Moscow Flyer, Sprinter Sacre... who's on our list of Geraghty's greatest horses?

Barry Geraghty has retired from the saddle at the age of 40 after riding many of the best horses of the modern era. Here, Lewis Porteous remembers his five greatest mounts.

Moscow Flyer

Just like his jockey, there was a certain no-nonsense about brilliant two-mile chaser Moscow Flyer, who was just about unbeatable in his prime.

Geraghty rode Moscow Flyer in all but one of his 28 runs over fences, the duo winning 19 over the larger obstacles. Between October 2001 and April 2005, the only time they were beaten was when Moscow Flyer fell or unseated Geraghty, and he was the undisputed champion of his generation in the two-mile division.

The pair won two Champion Chases and an Arkle together at the Cheltenham Festival, although Moscow Flyer is as much remembered for his two Tingle Creek wins, defeating the formidable Azertyuiop in 2003 and 2004.

Despite his phenomenal record, there was always an element of risk where Moscow Flyer was concerned, the prospect of a jumping malfunction lingering like a bad smell. Yet in full cry he and Geraghty were a sublime combination.

Sprinter Sacre

Based on ratings, Sprinter Sacre was the best horse Geraghty sat on. His peak Racing Post Rating of 190 makes Sprinter Sacre a modern-day phenomenon and he and Geraghty enjoyed numerous crowning moments together.

While Sprinter Sacre's legacy centres on his comeback from heart problems, Geraghty was the man on board when the horse was at his peak, a time when the duo were thought invincible.

They rattled off an unbeaten sequence of nine between December 2011 and April 2013, winning an Arkle and a Champion Chase by a combined 26 lengths.

Together they completed a clean sweep at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown in 2013, when his runaway Champion Chase success was one of the greatest performances in the race's history.

In all, Sprinter Sacre and Geraghty won 13 of their 17 starts together, including seven victories at the highest grade.

Kicking King

Trained by Tom Taaffe, Kicking King gave Geraghty a first triumph in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when storming to victory in 2005. So often a gruelling race, there was a finesse about Kicking King's performance that singled him out as a remarkable stayer.

Geraghty partnered Kicking King in all of his 26 runs over obstacles, winning 11 times and finishing outside the first three on only five occasions.

Kicking King: won 11 races when ridden by Barry GeraghtyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Second to Well Chief in the 2004 Arkle, Kicking King was blessed with plenty of speed but it was stepping up in trip that allowed him to fulfil his potential.

As well as their success in the Gold Cup, horse and rider won back-to-back King Georges in 2004 and 2005 and only a tendon injury denied Kicking King the chance to run in another Gold Cup.

Geraghty and Kicking King also successfully teamed up to take the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2005, a year in which he was undoubtedly the top staying chaser in Britain and Ireland.

Bobs Worth

A Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is always going to command a special place in a rider's affections, but where Geraghty is concerned Bobs Worth will always be particularly special.

Geraghty knew the 2013 Gold Cup winner long before his racecourse debut having purchased the horse as a yearling before selling him for a modest profit two and a half years later.

Bobs Worth and Barry Geraghty after their Gold Cup success in 2013Credit: Andrew Redington (Getty Images)

Fortunately for Geraghty, his then boss Nicky Henderson was the purchaser and they were soon reunited on the track, combining for a string of big-race wins.

The partnership were successful at three consecutive Cheltenham Festivals from 2011, winning the Albert Bartlett, RSA and Gold Cup.

Their crowning moment in the Gold Cup was achieved in customary Bobs Worth fashion. Seemingly the first to struggle, he was stirred into action by Geraghty, warming to the challenge as he worked his way back into contention, growing in stature in the process and relishing the challenge to lead after the last and win going away.

There was nothing flash about Bobs Worth, but he knew how to get the job done and retired as the winner of half of his 22 starts in 2016, with his big-race wins also including a Hennessy and Lexus Chase.

Buveur D'Air

Geraghty has landed the Champion Hurdle on three occasions with three different horses, but none rate higher than Buveur D'Air.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, Buveur D'Air was partnered by Noel Fehily when winning the Champion in 2017 but Geraghty was the man on board when he completed back-to-back wins.

At his best, Buveur D'Air is like greased lightning over his hurdles, although that left little room for error as he skimmed over his obstacles.

Buveur D'Air: won the 2018 Champion Hurdle under GeraghtyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

It takes bottle to ride a horse like Buveur D'Air and that suited Geraghty perfectly, the duo beaten just three times in the 11 occasions they teamed up at the track.

Although Buveur D'Air crashed out when going for a third Champion Hurdle in March 2019, he was in a different league to Samcro when landing back-to-back Fighting Fifth Hurdles under Geraghty in one of his best performances earlier the same season.

Not at his best at Cheltenham in 2018, he had still toughed it out under a vintage Geraghty drive to retain his Champion Hurdle crown in tenacious fashion.

Read more:

Barry Geraghty calls time on glorious riding career aged 40

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