'He was special during a golden era' - brilliant Baracouda dies at the age of 28

The brilliant Baracouda, who won back-to-back Stayers' Hurdles in 2002 and 2003, has died at the age of 28 at his owner JP McManus's Martinstown stud in Ireland.

Baracouda was part of a golden generation of staying hurdlers in the early part of the 2000s and beat Iris's Gift and Limestone Lad in what was hailed as one of the best Stayers' Hurdles of the modern era in 2003.

The French-based Francois Doumen masterminded the career of Baracouda, who was ridden to 16 of his 18 victories by his son Thierry before Tony McCoy took over for the last two wins.

The 18th and final success of his career came in the 2004 Long Walk Hurdle, which was run at Windsor that year. He is the most successful horse in Long Walk history having won the race four times between 2000 and 2004.

McManus purchased Baracouda from Roger Barby after he won his first Long Walk Hurdle in 2000 and he went on to have a glittering career in the famous green and gold colours. Not only did he win 18 of his 34 starts, he finished in the first two 25 times in a row before his final outing in the 2006 Stayers' Hurdle, in which he was fifth to My Way De Solzen.

Glory days: Baracouda lands the 2003 Stayers' Hurdle for father and son Francois and Thierry DoumenCredit: Edward Whitaker

McManus' racing manager Frank Berry paid tribute to Bracaouda by hailing him a wonderful horse who gave his owner many wonderful days. He said: "We bought First Gold and Baracouda around the same time and they were two wonderful horses to get, but Baracouda was a bit special.

"The time Baracouda was on the scene was a vintage era of staying hurdling. There were some great horses around in the division at that time. You had Jonjo's grey horse Iris's Gift and they had some great battles together. Iris's Gift came back and beat him in 2004 having been narrowly beaten by him the previous year. Baracouda ran a blinder that day too. He was a wonderful horse and the Doumens did a wonderful job with him.

"He was enjoying life great at Martinstown, but just went down hill a few weeks ago unfortunately. We had some really great days with him. He was very healthy and well up until the very end."

One day in particular that stood out for Berry was his 2002 Stayers' Hurdle success when Doumen kidded him home a neck in front of Bannow Bay.

He said: "He would often his a flat spot in his races but Thierry knew him well and always knew how to get the best out of him. I thought the day he beat Charlie Swan on Bannow Bay in the Stayers' Hurdle was a brilliant ride. You could never get there too soon on him, especially at somewhere like Cheltenham, as he would pull up with you so Thierry timed it perfectly that day."

Baracouda reached a Racing Post Rating of 176 on three occasions, which was only 2lb shy of Big Buck's peak RPR of 178.

Fellow McManus star Foreman also recently died at Martinstown. Winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2004 for the Doumens, he went on to upset Arkle winner Voy Por Ustedes in the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree in 2006.

Berry said: "Foreman was a very, very good horse on his day. He won an Irish Champion Hurdle for us and went on to win the big novice chase at Liverpool a few seasons later as well. I'll never forget the day he was second in a novice chase at Newbury. Everybody was really disappointed he was beaten. It turned out to be Kauto Star who beat him – and, we were all so disappointed at the time! Francois did a lovely job with him."

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