Sprinter Sacre
Possibly the greatest two‐mile chaser of them all, Sprinter Sacre was a true fairy‐tale hero. In winning his first ten races over fences, no one could get near him.
He cruised clear of top‐class Cue Card to win the 2012 Arkle Trophy and returned to the Cheltenham Festival the following year to hand previous winner Sizing Europe an even more severe beating in the Champion Chase.
A big horse but incredibly athletic – a bit like a powerfully‐built, agile rugby winger – he was unbeatable until heart problems struck.
His recovery was, perhaps, trainer Nicky Henderson’s greatest feat. He nursed him back to a second Champion Chase victory, three years after his first.
When he was asked to go long and stand off his fences, using his huge stride, it was poetry in motion the likes of Wordsworth would struggle to do justice.