Sprinter’s tears and cheers
TEARS were shed when Sprinter Sacre retrieved his Champion Chase crown, coming home clear of his rivals, led by Un De Sceaux.
Racegoers lined every vantage spot to cheer their hero on his return to the winner’s enclosure.
Three cheers they chanted for Nico de Boinville, the winning rider. Hip, hip, hooray for the winning trainer, Nicky Henderson.
But standing aside from the baying well- wishers was Simon de Boinville, the father of the winning rider, shedding a tear. “A victory tinged with great sadness,” said de Boinville snr. “Nico lost his mother, Shaunagh, only a month ago after a long battle with cancer. She was here to see him win last year’s Gold Cup on Coneygree.
“How he’s kept it together I just don’t know. I think having these horses helps.
“It has certainly helped me as I’ve thrown myself back into work. It takes your mind off this painful business.
“Nico has a lonely existence out on the downs in the mornings. It’s a solitary life and I wonder what’s going through his mind at times.
“I’m a very proud father. His brother and sister are here today. They both work in the city and it’s full- on with his sister getting married in a fortnight.”
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Nico de Boinville, who very much keeps his own counsel, said: “Days like this help. Hopefully, my mother will be looking down on me.”
De Boinville, who came of age last year when winning the Gold Cup, also paid a moving tribute to Barry Geraghty.
“I’m aware that Barry [ who won the 2013 Champion Chase on Sprinter Sacre] is in the weighing room, but all credit to him, he has helped me along
and hasn’t had a bad word to say to me.
“He has been gracious and helped me out an awful lot. I owe him an awful lot as well.”
Henderson also had his own reason for shedding a tear after he was hugged by Zara Phillips upon receiving his winning trophy.
“To come back and do that after two years in the wilderness following the problems with his heart – it’s incredible,” said Henderson.
“It’s right up there with one of my best achievements. I did say that if he and My Tent Or Yours [ second on Tuesday in the Champion Hurdle] won then I’d retire.
“He has been a very special horse. To have those golden years when he was unbeaten was incredible. I always said I don’t think he’s got back there but maybe he has now. He had to be good today. This is what we do it for. And as you can see today from the reaction from the crowd – he’s quite popular.”
How Nico has held it together I just don’t know