One of the sport’s great warriors returned to the front line for the 32nd time in a remarkable career on Thursday, with £12.12m in prize money already banked and the all-time record for a European-trained horse of £12.7m now within reach. Jumping fans often complain that Flat horses are rarely around long enough to become heroes, but Rebel’s Romance is a cast-iron case for the defence.
From San Diego to Hong Kong, via Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Qatar, Charlie Appleby’s eight-year-old has taken on many of the world’s best middle-distance horses since first setting foot on a track in October 2020.