The Henry de Bromhead-trained Special Tiara© Photo Healy Racing
Henry De Bromhead was thrilled with the performance of Special Tiara in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
Sent off an 18/1 chance for the contest, he jumped boldly out in front and only gave way to winner Dodging Bullets and second Somersby on the hill.
De Bromhead said: "I'm delighted with that run, Noel (Fehily) gave him a super ride. He got him filled up coming round the home turn and coming to the second-last he thought he might win, but then he just petered out.
"To be fair he is better on a flatter track, but he has run a blinder and we are delighted.
"He's a good ground horse and we will look at Sandown or Punchestown, whichever one Dodging Bullets doesn't go for."
De Bromhead also saddled former winner Sizing Europe who was seventh, beating home Mr Mole
He said: "Johnny (Burke) didn't knock him around when he knew he was beaten. I have thought about retiring him, but I'm not going to make any decisions until I have spoken to the owners.
"The fact he has come back so many times just shows how he has stood the test of time."
Nicky Henderson said Sprinter Sacre will be given a thorough check-up before he can consider any notion of retirement for the former champion chaser.
Henderson said: "His heart is OK, which is the main thing.
"He'll be scoped and then we'll know a lot more after that. Barry said he was a bit noisy going up the back and it sounds like it's something internal.
"We'll scope him now. There was a trace of blood after Ascot, so you would have to be suspicious in that department.
"Once we've done the tests we'll let everyone know. We've only just unsaddled and are trying to gather our thoughts. I don't think we can make any predictions today as to the future.
"If there's a switch we can find that gets rids of what is affecting him today, who knows."
Mick Channon, trainer of Festival veteran Somersby, said: "He's been in great form, it was only really the race at Ascot (Clarence House) where he disappointed. He has run pound for pound to his Tingle Creek form and run his race - I'm delighted for everybody."
Trainer Gary Moore felt a brisk surface counted against fourth-placed Sire De Grugy
"The ground wasn't soft enough for him," said the West Sussex handler.
"He showed at Chepstow how good he was when it's deep, but on ground like this, he wants two and a half miles these days."
