Aintree Racecourse today announced that this year’s £50,000 Grade Two Betfred Old Roan Chase will be named in honour of retired racehorse Monet’s Garden.
One of the most popular chasers of recent times, Monet’s Garden etched his name into Aintree folklore with three sensational victories in the two and a half mile Old Roan Chase, a limited handicap chase, which this year takes place at Aintree on Saturday, October 22.
The gallant grey, trained by Nicky Richards and owned by David Wesley Yates, beat dual Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Kauto Star in 2007 and produced a superb round of jumping to take the spoils again two years later.
Monet’s Garden treated his fans once again in 2010 with another faultless display as he made every yard of the running to gamely beat Poquelin by half a length. That proved to be his final racecourse appearance as the horse battled against a life-threatening hoof infection shortly afterwards.
Following months of rehabilitation at Oaklands Veterinary Centre in Yarm, North Yorkshire, and at Richards’ Cumbrian stables, the 13-year-old has made a full recovery and is set to parade at Aintree ahead of the Betfred Monet’s Garden Old Roan Chase.
In an illustrious career, he won 17 times from 32 starts and finished out of the first four on only seven occasions.
Richards commented: “I am delighted that the Old Roan Chase will be run in honour of Monet’s Garden. It’s great news for myself, David, my daughter Joey and the old horse himself.
“He looks grand at the moment and hopefully he will head to Aintree to parade in front of the crowds. It’s been well documented how close we came to losing the old boy last winter but he’s full of beans now.
“The response that we have received since Monet’s Garden got injured has been tremendous. It’s quietened off a little bit now but we still get cards in the post most weeks. Every time I go racing, people from all walks of life come up to me and ask about him, which is fantastic.
“All three of his wins in the Old Roan Chase were very special and he beat some very high-class horses. It was always a track that seemed to suit him and we had some fantastic days at Aintree.
“It was made all the more special because David lives just down the road from the course. The Aintree racegoers really took the horse to their hearts and he always received a great reception in the winner’s enclosure. You could really see the love they had for him.”
While his former stable star is enjoying a deserved retirement at Richards’ Greystoke yard, the handler is aiming to be represented in this season’s Betfred Monet’s Garden Old Roan Chase by another grey, Noble Alan. The eight-year-old was laying down a strong challenge in a Listed Handicap Chase at Market Rasen on September 24 but unseated Brian Harding at the penultimate fence.
“The plan is for Noble Alan to run in the race this year, providing the ground is decent.
“He was travelling very well before he unseated Brian Harding but Aintree will no doubt be a stronger race for him. We will go there, take our chance with him and hopefully he can run very well.”
