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Horseracing

16th Mar 2016

The world reacts with tear-filled joy to Sprinter Sacre’s remarkable victory

The Big Black Aeroplane is back

Darragh Murphy

Rolling back the years.

At 5/1, there were not many people giving Sprinter Sacre, ridden by Nico de Boinville, a chance in Wednesday’s Champion Chase.

Un De Sceaux was odds-on to deliver Ruby Walsh his 50th festival win but few accounted for the never-say-day personality of ‘The Big Black Aeroplane.’

A heart problem two years ago led many to believe that glorious days like today were past the 10-year-old.

But then this happened.

“Dreams do come true,” trainer Nicky Henderson said of the success. “He has been a spectacular horse but to come back and do that, after all this time…. Everyone has worked so hard. He has been a very special horse, he had those two golden years when he was unbeatable but he had to be as good as that today.”

And the momentous occasion was reflected in the many, many congratulations.