrillation in horses, but I have been reading some papers on it and there seems to be one common truth and that is that nobody will know if Sprinter Sacre will suffer the same problem again until he is put under strong physical exertion.

This may mean that the first time we find out whether he really is okay will be in the heat of battle at Cheltenham. For me this means that he is nothing like a 1-2 shot to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase for a second time. I simply could not back him because to do so is to suggest that I know that he will not suffer the same problem that he suffered at Kempton.

The bad weather has abated enough this week for racing to get back on track on Saturday and we have three excellent meetings for you on . Kempton, Warwick and Wetherby will keep us busy and I will be in the studio for Mark Your Card from 10.30am, with Dave Yates as my guest.

 The Tolworth Hurdle was due to be run at the abandoned meeting at Sandown last week and it is excellent news that it has been transferred to Kempton.

My fancy in the race is hardly original, but I really do think The Liquidator is the real deal. He beat Sea Lord hollow last time out at Cheltenham where he made all the running. Those tactics look set to be employed again and at a sharper track he could be very hard to peg back. Josses Hill and Garde La Victoire are both progressive and useful novices, but trying to run down The Liquidator who could well get an easy lead may just be beyond even their powers.

I feel like I am living on an island. Not because I am isolated as regards some of my views about this great game of ours, but because literally there is only one road in and out of my village that is not flooded.

I live close to the Thames and the river has invaded areas that have been dry since 1947. Fortunately McNae Towers is on something of a dry island so we should be okay, but the sandbags are in the shed just in case! There is a good deal of panic in these parts and some of our friends have been buying enough provisions to get themselves through to next Christmas. I would rather rely on my local Indian takeaway, I know he has got a kayak, so what is there to worry about.

Next Thursday I will be looking back at all of the action that took place in Dubai earlier this week. There were some interesting performances that warrant examination and that will be with you here on the blog next Thursday, or on Wednesday in the news section for subscribers.

1.35 Kempton: The Liquidator at 5-2 with William Hill