Cheltenham Festival - Majestic Sprinter Sacre turns back clock to seal dream Champion Chase triumph

Superlatives fail to do justice to Sprinter Sacre’s breathtaking win in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, which victorious trainer Nicky Henderson hailed as his superstar horse’s “greatest achievement”.

Not only was this majestic 10-year-old showing the form that he demonstrated three years ago when winning this blue riband two-mile test for the first time, but the quality of yesterday’s field at Cheltenham was one of the greatest to be assembled in the race’s history.

And this from a horse who was almost retired after being diagnosed with a fibrillating heart in December 2013 and was a shadow of his former self before returning to winning ways at Cheltenham and Kempton earlier this season.

Even then, Henderson – and big race jockey Nico De Boinville – could only dare to dream that Sprinter Sacre would have sufficient sparkle to best last year’s Arkle hero Un De Sceaux, ultimately beaten three and a half lengths, and former Queen Mother heroes Dodging Bullets and Sire De Grugy, who could not live with the blistering pace.

Affectionately known as the ‘black aeroplane’, this was one of those ‘I was there’ moments as a 57,093 crowd willed Sprinter Sacre over the line.

Tucked in behind the early pace that was set by Special Tiara, with odds-on favourite Un De Sceaux in close pursuit, the crowd favourite settled well under De Boinville, who has not looked back since winning last year’s Gold Cup on Coneygree.

As Un De Sceaux, under Ruby Walsh, cruised into the lead at the third-last, it looked as though a new king was going to be crowned. But that picture proved a false one and it quickly became apparent the Willie Mullins-trained favourite was running on vapours, despite the body language from Walsh suggesting otherwise as Sprinter Sacre surged clear – the only semblance of a mistake came at the last.

Back in sixth was Just Cameron for Sheffield-born rider Joe Colliver and Middleham trainer Micky Hammond – their decision to run the 100-1 outsider was more than vindicated.

Henderson, recording his 55th Cheltenham winner, could barely hold back the tears. He said: “It’s been a long, long journey – those were two very, very grim years.

“That was unbelievable. That was about dreams, wasn’t it? Dreams do actually happen and come alive.

“There is something about a dethroned king coming back because it is tough to do – age creeps up with all of us. There was a lot of work behind the scenes when things weren’t going so well and it is an awful lot better when you know things are going well. This is what we do it for. He is a treasure – of course he is. You can see from the reaction – he’s quite popular.”

As for De Boinville who was Sprinter Sacre’s work rider during the champion’s formative years, he was left virtually speechless because of the magnitude of the comeback and the fact he recently lost his mother Shaunagh to cancer.

“I hope she was looking down on me,” he added. “I’m speechless. For him to come back like that – all credit to the guv’nor, we had a couple of desperate years with him and nearly retired him.”