‘VERY sad’ trainer Kim Bailey has announced the retirement of a Cheltenham Festival hero – just as ‘everything looked to be going right’.
Chianti Classico – who was also a leading contender for the Grand National – was a hugely popular winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase in 2024.
Chianti Classico was being spoken of as a Grand National and Gold Cup contender after winning the 2024 Ultima at Cheltenham[/caption]
What a round of jumping
Chianti Classico – all class in the Ultima Handicap Chase for @kimbaileyracing
The Brits win the Ultima again! pic.twitter.com/5ODhR0G3On
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 12, 2024
He followed that up with a brave fourth behind future Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin at Aintree.
Before signing off with what would turn out to be his last ever win in the Grade 3 Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot last November.
Chianti Classico suffered what has turned out to be a career-ending tendon injury when coming fourth at Cheltenham last December – his final time on the racecourse.
He had been sent to top Irish handler Enda Bolger in the hope of getting him ready to run again.
But Bailey and connections have been forced to admit defeat in that fight – doing what’s best for the horse and retiring him.
In a lengthy and heartfelt blog post, former Gold Cup-winning trainer Bailey wrote of his eight-year-old: “Sadly, I have to announce that we’ve decided to retire Chianti Classico.
“We all had a great visit to Enda Bolger’s stables last week to see him cantering and although everything looked to be going in the right direction, Chianti Classico took a backward step earlier this week, and we don’t need backward steps.
“The welfare of the horse is the most important thing, and, on that note, we’ve decided the most sensible thing to do is retire him and let him have a wonderful life away from racing, which I’m sure he will.
“Chianti Classico has given us the most unbelievable journey.
“Francis Brooke and Richard Pilkington became involved with Chianti Classico after Aiden Murphy and I bought him off Ben Halsall at the Newmarket Cheltenham Tattersalls sales.
“Since then, he has just been an absolute revelation, an absolute star for us.
“Obviously, the highlight of his career for us was winning the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham in 2024.
“How can we ever forget that unbelievable moment?
“But in many respects, one of his greatest runs for me was when he won The Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot last November, carrying top weight.
“We were all there at Ascot that day, and as we all know, Francis Brooke is ‘His Majesty’s representative of Ascot’, and to all stand and watch Chianti Classico win from his balcony was a moment of sheer joy for all of us.
“Whatever happens in horses’ lives, we always want the best for them. And the decision has not been taken lightly, but it’s the right thing for the horse.
“I cannot thank Francis and Richard enough for their support, James Sheahan and all the staff at Glenbevan Stud who looked and treasured him in the early spring and over the summer, Enda Bolger for pre-training him and of course all the vets who have looked after him.
“A big thank you to David Bass, Harry Cobden, Tom Bellamy and Ciaran Gethings for riding him and of course to all the team here who’ve looked after him all those years, especially Erika who looked after him and absolutely adore him.
“It has been a joy and an honour to have had Chianti Classico around and here to train.
“We all just loved his exuberance for life and racing. A one-off.
“Very sad, but we look back with great memories. A great record… 14 starts, eight wins, two seconds, one third.
“His picture can now take pride of place on the wall in my office, which is something I wasn’t looking forward to putting up as they only go on the wall when they retire, but what a life, what a horse, and what pleasure he has given us all.”
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