SANDOWN PARK 15:35

All 6 ran. Fences: 13.

Time: 3m 47.8s Closing Sectional: (2.75f): 41.6s (96.9%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 111%, Betfair SP 99%

A genuinely Grade 1 field for the last race at that level of the British season, featuring the winners of the last 4 runnings of the Champion Chase, as well as the runner-up in this season's edition, the result from last time confirmed in even more emphatic terms, though forcing a strong pace and a bad mistake 3 out did for Un de Sceaux, he and Sire de Grugy better than the result, the third and fifth flattered.

SPRINTER SACRE (FR) completed a perfect season with his best performance of it, helped by a strong pace and the 2 leaders taking one another on, but still running to a very high level, if not quite so high as in his prime; handy, travelled well, pushed along after 4 out, mistake next, quickened to lead soon after, stayed on strongly straight, impressive; he has splendidly defied the adage that they never come back, his season reflecting tremendous credit on his trainer and his team, his last 2 performances above average in this division, the challenge of Douvan and possibly even Vautour awaiting in the one ahead, unfair to expect him to be quite so good again, rising 11, though it might be interesting, as a wild idea, to see what he could do in a good-ground King George.

UN DE SCEAUX (FR) was below form, beaten a lot further by the winner than he had been at Cheltenham, though he shaped much better than the bare result, making a chance-ending mistake 3 out, that seeming crucial at the time, but so strong was the winner's finish that he would still have been only second with a good jump; led until sixth, remained pressing leader, still going well when bad mistake 3 out and dropped to third, rallied last, no chance with winner; his limitations have been exposed to some extent on his last 2 starts and will have Douvan to contend with as well next season, so he might again come up short at the very highest level.

DODGING BULLETS turned in best effort of the season, though he was flattered to do so, ridden to pick up the pieces, third a place better than connections could have hoped for on form; held up, took fourth seventh, stayed on straight, nearest at the finish, flattered by proximity.

SIRE DE GRUGY (FR) was clearly in much better heart than at Cheltenham and, although ultimately well held, shaped much better than the bare result, the effort of pressing the strong pace to be even stronger telling after 3 out; close up, led sixth, pushed along after 4 out, weakened after next.

SOLAR IMPULSE (FR) faced a stiff task in this grade and, while he appeared to run up to his best, he was clearly flattered by the run of the race; soon outpaced in rear, late headway, flattered by proximity.

ULCK DU LIN (FR) was out of his depth; chased leaders, lost place after fourth, well beaten.