'The engine isn't working the way it used to' - star mare Apple's Jade retired

Apple's Jade has been retired, and will be covered by Walk In The Park, following her exuberant front-running effort in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle – with Gigginstown racing manager Eddie O'Leary delighted to see her bowing out with a "smile on her face".

Apple's Jade was supported all the way into 7-1 for the Stayers' Hurdle, having been available at more than double those odds a few hours earlier, and traded at a low of 3.6 on the exchanges in-running when bowling along merrily at the head of affairs under Richard Johnson.

The eight-year-old ran out of steam up the home straight and trailed in eighth of the 15 runners, 17 and a half lengths behind shock winner Lisnagar Oscar, and Gordon Elliott has decided to let her enjoy a richly deserved retirement.

Watch Apple's Jade win her 11th Grade 1 at Leopardstown

Elliott told the Racing Post: "She went out there and gave it her all, but the engine is just not working the way it used to. She owes us absolutely nothing and she has been the horse of a lifetime. We might never have another like her again."

Apple's Jade won 15 of her 28 starts and, remarkably, 11 of those came in Grade 1s. The most recent of those was achieved in typically tenacious fashion in the Frank Ward Memorial Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, where she slammed Unowhatimeanharry by 17 lengths.

She dug deep to beat the Willie Mullins-trained pair, Vroum Vroum Mag and Limini, in the 2017 Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but perhaps her most impressive display was when she annihilated the Triumph Hurdle winner, Ivanovich Gorbatov, by 41 lengths in the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Aintree in 2016. She also won the Irish Champion Hurdle last year.

It was the wide-margin win at Aintree which O'Leary revealed as his individual highlight.

O'Leary said: "She will be covered by Walk In The Park. She's been absolutely brilliant for us over the years and the great thing today was to see her bowing out with such a smile on her face.

"I know the race didn't involve Gordon, but the day I loved most was when she won by a record 41 lengths at Aintree. She was a fantastic mare and we owe her a huge dept of gratitude. The very best of luck to her in her retirement. I hope she enjoys every single second of it."

Read more:

A Christmas miracle – Apple’s Jade back on song to record Grade 1 win number 11

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