Sprinter Sacre 5-4 for Game Spirit Chase

EXCITING novice chaser Sprinter Sacre could be joined by stablemate andlast year's winner French Opera as part of a two-pronged assault from trainer Nicky Henderson on Saturday's Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase.

The six-year-old is as short as 2-1 for the Racing Post Arkle having won both his starts over fences and bookmakers feel he will be able to cope with more seasoned campaigners in Saturday's race, which will be run as the Betfair Super Saturday Chase.

William Hill have installed Sprinter Sacre as their 5-4 favourite with another novice, Cue Card, next in the betting for the 2m1f race which has attracted eightentries.

Sprinter Sacre is very much on target for Newbury but ground conditions at Newbury will decide whether French Opera will defend his title.

Henderson said on Tuesday: "French Opera is desperate for a run but doesn't really like soft ground so I'll be having a look at the track tomorrow. If the ground is okay he'll join Sprinter Sacre, but I've also put him in one of those jumpers' bumpers at Kempton on Friday."  

Prospects of Newbury's eight-race card going ahead increased throughout the day on Tuesday.     

At 10am the Betfair market made it 8-11 racing would be cancelled and 11-10 it would go ahead. By 5pm thoseprices had pretty much switched around and the meeting was 8-11 to go ahead and evens to be called off.

Frost sheets have been down at Newbury since January 31 and clerk of the course Richard Osgood said on Tuesday afternoon: "'My gut feeling is that we will be okay and if we possibly can get the meeting on, we will get it on.

"We are okay at the moment but we are going to have another frost tonight and it could be our worst, possibly down to -4 or -5. OnWednesday night they are predicting -2, but then on Thursday night zero and on Friday night +1. The forecast daytime temperatures are +2 on Thursday and Friday, and +3 or more on Saturday.

"There's a complication in that we could get some snow on Friday morning, but it may just be sleety stuff and it's due to be followed by rain. So long as the rain comes the snow wouldn't matter."