Spots Been Retired !

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Spot Thedifference - retired.

LEGEND SPOT RETIRED

Cheltenham cross-country specialist Spot Thedifference has been retired at the age of 14.

Trainer Enda Bolger has decided to call time on his career following his dramatic win at Prestbury Park last month when he appeared to collapse after the line.

Thankfully, he had only slipped over and rose to great cheers from the crowd.

He retires having won an incredible seven races over the cross-country fences at Cheltenham and also two La Touche Cups at Punchestown.

Bolger said: "After much consideration it has been decided to retire Spot Thedifference.

"At 14, and having finished on such a high note after winning at Cheltenham last month, we felt it was only right to end his career at this time.

"Throughout his career, he gave of his best with passion and tenacity, and I'd imagine Spot will be disappointed as he's in excellent form.

"I hope he'll enjoy his retirement as much as he enjoyed his racing."

John Thomas McNamara rode him to 11 of his 14 career victories and said: "He was very good to me and I'll miss riding him in races.

"He has a big heart - the heart of a lion - and when he got to the front he loved going all the way to the line," he told the Racing Post.
 
Suspect much of this is down to public pressure. The horse was clearly loving every minute of it still the last day.

Lets hope he enjoys his well deserved retirement.
 
Good decision. He is just the type of horse to try too hard for his own good in a race it seems to me.
 
Nov 17 2007, 05:34 PM
With my day tinged with sadness having seen the awful fall of the very promising Granite Jack, I just think about Spot's wonderful win yesterday and hope to god he is retired sooner rather than later. Personally, I feel reaching 14 yo as a successful jumper he has more than proved the point that he is consistant, brave, genuine and for me now needs to look forward to a long and happy retirement doing something a little less dangerous.

I posted this a couple of weeks ago and although like many people I will miss him racing, I think Spot deserves to put all four feet up now and enjoy a long and happy retirement!

Thanks for the memories, Spot! :clap:
 
Let's hope they can find him a little job to do in his retirement. He does not seem one that would enjoy lazing around a paddock. Then again perhaps he can herd about all of JP's others!

Great news anyway, would really be tragic to see him injured for our pleasure as he has certainly given plenty of that throughout his long and illustrious career.

We really will need to find a new cross country star - but could be a forever time before we find another Spot. Unless Enda has one lurking in the wings?
 
He's also got Heads Ontheground, and both are very useful - both trained in the same way by Bolger, with miles of cross country work and lots of hunting, esp with the Ward Union whose country is legendarily fearsome.

I've posted the link before, to Marcus Armytage's account of a day with Enda Bolger, it's somewhere in the archives - well worth reading!
 
I was looking forward to seeing Ferneys Well in the XC Chase at The Paddy Power meeting but he was withdrawn on the day.
 
Freney's Well, shurely? Ferney was the magician who used to come to our primary school, and he's not at all well. In fact, he's dead.
 
If they called it The Spot Thedifference Cross Country Chase, they would have to have two races going on together, with one jockey taking the wrong course, one jockey wearing a red cap instead of a white one and a groundsman missing a glove.
 
Originally posted by kevk@Dec 5 2007, 08:47 PM
Surely the Cross Country Race in Cheltenham will be named after him..

It should IMO..
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly kevk - he is the Arkle of the cross country race !!!
 
Interesting that Garde Champetre has been sent to Bolger. The jockey booking would indicate not a lot is expected of him tomorrow but I wonder with a bit of practice over the next few months, whether it will be a different story come March.
 
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