Champion Bumper heroine and 'fantastic mare' Relegate retired to paddocks

Relegate, winner of the 2018 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, has been retired to the paddocks her trainer Colm Murphy has revealed.

A winner of her first three starts for Willie Mullins including that festival triumph under Katie Walsh - the jockey's last winner at Cheltenham before retiring from the saddle - Relegate had been based with Murphy since January last year and ran five times without success.

A multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer who returned to the profession over a year ago after a brief sabbatical, Murphy trains a host of young horses for Relegate's owner Paul McKeon.

Relegate: will head to the paddocks after her retirement from racingCredit: Patrick McCann

Speaking about the decision to retire Relegate, Murphy said: "She owed us nothing. Relegate has been a fantastic mare for Paul, highlighted by her victory in the Champion Bumper a couple of seasons ago.

"We have decided to retire her to the paddocks now but it hasn't been decided who she will visit just yet."

Watch Relegate's Champion Bumper victory

Relegate was sent off an 11-2 joint-favourite for the Pertemps Final for Murphy at Cheltenham last season, but was found to have fractured her pelvis after finishing a creditable fifth.

Following three sub-par efforts this season, Murphy and McKeon felt it was best to concentrate on a broodmare career with the four-time winner.

Murphy explained: "She fractured her pelvis when she finished fifth in the Pertemps at Cheltenham last year and she hasn't come back to her best in three runs this season.

"As I said, she doesn't owe us anything on the track and hopefully there will be a lot to look forward to with her progeny. She was a fantastic racemare who should make a wonderful addition to Paul's band of broodmares."

Read more:

Festival fact-finding: Shishkin, Paisley Park and Yala Enki entered at weekend

Cheltenham and Doncaster confident of beating cold snap for weekend fixtures

Midweek fun in Galmoy Hurdle before seven Grade 2s on an action-packed Saturday

'I'd always planned to retire at 65' - Classic winner D'Arcy to quit training (Essential members)

'We never expected it' - 90-year-old owner basks in First Flow's Ascot success (Essential members)

Members can click here to download the digital newspaper every evening from 9pm. Not a member? Click here to sign up and enjoy the digital newspaper every day.