Christian Horner and 'Ginger Spice' kick off Miami weekend with a DNF at Cheltenham races

Christian Horner

Christian Horner and 'Ginger Spice' kick off Miami weekend with a DNF

Racehorse Lift Me Up, owned by the Red Bull team principal and his wife, failed to finish

Dan McCarthy

Friday 5 May 2023 18:40 Updated: 18:50

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Christian Horner and his Spice Girl wife Geri Horner started the huge Miami Grand Prix weekend with a shock defeat and a DNF...at Cheltenham races.

The pair are building a budding horse racing empire from their Oxfordshire base and Lift Me Up - named after Geri's 1999 solo hit - went into Friday's test at the iconic National Hunt venue as a well-fancied 3/1 shot to follow up his recent Newbury success with another victory.

It was not to be though as Lift Me Up was eventually Pulled Up as the 18/1 outsider Quintin's Man took the honours by a massive 17-length margin.

Horner in love with 'gentle giant'

Lift Me Up was bought for Horner by Geri and up until Friday evening he had been an unqualified success so far.

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The seven-year-old finished second on his point-to-point debut back in February last year and after that won four races on the bounce.

His proper course debut came at Newbury in March and he edged home to victory, a la Sergio Perez in Azerbaijan at the weekend.

It gives the Red Bull boss something to focus on away from the cut and thrust of running a Formula 1 team and the 49-year-old was delighted with his progress.

Speaking after that Newbury win, Horner had said: "He’s obviously got a lot of potential which is exciting to see. He’s a lovely horse, so we are very proud to have him. He’s a gentle giant.”