Gold Cup hero Sizing John retired after suffering another injury on gallops

Sizing John's injury-plagued but brilliant career is over as Jessica Harrington announced her superlative 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero has been retired after he suffered another setback in his final gallop before an intended comeback at Listowel on Sunday.

The ten-year-old carried all before him during a scintillating four-month spell in 2017 when he was upped in trip, having spent much of his early chasing career banging his head off the brick wall that was Douvan.

After winning the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles in January 2017, he then took the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February before soaring to victory under regular rider Robbie Power in jump racing's most prestigious event in the Cotswolds the following month.

At Punchestown five weeks later, Alan and Ann Potts's star became the first horse to win three Gold Cups in one season when thwarting Djakadam and Coneygree in one of the most epic jump racing spectacles in recent times.

On his subsequent reappearance in the John Durkan Chase at the same track the following season, he looked as good as ever when thrashing Djakadam.

However, he turned in a below-par effort in the Christmas Chase, and it was two years before he eventually returned again, when he fell three out in a hurdle race at Punchestown under Barry Geraghty on New Year's Eve last year. That, sadly, has proved to be his final public appearance.

Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power after Sizing John's Gold Cup triumphCredit: Patrick McCann

"Unfortunately he gave himself an injury this morning," Harrington revealed on Racing TV from Naas on Thursday. "It’s not life-threatening, but he won’t be able to run on Sunday.

"We were literally doing his last gallop and it just went wrong after that, so sadly we have decided we have had enough comebacks with him. We are going to retire him now so he can have a happy retirement."

She added: "He ran on New Year’s Eve and unfortunately fell and hurt himself there. I thought I’d get him back and then I didn’t, but we were right back on track, and Robert [Power] was absolutely thrilled with him. I felt very sad this morning ringing up the Pottses to say that finally we have to retire him."

By November 2017, both Alan and Ann Potts had died. "They did achieve what they wanted to, which was to win a Gold Cup, and they ended up winning three, which was absolutely wonderful," Harrington recalled.

She added of the day she scaled jump racing's highest peak: "Cheltenham was unbelievable – magical. You don’t need an aeroplane to bring you home from places like that when things like that happen to you."

Sizing John was sourced privately by Henry de Bromhead, who trained him until the spring of 2016. In all, he won nine of his 21 starts and earned over €850,000 in prize-money.

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