Hardy Eustace Retired

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About time and fully deserved for one of the most likeable horses about in a long time. Recent efforts make it easy to forget just how good he was right from his bumper days. Long and happy retirement.
 
Grand news. Put in another decent effort today but must be time to relax now.

I have always loved this horse, so genuine. :<3: I hope he has a nice retirement home and lives to enjoy it.
 
Hope Hardy enjoys his retirment, he really deserves it. A great talent and a joy to watch. He relished that Cheltenham hill!
 
I think he was the horse that comprehensively broke the Rooster Booster bubble.I never won a penny off him but as a 3 time festival winner he has to be respected.
 
His first Champion Hurdle was a great piece of riding and training. Was he not also engaged in the Coral Cup off a lenient rating the following day?
 
read it this morning and happy and sad at the same time. an all-time fav, I will really miss him, but certainly happy he bows out in one piece, and sure enough the time is right. thought he got a lovely reception from the "crowd" when he fought for 2nd place. as everybody I wish him a long and happy retirement - and thank all the connections - and Hardy - for the memories !!
 
Not a jumps fan at all but I adored this horse.

A proper battler and a true racehorse who just seemed to love racing, he'd be in the top 10 of the last decade for me. His second Champion Hurdle was absolutely awesome.
 
Glad to hear this wonderful horse is being retired in one piece. Many thanks to Hardy Eustace and his connections for the memories. May his retirement be a long and happy one.
 
Thought they would never retire him to be honest, they dragged it on a little for my liking. An exceptional hurdler, and a tremendous battler..Enjoy the break Hardy, well earned:cool::cool:
 
Happy retirement. We had some great nights out with Lar and his gang in Cheltenham and we saw so much of the Hardy and Macs gang in the parade ring so nice to see two of the three retired now. Pity Macs didn't make it. I'm just surprised they didn't retire him last year with Inca. Would have been a very decent headline.
 
Heartwarming, but it seems remiss to speak of a thread about Hardy Eustace and about being glad he got out in one piece without thinking of Kieran Kelly...
 
Very sad but so easily forgotten. The lad was so well thought of by the yard. He rode for an owner who sadly passed away too, who rated him good enough to put up on anything.
 
Indeed my mistake not to mention Kieran Kelly in the first posting.

O'Dwyer was brilliant on him in each of his Champion wins - won't see many better rides from the front than those two.
 
Galileo said:
Indeed my mistake not to mention Kieran Kelly in the first posting.

O'Dwyer was brilliant on him in each of his Champion wins - won't see many better rides from the front than those two.
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Two magic rides that highiighted the career of a very good jockey. Both of them were peahes but the first one was special because they had hatched a plan. In fairness, you would want to be off your tits to make the pace in the Champion.
 
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I know that although the Cheltenham crowd tend to be rather serious about the punting they also have a very sentimental side. I was still taken aback by how much response Conor and Hardy got from them as they came back in from their last, unplaced, run in the Champion Hurdle. People clapped and cheered them all the way, and even reached over the rails to pat Hardy. You could see Conor was quite emotional about it. Most of us thought Hardy would be retired after that, and yes, it would have made quite a headline had him and Brave Inca :<3: gone out together.

But it is great that Hardy is at last retired and it was lovely to hear Dessie talk about him and say he has a home there forever. Nice to see Kieran Kelly remembered again too.
 
I would like to add my own best wishes to this bravest and stoutest of horses. He was a stalwart of Irish racing and, in his prime, was as good a horse as any. I was a bit sad to see him not go out when still a champion but this was offset by his retiring hale and hearty. Best of Irish to Hardy Eustace.
 
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