Forward, fast and fearless El Fabiolo poised for glory

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to ride in a race, a jump race, a Champion Chase, you likely brew imaginations of hustle, bustle, speed, running tight for room, soaring over fences, roars of crowds.

Well, yeah, that's the Champion Chase, the most extreme experience in horse racing.

A field of nine will let rip to the first, clocking something like 35mph, going just about as fast as a steed can go.

Gentleman Du Mee is most likely to set those fractions, sporting a hood to help Mark Walsh curb his excessive eagerness. When you're going that speed you'd like your horse to relax somewhat, have some respect for that fast approaching fence, Gentleman Du Mee does not have as much of that as you would like.

In fact most good two-mile chasers lack some amount of respect for the subject of their profession. And to some extent it has to be that way. Hesitate you lose, take aim at that fence and go for it.

The great jumpers, like Sprinter Sacre, had amazing scope to just stand off and fly, no matter what stride they met the fence on, some could dance with quick feet to add a short stride without slowing.

The others, well they take a chance, it's why the likes of 27-time winner Moscow Flyer came a cropper on six occasions. He was brave enough to take that risk time after time.

Much has been made of El Fabiolo's jumping, the most notable degrading shot coming from Nico De Boinville. The rider of main rival Jonbon claimed, 'to be the best chaser in the country you have to be a phenomenal jumper and I don't think El Fabiolo is a phenomenal jumper'.

Nico, who looks like he escaped from a scene in Blackadder, may just be prodding the bear, but Nico, I disagree.

The best jumpers are often not phenomenal or flamboyant, over two miles