Salute the General: Fibresand phenomenon Tufto gallops into the Southwell sunset
You do not often see trainers fighting back the tears after finishing seventh at Southwell, but you do not often see a horse like General Tufto either.
Charles Smith was fully entitled to be emotional after calling time on the career of a Fibresand phenomenon after he made his 218th outing just 11 days short of his 14th birthday.
There was no fairytale finish to the stalwart's racing life as he made his customary slow start in division two of the mile handicap, but he did show some of his old dash to beat as many as beat him.
General Tufto has won 17 times for Smith, who could not disguise his affection for a horse who has earned more than £72,000 in his long career and trails only Dvinsky in Britain's busiest horse stakes.
"If he'd won ten Group races he couldn't mean more to us," Smith said of a horse who will have a home for life at his Lincolnshire yard.
Watch General Tufto's final race
"He's in a box we can see from the kitchen window and he will stay with us, my daughter Rebecca wouldn't dream of him leaving."
General Tufto, who was awarded the best turned out prize beforehand, retires in the best of health and Smith said: "Older horses have to be vetted by the BHA. He was vetted last week and they said he was in tremendous heart, like a much younger horse.
"I'll probably take him hunting. Our neighbours have a pack of bloodhounds and he has to do something, he won't retire as it would be cruel just to turn him out in a field."
Smith bought General Tufto out of Roger Charlton's yard for 4,000gns as a three-year-old in 2008 and he recalled: "We bought him for hurdling. We ran him once but he wouldn't have a cut at his hurdles.
"He's always been a character and Micky Fenton said if you put a pair of blinkers on he'll be a different horse because he used to look around."
MOST PROLIFIC RUNNERS IN BRITAIN
Dvinsky 231
General Tufto 218
Sharp Hat 217
Captain Scooby 210
Palacegate Touch 207
Jonnie Skull 205
Noel Garbutt, the last of General Tufto's 65 different riders, rued being kept wide early on, but said: "In the straight he quickened and he still felt good. He has gone out on a high, he's gone out trying. He owes the yard nothing."
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Published on 20 December 2018inNews
Last updated 16:57, 20 December 2018
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