Racing: Swan tribute to retired Istabraq
Jockey Charlie Swan paid tribute to three times Smurfit Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq after he was officially retired today.
Owner JP McManus and trainer Aidan O’Brien called time on the 10-year-old’s sparkling career after a thorough veterinary examination on the off-hind hock injury he sustained in last week’s Champion hurdle.
The Sadler’s Wells gelding is expected to make a full recovery from the injury in the coming months and he will shortly begin his retirement at McManus’s home in Martinstown, County Limerick.
Swan partnered Istabraq in each of his 29 races over timber and he is sad to see him bow out of racing.
He said: ‘‘It’s farewell to a fantastic horse I’m unlikely to come across one like him again. He was superbly handled, looked after and trained. I had the easy job riding him.
‘‘It was a privilege to ride him in all his hurdle races and I suppose it’s amazing we both lasted this long.
‘‘I have a few nice horses left to look forward to riding such as Like-A-Butterfly, though there’s none likely to replace him. I have no thoughts of retiring from the saddle, I am still enjoying it immensely.’’
O’Brien also praised the achievements of one of his enduring stable stars and he thanked racing fans for their support in the last week.
In a statement he said: ‘‘Istabraq has given us wonderful memories to cherish and all who were associated with him feel especially privileged.
‘‘We would like to thank all who sent letter, cards and messages of goodwill. The outpouring of affection and appreciation for him has been overwhelming.’’
Istabraq was bidding to make Cheltenham history by winning a fourth successive Champion Hurdle when he was pulled up by Swan after just two flights of last week’s race.
It was a sorry ending to an impressive career for Istabraq who won 23 of his 29 races.
He racked up £1,035,440 in win and place money over years racing and is the leading money earner over jumps in Britain and Ireland.
Istabraq was bought as a yearling by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and sent to trainer John Gosden for a career on the Flat.
Although he won twice for Gosden on the level he proved to be somewhat of a disappointment and he was sold for 38,000 guineas to leading Irish owner and gambler McManus.
McManus sent the horse to O’Brien’s Ballydoyle training complex and Istabraq soon showed a liking for hurdling finishing second on his debut before rounding off a superb first season by winning the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle at Cheltenham.
He proved his worth the following season by winning the first of four AIG Europe Champion Hurdles at Leopardstown before running away with the blue riband event at the Festival.
Istabraq was beaten just three times between 1996 and 2000 but he has been dogged by problems in recent years.
He fell twice in the 2000/01 season and only had one prep run at Leopardstown for this year’s Cheltenham renewal.
