Sprinter Sacre

Despite being the sire to other worthy horses such as Rubi Ball, Sacre Toi, Rubi Light and Ball D’Arc, it would be fair to say that the best horse in Network’s bloodline was Sprinter Sacre, who holds a record of eighteen wins from twenty-four runs. Network was bred with Fatima III in order to produce Sprinter Sacre, who was trained by professional horse trainer Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows stable.

The number of prolific horses that are developed at Seven Barrows stables presents the quality of Nicky Henderson and Sprinter Sacre is no different, achieving a solid record for wins at all major racecourses including Cheltenham, Ascot and Aintree. Nicky Henderson retired Sprinter Sacre in 2016 after the horse sustained a minor leg injury, but the record he picked up during his time in professional racing was enough to put him in the history books, especially as he holds the third highest all-time Timeform steeplechase rating behind Arkle and Flyingbolt.

Most horses run in less competitive races before taking on some of the UK and Ireland’s biggest and best courses, but Nicky Henderson trusted Sprinter Sacre enough to run him in The Gardiner & Theobald Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at Ascot, winning at a starting price of 8/11. Another win came immediately after in winning The Ashleybank Investments Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at Ayr, before resulting second in The Red Stone National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot.

He returned to form at Ffos Las, winning The William Hill Novices’ Hurdle, following it on with a win in The Trisoft National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle at Ascot, but Cheltenham Festival clearly came too early, as he finished third in The Stan James Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Between December 2011 and April 2013, Sprinter Sacre was absolutely unbeatable, winning The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase, The Queen Mother Champion Chase and The Clarence House Steeple Chase at Cheltenham, The John Smith’s Melling Chase and The John Smith’s Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree, and a further five races at Doncaster, Kempton, Newbury, Sandown and Punchestown.

This ended in a failure to finish in the 2013 William Hill Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton, but he bounced back with a place in the Sodexo Clarence House Chase at Ascot and in the AP McCoy Celebration Chase at Sandown. The four races that followed saw wins in The Cheltenham Chase, The Queen Mother Champion Chase, The William Hill Desert Orchid Chase and The Bet365 Celebration Chase, prompting a four-race winning streak until his final run in April 2016.

Most punters understandably believe that a horse’s quality is determined by their results at Cheltenham Racecourse, as it’s where all of the best horses from the UK and Ireland are pitted against one another. Sprinter Sacre didn’t get the best start at the Cheltenham Festival in finishing third in the Stan James Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but winning the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase proved how strong he could be, especially when he followed it up by a further four wins from five entries. Sprinter Sacre’s other Cheltenham wins include in The Clarence House Steeple Chase, The Cheltenham Chase, and two wins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.