'He's doing dressage, eventing and showjumping now and he's doing great - he was a fantastic horse for us'

We all have our favourites on the track, but it is not always easy to follow what they get up to once their racing days are over. In a new Racing Post series, we catch up with The Worlds End . . .

The Worlds End reached the high point of his career at Ascot six years ago when grinding out victory in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle from a faltering L’Ami Serge.

Four runners lined up for a race impacted by the withdrawal of Paisley Park due to the going, and L’Ami Serge looked to have the race sewn up when moving past the frontrunning The Worlds End in the home straight.

However, as L’Ami Serge tired on his first run for a year and a half, The Worlds End kept on galloping to win – his second at the top level having also won the 2017 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Grand National meeting.

“What a fantastic horse he was for us,” owner Max McNeill said. “He would’ve won the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham but fell two out, won the Sefton Hurdle at Aintree and won the Long Walk Hurdle too.

“Matt Chapman said on ITV Racing on the day of the race that it was one of the weaker editions of a Grade 1, and I told him that he should try winning one! They’re not easy to get. We’ve had five Grade 1 winners in our colours and The Worlds End won two of them.”

The Worlds End: clatters through the final flight but still wins the Sefton HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The world changed not long after The Worlds End’s day in the sun at Ascot, with the coronavirus pandemic emerging in the early months of the following year. The horse’s form also took a downward turn in 2020 to the extent that having been the 15-8 favourite for the 2019 Long Walk Hurdle, he returned a year later as the 40-1 outsider and finished down the field.

The Worlds End was retired at the end of 2021 and reunited with Charlie Hunting, who had been the horse’s groom when trained by Tom George, and has since gone on to have an active post-racing life.

McNeill said: “We keep in touch with our three Grade 1 winners in him, Walkon, who is with Paddy Brennan, and Grumeti, who is with our friend Kate but has had a tough year, the old boy.

“The Worlds End is down in Devon with Charlie, who used to look after him when he was at Tom George’s and loves him. We kept in touch with her and when he was retired and we were looking for someone to take him on she said she wanted to do so. He’s doing dressage, eventing and showjumping now, and he’s doing great. He really was a fantastic horse for us.”

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'He's going to take an awful lot of beating' - Long Walk Hurdle quotes and insight 

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