'He was an absolute star and I loved him' - Paul Carberry hails Harchibald following death of star hurdler

Paul Carberry has hailed Harchibald the best hurdler he ever rode and said he absolutely adored riding the mercurial talent, who died at the age of 25 this week. 

Despite winning five times at the top level, Harchibald is remembered most for a much-debated defeat. That was in the 2005 Champion Hurdle, where he was outbattled by defending champion Hardy Eustace after cruising upsides him on the run-in under a motionless Carberry. 

Reflecting on one of the most famous jumps races of the modern era, Carberry said: "What people don't probably know is that he was sick about ten days beforehand and was only just coming back right. It was the one day the gaps opened when I was hoping they wouldn't! He still ran a blinder and gave me everything he had on the bridle. That's what he always did."

• Paul Carberry: 'I still believe I gave Harchibald the best chance of winning' 

Harchibald was a special talent and spent his career entertaining jumps fans. He reeled in Rooster Booster after giving him a 25-length head start in the 2004 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and he returned four years later to win the same race at the age of nine in typically stylish fashion. 

He also won two Fighting Fifth Hurdles at Newcastle in 2004 and 2007 as well as a Grade 1 at Tipperary in 2005 and will be remembered as one of the key contributors to a glorious era of two-mile hurdlers. 

He was embroiled in many battles with Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace, Macs Joy, Rooster Booster, Inglis Drever, Al Eile and Back In Front. It was a fiercely competitive era and he contributed handsomely to some great races. 

Harchibald and Paul Carberry draw clear of Inglis Drever in the 2004 Fighting Fifth HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Carberry said: "He was a star and one of my favourite horses of all time. I absolutely loved riding him. I think he was the one I won most Grade 1s on and he was some horse. A star I will never forget. 

"He was definitely the best hurdler I ever rode. He was so quick over them and I can only remember him making one mistake in his whole career. He always gave me everything he had on the bridle and we had some amazing days. He was an absolute star and I loved him."

Carberry was often sublime on Harchibald and knew him inside out, while Noel Meade did a tremendous job in keeping him at the top of the hurdling division for so long. 

Meade said: "Harchibald was the most wonderful horse. It's funny because he's more popular for the race he didn't win rather than all the races he did win. He didn't maybe do all the things we wanted him to do, but he did a lot of them. He gave us some fantastic days. He was a great one and we'll never forget him.

"He enjoyed a wonderful retirement. Johnny Hurley looked after him since he retired and he treated him like a king."

Read these next:

'He was the most wonderful horse and we'll never forget him' - immensely popular hurdler Harchibald dies aged 25 

Cheltenham Festival memories can last a lifetime - just ask one long-suffering Harchibald backer 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.