( CNN ) Universally acknowledged as one of the finest racehorses to ever jump a fence , Sprinter Sacre drew the crowds for his comeback at a wintry Ascot , Saturday . The nine-year-old , renowned for his attacking style of spectacular jumping , was back after spending 13 months on the sidelines with a heart murmur . On his toes before the race and with a silky sheen of sweat on his skin , this enthusiastic chaser looked in excellent physical condition and seemed eager to do his job on his belated return . But his gusto might have proved his undoing given his distinct lack of big race running . The nine-year-old was scratchy early in the race and his jumping scruffy , but he traveled powerfully into the straight under jockey Barry Geraghty . Sprinter Sacre looked the winner approaching the second last obstacle before being shot down by the overwhelming run of Dodging Bullets . `` There was no messing about . They went a good gallop and it just found him out in the end , '' trainer Nicky Henderson told the media at Ascot . `` I loved the way he traveled . Only one day matters and he 'll come on plenty for this . '' The day in question is the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March , the best two mile steeplechase in the British horse racing calendar and a race which Sprinter Sacre won by 19 astonishing lengths in 2013 . That performance was described by respected ratings organization Timeform as `` the finest performance of the modern era . '' Yet as Ascot was cloaked in dusk and the crowd began to wend their way home while the bookmakers balanced their books , news broke of Sprinter Sacre bleeding from the nose after the race . While Henderson said that this issue could not have affected his comeback performance , questions began to form about further implications for his Festival participation . Despite reasons for hope after his comeback , a heart murmur is not a problem that will immediately wisp away but rather one that will still require vigilance . After optimism in defeat , the coming days will prove whether doubt will more sternly shroud one of the greatest horses we are ever likely to see .
Star jumper Ascot makes comeback after nine-year-old on the sidelines . But the nine-year-old has to settle for second at wintry Sprinter Sacre behind Dodging Bullets . Trainer Sprinter Sacre remains optimistic despite defeat .