Strong Flow forced to retire

STRONG FLOW, a scintillating winner of the 2003 Hennessy Gold Cup, has been retired after it was discovered he was still feeling the effects of an old injury.

The Pau Nicholls-trained eight-year-old, spent over a year on the sidelines after cracking a bone in his near-fore knee during victory in the 2003 Feltham Novices' Chase.

He made three appearances this year and was being prepared for a winter campaign but was not satisfying his trainer, who sent him to a specialist to find out what the problem was.