Tingle Creek: Sprinter Sacre given provisional Timeform rating of 183p after scintillating win

The Halifax-based ratings experts had already ranked Nicky Henderson's six-year-old as their highest-rated jumper in Britain or Ireland going into Saturday's race and have raised him 3 lb due to his brutal dismissal of main rival Sanctuaire, who faded into a tired third after paying the price for going off very hard in front - the Tingle Creek time was significantly quicker than that for the Henry VIII Chase earlier on the card, particularly during the first half of the race.

Timeform's Jumps Handicapper Phil Turner commented: "Admittedly, the presence of Kumbeshwar in second rather limits the view which can be taken of the bare form in the Tingle Creek, but it shouldn't be overlooked that Sprinter Sacre won with stacks in hand and that has been reflected in his rating.
 
"It's not as if this performance came out of the blue, either! Last season's Arkle win at Cheltenham, for example, represents a far more solid result, and Sprinter Sacre's revised rating of 183p makes plenty of sense when one considers how well the form of that race has been working out since." 
 
Sprinter Sacre has already notched up a couple of notable Timeform achievements. His sparkling 2011/12 campaign earned him the highest rating ever awarded to a novice chaser in the firm's Chasers & Hurdlers series, which began back in 1975/6, whilst he is also the highest-rated horse during the same period to still have a "p" attached to his rating.

"That's the really frightening thing about Sprinter Sacre - he still has so much potential to go on to even better things", added Turner.

Get open access to Timeform data for just £2.50 a day with Timeform Race Passes. It's like a Form Book, Black Book & Race Card all in one! Find Out More!