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GARY Moore has paid tribute to Sire De Grugy after news of the multiple Grade 1 winner’s death earlier this week.
Victory in the 2014 Queen Mother Champion Chase was the highlight of an illustrious career that returned 17 wins from 42 starts and included five Grade 1 wins.
Sire De Grugy was ridden in all of these victories by trainer’s son Jamie Moore to whose property Sire De Grugy retired after his final race, at Cheltenham in 2017.
“He meant the world and he was a very good racehorse, but also a very good friend,” Gary Moore said.
“In his later part of life he was fantastic with the grandchildren and Jamie’s wife in particular. He was an amazing horse.
“Jamie built a yard for him and some paddocks and he’s been well looked after since he retired. We did all we could to try to help him recover, but sadly it didn’t work.
“He did things that I haven’t been lucky enough to train another horse to do like him. Steve Preston was his owner and we had some great fun with him as there’s not many horses like him.”
Sire De Grugy took centre stage in the 2013-14 season, winning five successive Graded chases that included four Group 1s – The Tingle Creek Chase, Clarence House Chase, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Celebration Chase.
“Obviously Cheltenham (Queen Mother Champion Chase) was a very special day with everybody there and you have to savour them because there are not many days like it,” Moore said to At The Races. “But it [his best win] would have to be the Tingle Creek for me and the way he did it,”
“When he won the Celebration Chase after winning the Champion Chase that was some performance as well because he was well over the top but still managed to win.
“Every day was very special in that season. There’s not many horses that can do what he did.”
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