Seasoned campaigner Beef or Salmon will bring down the curtain on his illustrious career at the Punchestown Festival this week
Prolific winner set for one last ride at the Punchestown Festival
Seasoned campaigner Beef or Salmon will bring down the curtain on his illustrious career at the Punchestown Festival this week
Trainer Michael Hourigan will saddle the prolific Irish winner for the final time on Wednesday as popular 12-year-old bids a fond farewell to competitive action.
Beef Or Salmon marks the end to his racing days in the £217,000 Grade 1 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup, a race he won in convincing fashion in 2004.
"He'll have a good retirement," Hourigan told
At The Races. "He'll be ridden every day and will be well looked after.
"It will be sad to see him go but hopefully he'll come back safe and sound and enjoy his retirement."
With 19 wins from 50 starts, including at least 10 Grade One victories, and over £983,000 in prize-money, Beef or Salmon's failure to conquer Britain has always remained something of a mystery.
His best results on British soil came in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, coming second in 2005 and 2006 and third in 2007 but he consistently struggled to find his form in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
"He's been a super horse in Ireland and ran well three times at Haydock," added Hourigan.
"I think the fall at Cheltenham (as a novice in 2003) took it out of him and he always remembered that bad fall.
"He's 12 now and we wouldn't want to drive him into the dirt."
