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Sprinter Sacre moves yards to start new life with event rider


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  • Spencer Sturmey welcomes Sprinter Sacre to his new yard for retraining

    National Hunt hero Sprinter Sacre has moved from his trainer Nicky Henderson’s Lambourn yard to a new base where he will continue to enjoy his retirement.

    The popular dual Champion Chase winner has spent the past few months parading at racecourses, including Cheltenham, in front of his adoring fans and visibly in his element.

    The 11-year-old son of Network is now settled at event rider and TV presenter Spencer Sturmey’s Cotswold yard.

    The Caroline Mould-owned gelding made an impressive comeback to the racecourse in 2015, having been pulled up at Kempton in December 2013 — he was found to be suffering from an irregular heartbeat.

    Remarkably, he went on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March last year.

    Nicky Henderson, the recently crowned champion jump trainer, announced the retirement of his “horse of a lifetime” on 13 November, after Sprinter picked up a leg injury on the gallops at home at Seven Barrows.

    Continued below…


    Read more about Sprinter Sacre:

    Watch Lucinda Green ride Sprinter Sacre

    Yesterday (13 November 2016) Nicky Henderson announced the


    Spencer will continue the gelding’s rehabilitation from his base in Stow-on-the-Wold and it’s not yet confirmed what his next chapter will involve.

    “We will see what Sprinter wants to do, there is no pressure with him and we are just excited to find out what he takes to. He is a very charismatic individual who simply loves the big crowds and both Caroline [Mould] and I are very excited about his future,” Spencer told H&H.

    “It can sometimes be difficult when a horse retires from racing to see what happens next — we just wanted him to have a reason to wake up in the morning and enjoy his life. He owes nobody anything and Caroline — who lives very locally — can pop in and see him whenever she likes.”

    The winner of 10 successive races, Sprinter triumphed in a total of 18 starts during his fruitful career — not only becoming Nicky’s stable star and one of racing’s most-loved chasers, but also favoured by his loyal stable lad Sarwar Mohammed.

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