• Sire's win sparks emotional scenes in winner's enclosure
• Jamie Moore celebrates first winner at the meeting
"I broke my thumb a few weeks ago," Gary Moore said after the Queen Mother Champion Chase here on Wednesday, "and I've shaken so many hands on the way back in that I think I've broken it again." The 2014 Festival needed a lift after the death of Our Conor in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle and Moore's chaser Sire De Grugy had just provided it, his victory in the day's feature event one that another huge crowd could embrace and celebrate.
This was a success which had everything that makes the Festival special, and for many a reminder, too, of the days before trainers with three-figure strings moved in to carve up most of the major prizes.
Sire De Grugy's owner is listed as "the Preston family and friends", and it is clearly an extended family with an awful lot of friends. Dozens of them returned to the winner's enclosure in triumph with their horse, the only one that Steve Preston, the founder of the syndicate, has ever owned, and one he was only coerced into buying when his friends and family secretly deposited money into a bank account for his 50th birthday. All were wearing "Sire De Grugy" scarves in the winning colours, and by the time she presented the trophy to as many as could fit on the podium, so was the Duchess of Cornwall.
For the trainer, this was only a second win at the Festival after a long career of grafting around the minor tracks, both Flat and jumps, and his first in one of the week's feature events. Better still, the winning jockey was his son Jamie, who had never ridden a winner at this meeting before. Every jockey in the changing room – uniquely, as far as anyone here could remember – was standing out on the terrace in front of the weighing room to applaud him back.
And no one mentioned Sprinter Sacre, at least until the bookies' reps started handing out ante-post prices for next year's race. When Nicky Henderson's outstanding two-miler was ruled out of the defence of his title a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that the Champion Chase might be the least memorable of the week's four big championship events. Moore and Sire De Grugy, though, seized the moment and made it their own, thanks to a race, a ride and an aftermath that was up there with the best of them.
Moore was happy to settle Sire De Grugy towards the rear in the early stages behind a frenetic early pace and then crept into contention on the final circuit before delivering Sire De Grugy, still full of running, at the last. A good jump there left his rivals chasing second place and he ran out a six-length winner.
Jamie Moore has earned far less fame and fortune from racing than his older brother Ryan, who is one of the world's elite riders on the Flat, but he rode a flawless race when it mattered most. "Even Ryan said that I gave him a good ride so I am pleased about that," he said afterwards. "I had never ridden a Festival winner so that plays on your mind a little bit.
"Sire De Grugy has had no credit this season, as far as I am concerned, but he keeps winning. It's a tremendous training performance by Dad – he ran five times in two months and won all of them bar one. Then we gave him a break and brought him back, which just shows that Dad can train them hard or soft."
Sire De Grugy is allowed to do his own thing at Moore's yard near Horsham in Sussex, and trains alone, usually with Jamie Moore in the saddle.
"He was travelling really well coming down the hill," the jockey said. "When I passed Ruby [Walsh, on the fading Arvika Ligeonniere] I asked him, 'What do I do here?' as he's the one who has ridden all the winners here. Ruby told me to sit behind Davy [Russell, on Special Tiara] so after he'd finished giving me a riding lesson, I made my move."
Gary Moore whose father, Charlie, a used-car dealer, set up business as a trainer next to Brighton racecourse in the early 1960s, was also moved by the reception for his horse.
"I had so many messages before the race from lots of different people," Moore said. "In a way this victory is for them. You never realise how popular you are sometimes. I always thought he would run well, but you never think you're definitely going to win until you jump the last. I'm very proud of Jamie, aside from the Grand National, I don't think I've ever seen a reception like that [from his fellow jockeys] when they came back in. That shows just how popular he is. I suppose I'm very lucky to have such a great family. I'm very proud of all of them."
There was loud applause too as Somersby, now a 10-year-old, was led back to the enclosure after finishing second, with his former trainer Henrietta Knight, whose husband Terry Biddlecombe died in January, close behind. Sizing Europe, another veteran and a former winner of the race, also ran well to finish fourth after travelling beautifully down the hill to the home turn.
But this was an afternoon for the Moore family, with 50,000-plus racegoers invited to the party.
"He is a horse I have great belief in," Jamie Moore said. "Today everything clicked and he listened to me. We are a very close family and I'm glad I can tell my daughters that I have achieved something." Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.
• Jamie Moore celebrates first winner at the meeting
"I broke my thumb a few weeks ago," Gary Moore said after the Queen Mother Champion Chase here on Wednesday, "and I've shaken so many hands on the way back in that I think I've broken it again." The 2014 Festival needed a lift after the death of Our Conor in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle and Moore's chaser Sire De Grugy had just provided it, his victory in the day's feature event one that another huge crowd could embrace and celebrate.
This was a success which had everything that makes the Festival special, and for many a reminder, too, of the days before trainers with three-figure strings moved in to carve up most of the major prizes.
Sire De Grugy's owner is listed as "the Preston family and friends", and it is clearly an extended family with an awful lot of friends. Dozens of them returned to the winner's enclosure in triumph with their horse, the only one that Steve Preston, the founder of the syndicate, has ever owned, and one he was only coerced into buying when his friends and family secretly deposited money into a bank account for his 50th birthday. All were wearing "Sire De Grugy" scarves in the winning colours, and by the time she presented the trophy to as many as could fit on the podium, so was the Duchess of Cornwall.
For the trainer, this was only a second win at the Festival after a long career of grafting around the minor tracks, both Flat and jumps, and his first in one of the week's feature events. Better still, the winning jockey was his son Jamie, who had never ridden a winner at this meeting before. Every jockey in the changing room – uniquely, as far as anyone here could remember – was standing out on the terrace in front of the weighing room to applaud him back.
And no one mentioned Sprinter Sacre, at least until the bookies' reps started handing out ante-post prices for next year's race. When Nicky Henderson's outstanding two-miler was ruled out of the defence of his title a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that the Champion Chase might be the least memorable of the week's four big championship events. Moore and Sire De Grugy, though, seized the moment and made it their own, thanks to a race, a ride and an aftermath that was up there with the best of them.
Moore was happy to settle Sire De Grugy towards the rear in the early stages behind a frenetic early pace and then crept into contention on the final circuit before delivering Sire De Grugy, still full of running, at the last. A good jump there left his rivals chasing second place and he ran out a six-length winner.
Jamie Moore has earned far less fame and fortune from racing than his older brother Ryan, who is one of the world's elite riders on the Flat, but he rode a flawless race when it mattered most. "Even Ryan said that I gave him a good ride so I am pleased about that," he said afterwards. "I had never ridden a Festival winner so that plays on your mind a little bit.
"Sire De Grugy has had no credit this season, as far as I am concerned, but he keeps winning. It's a tremendous training performance by Dad – he ran five times in two months and won all of them bar one. Then we gave him a break and brought him back, which just shows that Dad can train them hard or soft."
Sire De Grugy is allowed to do his own thing at Moore's yard near Horsham in Sussex, and trains alone, usually with Jamie Moore in the saddle.
"He was travelling really well coming down the hill," the jockey said. "When I passed Ruby [Walsh, on the fading Arvika Ligeonniere] I asked him, 'What do I do here?' as he's the one who has ridden all the winners here. Ruby told me to sit behind Davy [Russell, on Special Tiara] so after he'd finished giving me a riding lesson, I made my move."
Gary Moore whose father, Charlie, a used-car dealer, set up business as a trainer next to Brighton racecourse in the early 1960s, was also moved by the reception for his horse.
"I had so many messages before the race from lots of different people," Moore said. "In a way this victory is for them. You never realise how popular you are sometimes. I always thought he would run well, but you never think you're definitely going to win until you jump the last. I'm very proud of Jamie, aside from the Grand National, I don't think I've ever seen a reception like that [from his fellow jockeys] when they came back in. That shows just how popular he is. I suppose I'm very lucky to have such a great family. I'm very proud of all of them."
There was loud applause too as Somersby, now a 10-year-old, was led back to the enclosure after finishing second, with his former trainer Henrietta Knight, whose husband Terry Biddlecombe died in January, close behind. Sizing Europe, another veteran and a former winner of the race, also ran well to finish fourth after travelling beautifully down the hill to the home turn.
But this was an afternoon for the Moore family, with 50,000-plus racegoers invited to the party.
"He is a horse I have great belief in," Jamie Moore said. "Today everything clicked and he listened to me. We are a very close family and I'm glad I can tell my daughters that I have achieved something." Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.