Ranked: the top ten jumps horses of the last ten years

10 Vautour

Lamenting what might have been is a bitterly common theme in jump racing. Rarely is it applied to three-time Cheltenham Festival winners.

In his first festival appearance, in the 2014 Supreme, Vautour made virtually all to break Istabraq's 14-year-old course record. He towered over that field literally, too, and chasing was always bound to be his game. The following year he ducked the Arkle, won by stablemate Un De Sceaux, but still finished the season rated higher courtesy of a 15-length win in the JLT. No other horse has yet won that race by half as far.

Ruby Walsh celebrates with trainer Willie Mullins after victory on Vautour in the JLT Novices' ChaseCredit: Michael Steele

As a senior chaser he won the Ryanair, but what was to be his final season was defined by his battle with Cue Card up the Kempton straight in the King George on Boxing Day. Seeing Vautour turning into the home straight, his white face as serene as Ruby Walsh's posture on his back, it was as if Kauto Star had risen and grown a hand in height. Vautour did not quite last home on what was his first run over three miles, and Cue Card got him on the post.