Popular Becher Chase hero Highland Lodge to enjoy 'wonderful retirement'

Popular Aintree veteran Highland Lodge has been retired after having one final race over the Grand National fences last week.

The 13-year-old finished tenth behind Cadmium in the Topham Chase last Friday, his eighth appearance on a course where he won the Becher Chase in 2015 and was beaten just a short head by Vieux Lion Rouge 12 months later.

He narrowly missed the cut for the National in the season of his Becher success and was pulled up behind One For Arthur the following year, having been bought privately by David Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud just before the race.

Highland Lodge had been bought out of Emma Lavelle’s yard for just £22,000 in 2015 and became a standard bearer for Cartmel trainer Jimmy Moffatt.

"The old horse has a big following, you can see that on social media, and I can assure them he is 100 per cent sound," Moffatt said on Tuesday.

"But we felt now was the right time to call it a day. He’ll have a wonderful retirement here in Cartmel, with other old boys like Chief Dan George, Brown Eyes Blue and True North, and he thoroughly deserves it.

"He was a great horse to train and the day that he won the Becher Chase for the Wilson family, led in by their son Patric, will always be a special memory."

Henry Brooke celebrates victory in the Betfred Becher Chase aboard Highland LodgeCredit: John Grossick

Highland Lodge retires as the winner of five races, with earnings of £172,000.

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