Will Greaneteen be at his best? Analysis and key quotes for the Game Spirit

The key to this year's Game Spirit is identifying whether it will be one of Greaneteen's better or lesser days. Three times he has recorded a Racing Post Rating of 170 or higher, which even given his Grade 1 penalty ought to be enough to win this. It was enough to win two Grade 1s and a Grade 2 handicap off 168.

But when Greaneteen is off his game, the results are pretty remarkable. It is nearly two years since he met with defeat and finished within nine lengths of the winner. If he is off here, then the door is ajar for his rivals.

Greaneteen's best form has come at Sandown and Exeter, two stiff, right-handed tracks. Newbury is left-handed and flat. His sole run here was a defeat in this race two years ago. But it was the best run of his career at the time and he had in his favour what seems to be one of the factors most important to him: freshness.

Since going over fences, Greaneteen has had six runs after a break of nine weeks or longer. On five of them he equalled or bettered his career-best RPR. After 70 days off since his Tingle Creek second, he should be fresh enough to do himself justice and that ought to bring him home in front here.

Weighing up the competition is difficult, beyond saying that none of them are Grade 1 class besides Funambule Sivola. Even he has something to prove, having been a degree below his best this season after a fruitful spring in 2022 that brought him success in this race and second place in a depleted Champion Chase.

Even with his penalty, he would be ahead of the rest on his best form. Malystic comes here in great form, having won the Castleford and a £50,000 handicap at Doncaster on his last two starts. He seems a safer bet to run out best of the remainder than Elixir De Nutz, who only ever looks up to this class when being allowed to whizz around flat tracks in front. He did that at Wincanton last time, showing unexpected stamina for 2m4f in the process.

There is admittedly a chance, however small, that Elixir De Nutz gets loose here. But even if he does, the prospect of Greaneteen in full flight could leave the others playing for minor money. This might be a race to look at the exotics for a bet.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

Good ground perfect for Greaneteen

Four wins from four runs on good ground: that is Greaneteen's record on the surface, with those successes coming in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase and the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup.

Such a foundation should give trainer Paul Nicholls, jockey Harry Cobden and owner Chris Giles plenty of confidence about Greaneteen's prospects of adding this race to that streak given the underfoot conditions at Newbury, while he is also rated upwards of a stone better on official ratings than his four rivals.

"Greaneteen loves good ground and this was always going to be his prep race for the Champion Chase," Nicholls said. "I've left plenty to work on with him from now until March, whereas he was ready for his life to win in the Haldon Gold Cup and it was a fantastic performance off his mark. He ran a bit flat in the Tingle Creek but goes well fresh."

The landscape for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase has altered somewhat in the last couple of weeks following defeats for Energumene and Blue Lord, with their conquerors Editeur Du Gite and Gentleman De Mee coming into the reckoning.

What they say

Venetia Williams, trainer of Funambule Sivola
He has got the penalty for winning the race last year. He would appreciate a drop of rain, which we're not going to get, but I hope he can still run well.

Brendan Powell, rider of Elixir De Nutz
It was a good performance to win at Wincanton last time and he's going into the race in really good form. The trip, track and ground will really suit him, so while it's a competitive race he has every chance to run well.

Peter Niven, trainer of Malystic
He seems to have come out of the race at Doncaster very well, so we're looking forward to giving it a go. It's chasing rainbows but I think he'll give a good account of himself. Greaneteen is a proper horse on good ground, so it'll be hard to beat him, but you never know. I always thought Malystic would make up into a Graded horse and he's healthy again, which he wasn't last season.
Reporting by Peter Scargill

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