Wishfull Thinking and Sanctuaire further back were no slouches either! That was victory number 8 in his 10 race unbeaten run before pulling up in the Desert Orchid Chase with an irregular heartbeat. He did, however, regain the Queen Mother in 2016.
His performance in the 2013 Melling Chase wasn’t half bad either! Lining up against some top-class opposition in Cue Card, Flemenstar, and Finnian’s Rainbow, it looked like it was going to be a tall order stepping up to 2m4f for the first time, despite being the favourite.
Sprinter Sacre took it all in his stride though, and despite not being able to lead for most of the race, showed his class when it mattered to win by some 4.5L. Tracking the leader for much of the race, he never looked in any danger.
Approaching 2 out, he applied the pressure and soon took over. 4 lengths clear at the last and a clean jump saw him win impressively, with the rest returning in dribs and drabs.
A mighty fine performance from a one-of-a-kind racehorse!
Comments From Notable People
Nicky Henderson following his retirement (2016)– “He was the horse of an absolute lifetime. His ability and charisma go together.
He is the epitome of the horse who looks the part, moves the part, and is the part. Life will have to go on without him. It has been such an emotional time over the last five or six years, but I have loved every minute.”
Barry Geraghty following his retirement (2016)– “He’s something special, and he is to be celebrated. Just unbelievable!”
J.A.McGrath of The Daily Telegraph- “He is the business. He threatens to take the mantle from Frankel as the sport’s chief equine promoter.”
Willie Mullins, trainer of Queen Mother runner-up Un De Sceaux– “Who says they never come back? To be beaten by Sprinter Sacre is no shame, and it is a fantastic performance.”
Jockey Nico de Boinville after winning the Queen Mother aboard Sprinter Sacre– “When he got upsides Un De Sceaux he took him out in a couple of strides. It was amazing!”
Summary
From being the third highest-rated horse ever on Timeform ratings, to his emphatic victory in the 2013 running of the Queen Mother, Sprinter Sacre was in a class of his own.
He was not without his injuries, but at his peak, he was a force to be reckoned with.
A horse with the natural jumping ability to get his opposition on the back-foot, and the engine to steam clear without breaking a sweat, a horse like Sprinter Sacre only comes around once in a lifetime.
If he had avoided injury, who knows just how many more times we’d have seen those red and blue stripes hurtling towards the finish line.
Sprinter Sacre owed nothing to nobody. He was sensational. One of steeplechasing greats, one of racing’s greats: a true equine legend!
Hi everyone, my name is Lynton Gomm. I'm 23 years old and I live in a small town in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
I have a keen passion for Horse Racing which started at an early age. I'd regularly spend the weekends at my grandparents whilst my parents were at work, where I'd sit and study the day’s racecards with my grandad. Over time, this led to me understanding more and more about the sport, from studying the form and the horse's previous run to the weight the horse was carrying and its stall draw. Fast forward to 2021 and here I am, writing my blog (Understartersorders.net) and articles online on a subject that I am very much involved in. Guess I can thank my grandad for that one!
Away from the sport, I graduated from Staffordshire University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree (with honours) in CGI and Visual Effects, which although not continuing exactly down that path, I am currently trying to explore and further into a career. My background in writing stems initially from enjoying writing short stories at a young age, which was furthered by my A-Level in English Language and forum updates, which were a course requirement at university. I enjoy digital design alongside my writing, hence creating my blog, and I hope in the future I can use this to pursue a career in the horse racing industry.
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