'He gave us the most amazing day' - Stayers' Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar retired

Lisnagar Oscar, who produced a huge upset in the 2020 Stayers' Hurdle, has been retired by trainer Rebecca Curtis, who hailed the nine-year-old for providing connections with that "most amazing day".

He was a 50-1 shot in the Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 contest but powered clear in the closing stages to win by two lengths.

That was one of three victories under rules, with other successes coming in a Chepstow novice hurdle and the Grade 2 Prestige Novices' Hurdle at Haydock, while he recorded ten further top-three finishes from 25 starts.

His career came to a close after a disappointing run in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham two Saturdays ago. He had been pulled up on his final two starts at the end of last season and the trainer believes he lost confidence after taking a tough fall when trying to win back-to-back Stayers' Hurdles in 2021.

Curtis said: "He still showed all the same signs at home going into the season and I thought we'd got him back, but it proved not when he ran at Cheltenham.

"He just didn't seem the same horse. He's ten in January and has got to that stage where his legs have got a bit slow and he's just had enough.

"He took a really, really nasty fall in the Stayers' Hurdle the season after he won and I think it might have knocked his confidence a bit.

Teaforthree (blue): died at age of 18 this weekCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"He owes us nothing and gave us the most amazing day when he won the Stayers' Hurdle, it was more than we ever dreamed he could do. We'll finish on a good note. He's a sound horse with a lovely temperament and we hope he'll find his forever home now."

Despite his lengthy odds, his Cheltenham Festival victory did not surprise Curtis or owners the Racing For Fun partnership. He had finished third in the Cleeve Hurdle behind Paisley Park, who was then sent off odds-on in March, but had produced some encouraging homework in the build-up.

"I wouldn't say it was a massive shock," said Curtis. "I knew going into the day that we'd never had him as well. I remember watching him school the week before and thinking, 'Jesus, this horse is well', and I said to the owners just before the race, half tongue in cheek, he's going to win today. They believed me and he did."

A tribute was also paid by Curtis to the yard's popular staying chaser Teaforthree, who has died aged 18. He provided the trainer with a first Cheltenham Festival victory in the National Hunt Chase ten years ago and posted a third-placed finish in the Grand National the following season.

"He was a brilliant horse who had a happy retirement," said Curtis. "To have a horse like him so early in my career was great; it put me on the map a bit."

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