Saturday 16 December 2017 19:15, UK
Sire De Grugy is likely to have raced for the final time, said owner Steve Preston.
The 2014 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner's decorated career is set to come to an end after he finished sixth in a handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Preston told www.racinguk.com: "He's been showing at home that his appetite is as strong as ever but I think his aches and pains have got a bit too much for him.
"Sire's done everything he could possibly do for anyone, he's been the horse of a lifetime.
"We have had a wonderful journey and it's fantastic he's bowing out in one piece."
Sire De Grugy, trained in West Sussex by Gary Moore, has struggled this season but won five Grade Ones at the height of his powers - including two renewals of the Tingle Creek at Sandown.
Preston said: "He's going to stay with Jamie (Moore, Sire De Grugy's regular jockey) and the Moores.
"He's been my icon horse and I hope he has for them."
