'He was small but beautiful-looking and had a massive heart' - Grade 1 winner Sceau Royal retired

Daryl Jacob paid tribute to Sceau Royal's "unbelievable" longevity after the Alan King-trained Grade 1 winner was retired two days before his 12th birthday.

Owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have called time on his career after he finished last of five in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, more than eight years after his British debut.

Jacob was on board for 15 of his 17 wins, including when he landed the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in 2017.

Sceau Royal wins the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in 2017Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"He was a wonderful horse," the jockey said. "He was my winning-most horse. The longevity he had was unbelievable. 

"He still has the enthusiasm now, he went round Kempton the other day behind Constitution Hill and was on his tail until the second-last but didn't have the legs at the end.

"I'll be forever grateful for a horse like him. He, Top Notch and Bristol De Mai were horses of a lifetime. They always seemed to know when you need them the most, they'd pull out a bit more and get you the win you needed. 

"He was small but he was a beautiful-looking horse and he had a massive heart. He was a huge credit to himself and his trainer. I'll really miss him."

Anthony Bromley, the owners' racing manager, added: "He's been training well and jockeys have said he's been racing with zest but his legs weren't quite as fast as they once were. He still loves the game but his legs were a bit old.

Sceau Royal (green) gets the better of Simply Ned in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in 2018 Credit: Alan Crowhurst

"It's been a real pleasure to be connected with him. We got him from Guillaume Macaire and we knew he wasn't the biggest horse in the world but I remember the chap who part-owned him was a vet himself and said he'd bought him out of obscurity as a youngster because he had a very large heart in relation to his size.

"We've had a lot of success with horses from Guillaume – Simon and Isaac had Bristol De Mai, L'Ami Serge and Terrefort – and the idea was for him to be a juvenile hurdler and to aim him at the Triumph. He danced a lot of dances in Grade 1 hurdles and over fences for many years and it was great that he won the Henry VIII at Sandown so he retires a Grade 1 winner."

Sceau Royal also won the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, the Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster and three runnings of the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton and earned nearly £725,000 in prize-money.

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