Sprinter Sacre and Altior continue to pull crowds during Newbury parade

Barry Geraghty was delighted to see old ally Sprinter Sacre as he and Altior took centre stage during the parade of retired racehorses at Newbury on Saturday.

On an afternoon when Nicky Henderson’s latest two-mile protegee Sir Gino had held star billing, his 11th hour defection from the Game Spirit Chase left his Seven Barrows predecessors to shine at a track where both had dazzled during their illustrious careers.

Two of the most popular horses of the last 15 years, they combined for seven victories at the Cheltenham Festival during a golden era for the Lambourn handler and their legacies remain firmly intact judging by the amount of racegoers who clambered for a nostalgic glance of their past heroes.

Geraghty was the man in the saddle for some of Sprinter Sacre’s biggest moments and he was delighted to see the horse he guided to both Arkle and Champion Chase glory at Prestbury Park still looking the champion of old.

He said: “It’s a great treat to see him and he was an amazing horse. He was a superstar to ride and I was very fortunate to get the chance to ride him.

“The way he jumped, the way he travelled, he just oozed class and I had the pleasure of sitting on him again last year at Seven Barrows for a promotional video for Cheltenham which was such a thrill.

“I had forgotten how much presence he has and he looks to have all the same enthusiasm he has always had.

“Vicki Roberts looks after him does and amazing job and he was a one in a million horse – I was a lucky boy to have the pleasure of sitting on him. He was an amazing horse.”

Altior now spends his retirement under the loving care of Mick Fitzgerald and his wife Chloe, with the former Seven Barrows number one delighted those in attendance got the opportunity to see the dual Champion Chase hero in “rude health”.

“He’s in great form and really enjoys parading,” said Fitzgerald.

“Whenever a camera turns up at mine he loves it and he loves the attention he gets.

“There’s a few of those good, old horses out there parading and I love everyone getting the chance to see him as he’s in rude health, great form.”

Others on display included Gold Cup-winning duo Coneygree and Native River, with Kalashnikov fittingly ridden by his trainer Amy Murphy at a track at which he enjoyed one of his finest hours when winning the Betfair Hurdle in 2018.