'We've been on the ride of a lifetime' - Grade 1 winner Kalashnikov retired

Amy Murphy described Kalashnikov as the "horse of a lifetime" after the popular Grade 1 winner was retired following the recurrence of an old tendon injury. 

The ten-year-old suffered a setback following his sixth-placed effort at Compiegne this week. The injury had kept him off the track for 648 days before he made his return in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby in December.

Owned by Murphy's father Paul, his finest hour came when giving the trainer and regular jockey Jack Quinlan their first Grade 1 wins in the 2019 Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree. They also won the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury the year before.

"He's been an incredible horse and I'm beyond grateful to have stumbled on him at an early stage of my training career," Murphy said. "He's taken the team on a ride of a lifetime. It's been great to know he has so many supporters and followers and, in a sense, he's been a people's horse. 

"It was great for him to get back on a high at Auteuil two starts ago, but sadly he's reinjured his tendon. However, he's with us in one piece and is out in his field."

Kalashnikov bounced back to record a highly emotional success in a 2m2f conditions hurdle at Auteuil on his penultimate start last month, which was the first time he had won since his top-level win nearly four years earlier.

Connections celebrate Kalashnikov's Manifesto Novices' Chase win at AintreeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"That win [at Auteuil] meant more than anything. We went there hoping we could get him back to his best," Murphy added. "We always knew he retained that ability but he went out and beat some of the top horses in France.

"The Betfair Hurdle and his Grade 1 stand out too, they were some achievements. We had it smooth with him for three or four seasons, but the last two haven't been easy. He's an incredibly tough horse and he will be hard to replace."

Kalashnikov will enjoy his recovery and retirement with the Newmarket trainer, and is likely to embark on a new career away from the track.

"I've mainly ridden him all of his life apart from when Jack has ridden him in races and he'll firmly be kept under his trainer's eyes!" Murphy said. "He's too nice to be a hack and he'll do plenty of stuff with his trainer once he has recovered."

Kalashnikov retires having won eight of his 24 races under rules, earning £310,274 in prize-money.

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