So, Kemboy strolls off into the sunset and goes to one of his owners to be assessed in other equestrian disciplines.
He came second in a flat race before moving to Closutton and then had 4 races in his novice hurdle season, winning his maiden. He was also second in a G2 and fifth in the Neptune. I bought in during the following summer when he was regarded as a potential staying hurdler so, naturally, his next appearance was coming second in a beginners chase. A win at the same level earned him a run in the JLT where he came fourth to Shattered Love. His next race was a fall at the first in the Irish National but he finished the season with wins in a G3 and off 147 in the valuable novice handicap at Punchestown.
Starting the following season rated 157 he won the Clonmel Oils Chase cosily and was set to run in the Ladbroke Trophy at Newbury when strong winds prevented him travelling and he was a late withdrawal. It may have been a blessing in disguise because, in his first open G1 chase, he ran right away from ten other G1 winners in the Savills. He was to run in the the next 4 editions of the race, finishing second twice and third and fourth once each. Next up it was the Gold Cup where he was recorded as unseating at the first but he was actually knocked over by Presenting Percy jumping across him. This race and the Irish National were the only times that he failed to complete and both, in my view, were jockey error. His style of jumping won no prizes but, as Ruby said, you have to "Let him alone. He knows what he's doing". Redemption came less than 3 weeks later with a facile win in the Aintree Bowl then it was on to Punchestown for a Mayday showdown with Al Boum Photo where he famously retired Ruby on a high and earned the status as highest rated staying chaser for that season.
During the following 4 seasons he has provided us with many memories including the lockdown Irish Gold Cup and, in all that time, he only had one injury that kept him out for any length of time. As that was in the period of the Covid shutdown, it passed unnoticed by the majority. It's ironic that he's picked up his recent injury that will prevent him from having one last run at Punchestown but he's relatively in one piece which is a blessing.
His chasing career in figures is 30 races, 9 wins, 8 seconds and 2 thirds. Of those 30 races, 20 were at G1 level where he won 4, with 4 seconds and 2 thirds. He ran at 11 different tracks, winning at 6. The only track where he ran without coming in the first three was Cheltenham and his JLT fourth got him into the winners enclosure even there. Career prize-money, depending on the exchange rate used, is around £830k or 980k euro.
The last word has to be: