Sprinter Sacre's close relation upholds family honour at Ascot

Nicky Henderson had better fortune with the second close relative of one of his all-time stars when Emir Sacree made a winning debut for the stable at Ascot on Friday.

The trainer now has a few relatives to his outstanding chaser Sprinter Sacre at Seven Barrows, with his full-brother Flinteur Sacre showing great promise in two bumper outings but suffering an odds-on defeat on his hurdling debut at Newbury last month.

Emir Sacree is a three-parts brother to Sprinter Sacre as he shares the same sire, the late Network. His dam is the great two-miler's unraced Daramsar half-sister Altesse Sacree, from the AQPS family bred by Christophe Masle.

The six-year-old's breeders Graham Porter and Henrietta Charlet kept hold of the first foal and he showed a good level of form in France before Porter sent him to Henderson.

On a first start for 635 days and at a track where his famous sibling made a winning debut in both a bumper and a novice hurdle, Emir Sacre headed straight to the front and made all the running in the ITV7 £100K Jackpot On Boxing Day Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle to score by a length and three-quarters.

Emir Sacre was actually led away unsold for €150,000 at Arqana in 2017 while Henderson is also now the registered trainer of his four-year-old full brother Go Sacre Go, who was pulled-up on his only start in France.

A three-year-old, Saint Des Saints colt Inferno Sacree, was bought for €37,000 by Nigel Hawke last year.

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