SPRINTER SACRE’S stellar reputation went before him. The week before National Hunt champion trainer Nicky Henderson took his superstar to Punchestown for the Grade One, twomile Champion Chase, the course’s racing manager, Richie Galway, found a man wandering the car park.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
He certainly could; the man was making a 280-mile round trip from Cork and because he wasn’t familiar with the layout of Ireland’s most prestigious course, needed to get his bearings in plenty of time. He “had to see Sprinter Sacre”.
He wasn’t the only one. Come the big day, 23 April 2013, the president of Ireland joined the record-breaking 18,607 crowd to see this spectacular horse, and everywhere Nicky went, people shook his hand to thank him for bringing the “Black Aeroplane” to Ireland. Sprinter was cheered into the parade ring, applauded as he strutted round it, and the crowds clamouring for a glimpse actually bowed the white railings as he made his way down the horse walk onto the course.
His jockey Barry Geraghty remembers: “I’d never witnessed anything like it, it was ‘Sprinter Sacre Day’, people longed to see this fella and had travelled the length and breadth of Ireland.”
For the race itself, the key for Barry was always to “keep him relaxed and controlled, and unleash that burst of speed when you need it”. Sounds simple, but jockeys usually need plans B and C and sure enough: “Down the back straight, he was on springs, and at the fourth-last he hit a patch of heavy ground and it sucked the life out of him.”
Denne historien er fra March 30, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra March 30, 2023-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Gemirande provides 24-carat magic
Venetia Williams sparkles again in the December Gold Cup and jockey brothers dead-heat
‘Happy hunting, everyone'
“The season for talks, dinners and parties has finally arrived for Tessa Waugh, whose distress about the snags of middle age fades away with some rousing festive spirits
'Monaco deserved this victory
Seemingly destined always to play the bridesmaid’s role, Harrie Smolders’ great partner Monaco finally tops an incidentpacked Rolex grand prix
'It had to end sometime'
The closure of beloved Hampshire saddlery Calcutt Sons is a loss to the hunting and wider equestrian worlds, as Octavia Pollock reports
'You couldn't want for more
The Ludlow's peaceful country makes for a day in \"hunting paradise\"
The greatest gift of all
Christmas is fast approaching and while we all like a bit of tinsel, the festive season is also a perfect time for giving to a horse charity. Niki Hinman finds out some of the options
Winter him well
A horse's winter routine can differ dramatically from his summer structure but what’s the knock-on effect? Ellie Hughes asks vets how to optimise routine management for the season
Neat feet
Excellent hoof care is a year-round concern but the winter months present their own problems. Richard Stephenson MRCVS explains the seasonal challenges afoot and how to stay one step ahead
In bygone days
Modern vets have much scientific knowledge behind them, but what about their forebears? Kieran O’Brien MRCVS opens up the world of Victorian vets in London
'When I joined the Pony Club it was just two boys and 48 girls'
Pepsi Kohler on being delightfully outnumbered by girls in the Pony Club, a leg-up from a royal and the H&H advert that changed his life
