CHELTENHAM, United Kingdom: Sprinter Sacre confirmed his mantle as the Frankel of jump racing here yesterday as he strolled to victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The seven year-old gelding — trained by veteran English handler Nicky Henderson — recorded his eighth win in eight starts over fences as he came home an astonishing 19 lengths clear under Barry Geraghty.

Sprinter Sacre — at 1/4 on the shortest priced winner at the Festival since Irish jumps legend Arkle 50 years ago — had never looked troubled throughout the two mile race and when he joined the 2011 winner Sizing Europe prior to the final bend there was only one winner.

Sizing Europe’s chances of upsetting the odds disappeared completely as he nearly fell on the flat turning into the straight but he recovered to at least take the runners-up spoils.

The manner of the victory left Henderson flabbergasted.

“It does make you speechless. Sprinter Sacre is scary. He has that aura about him and is totally and utterly unique,” said the 62-year-old, who holds the record for all-time wins at the Festival among still active trainers.

Geraghty was equally fulsome in his praise.

“He is an unbelievable horse,” said the 33-year-old Irishman, who won his fifth Champion Chase.

“To beat Sizing Europe the way he did was a remarkable performance. He was keen early on but settled down. He’s a class act. I think the ‘Frankel of jump racing’ is a fair way to describe him.”

His performance could only have impressed the onlooking British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland and renowned racing fan and successful owner Alex Ferguson.

The Irish had taken two of the previous races as the seemingly unstoppable Willie Mullins welcomed back his fourth winner of the Festival in Back In Focus, ridden by his son Patrick in the National Hunt Chase.

“My father won this race twice as a rider and it is great to put my name alongside his and also ride the winner for him,” said Patrick.

Mullins was not to be in luck, though, in the RSA Handicap Chase when his Boston Bob cruised into the lead on the bend but came to grief at the last.

However, fellow Irish challenger Lord Windermere took up the baton and battled his way to the line under Davy Russell to give Jim Culloty his first win at the meeting as a trainer where he enjoyed three successive Gold Cup wins (2002-04) as a jockey on Best Mate.

While the day is labelled ‘Ladies Day’ it might as well have been renamed father/son day as the second race the Novices Hurdle went to The New One ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies for his father, trainer Nigel.

However, the trainer nearly missed his son’s big moment.

“My guts rebelled and I was in the loo for most of the race. Luckily I extricated myself for the final hurdle. I am a very proud dad, he would not have been happy had I missed the whole race!” said Nigel.