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."
Highland Lodge retires as the winner of five races, with earnings of £172,000.
Get ahead of the game with Get Your Eye In - exclusive Saturday preview content on racingpost.com and the Racing Post mobile app from 2pm on Friday
Published on 9 April 2019inNews
Last updated 13:47, 9 April 2019
- Merci Olivier! No final winner for Olivier Peslier but the world of racing unites in saluting the end of a great career
- The latest edition of the Racing Post is available to read online now - here's how you can access it
- How Smart View recorded a 76 per cent profit at the Cheltenham Festival
- Smart View is available on the Racing Post app - how to read the revolutionary new racecard
- Levy reform talks 'accelerating' as clock ticks down to April deadline for agreement
- Merci Olivier! No final winner for Olivier Peslier but the world of racing unites in saluting the end of a great career
- The latest edition of the Racing Post is available to read online now - here's how you can access it
- How Smart View recorded a 76 per cent profit at the Cheltenham Festival
- Smart View is available on the Racing Post app - how to read the revolutionary new racecard
- Levy reform talks 'accelerating' as clock ticks down to April deadline for agreement