'I still picture him powering up our gallops' - Tizzard ace Thistlecrack retires

Connections of Thistlecrack have paid tribute to the fantastic racehorse after his retirement on Monday, with trainer Colin Tizzard describing him as "one of the best in his era".

Thistlecrack has been a key part in the emergence of the Tizzard stable in the last ten years, highlighted by a staggering 2016 World Hurdle win which is rated as one of the best performances in Cheltenham Festival history.

Jockey Tom Scudamore calls John and Heather Snook's 13-year-old the best he has ever ridden, having initially picked up the ride as a spare at the 2015 Grand National meeting. Thistlecrack and Scudamore would win the first of five Grade 1 races that day with a 13-length romp in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at odds of 25-1.

Colin Tizzard reflected: "He's been a fantastic horse. For two years he was unbeatable when he was a hurdler and then he went on to win a King George. He was one of the best horses around in his era and we had some great days.

"I always say on our gallop he was the best horse we ever had, you'd hold on but he'd power up it. I always remember his gallop the week before he won the World Hurdle, he had his head in his chest and he came up over it – I can still picture it now. We had Cue Card at the time who was pretty good at home but Thistlecrack would just eat our hill and not check his stride.

"Then he won the World Hurdle that day and he just powered away, it was an awesome performance."

Tizzard added: "We've had some little issues with him the last few years so we decided to stop riding him and he didn't deserve to be pushed anymore. He's been hacked around now and he'll stay here and we'll look after him, then when the weather warms up he'll go back to Heather's and have a summer off. Hopefully then he can have an active retirement."

Tom Scudamore, who rode Thistlecrack to 11 of his 13 career wins, added: "He was a fabulous horse to win the Stayers' and then go over fences and win the King George in the same year. He was unbeatable for 18 months in his career and just a really great horse. The privilege was all mine.

"He had a very good temperament along with a lot of ability, he was just straightforward to ride. He was class, you just had to point him in the right direction. However the race was run he could adjust to it. At this stage, he's the best I've ever ridden by quite some way.

A jubilant Tom Scudamore celebrates on Thistlecrack (centre) after winning the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

"The first time I rode him I'd picked him up as a spare ride. It wasn't a shock to Joe but he absolutely bolted up and then you were thinking he was a hell of a horse. We had so many good days, even the days in defeat because he'd come back off injuries and run his race which gave me great pleasure. It showed the mark of the horse and how tough he was."

Thistlecrack proved a dominant force over three miles after his 25-1 top-level breakthrough in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in 2015.

The following season he won five from five including a breathtaking seven-length victory in the 2016 World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He achieved a Racing Post Rating of 178 with that win, the highest of any winner of the race this century.

After three wins as a novice chaser, Thistlecrack then stepped into open company to beat stablemate Cue Card in a memorable clash in the King George VI Chase – a race which would prove to be the final victory of his career.

In January 2017, he lost out to Many Clouds in a heroic clash at Cheltenham which ended in tragedy with his rival suffering a heart attack moments after the race.

Thistlecrack recorded two more second-place finishes including in his last race, Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle in 2019.

He retires having won 13 of his 25 career starts, amassing £743,651 in prize-money.

Thistlecrack's best three wins on Racing Post Ratings

World Hurdle, March 2016
RPR 178

Sent off the even-money favourite, Thistlecrack meandered into the World Hurdle and took the lead on the bridle just before two out. Tom Scudamore barely had to move an inch as he quickened effortlessly clear of Alpha Des Obeaux, with seven lengths back to the runner-up and a further 22 lengths back to Bobs Worth in third.

Watch a replay of Thistlecrack's World Hurdle win

King George VI Chase, December 2016
RPR 174

Thistlecrack had only run three times over fences in novice company before the Tizzards opted for the bold route of the King George against four rivals, most notably stablemate Cue Card. His lack of chasing experience did not show as he jumped superbly throughout,
powering clear of his stablemate around the final bend and winning eased down.

Watch a replay of Thistlecrack's King George triumph

Cleeve Hurdle, January 2016
RPR 172

Thistlecrack’s first win at Cheltenham set him up perfectly for his World Hurdle bid. Kept wide initially by Scudamore, Thistlecrack sauntered clear when asked to seal the issue and did not come off the bridle to win by 12 lengths.

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