Module looks live outsider for Queen Mother after Game Spirit success

Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase has been a decent prep trial for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in recent years, and Module looks a live outsider for the 2m Cheltenham showpiece following his battling success over Dodging Bullets.

Three winners of the Game Spirit have gone on to taste success in the big one at the Festival in the last 10 years, with Azertyuiop (2004) and Master Minded (2008) completing the double in the same year.

Sprinter Sacre, who won in 2012, went on to win the Arkle before landing the Queen Mother a year later in scintillating style.

Although Module doesn’t look as classy as those winners at this stage of his career he is still lightly raced and with health doubts surrounding the current favourite Sprinter Sacre, and the second in the betting Sire De Grugy not having a good record at Cheltenham, he could be a bit of each¬way value at the 25/1 currently on offer with Coral.

Tom George’s seven¬year¬old does have plenty to find on official ratings having been 31lbs below Sprinter Sacre before his win at Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase, but that was only his seventh start over fences and he is clearly going the right way.

He will also not go down without a fight if his rallying neck success over Dodging Bullets in very testing conditions is anything to go by, and his handler believes that a fast run race is likely to see him in a better light.

Speaking after his win in the Game Spirit, George said: “He’s a good horse and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards.

“He’s in the Queen Mother and the Ryanair. I’ll have to talk to the owner about it but I’m starting to get interested in the two¬mile race. (sentence should end with full stop and not a comma)

“He’s got a high cruising speed, and would be suited by a fast¬run race. He will stay further though, and we think he’ll get three miles one day.”

Coral go 16/1 about him for the 2m 5f Ryanair, but in a year where the Queen Mother looks wide open bar the “big two”, connections will surely be tempted to let him take his chance in the 2m speed test.

Paul Nicholls’ Dodging Bullets, who looked all over the winner in the Game Spirit Chase until being run out of it close home, posted a really solid effort for a novice on heavy ground which was not ideal and remains on course for the Arkle for which he is a 5/1 chance with Coral.