Festival hero Chianti Classico all set to enjoy happy retirement

Chianti Classico is said to be in “good shape” following the injury that ended his racing career, with part-owner Sir Francis Brooke eager to find a second vocation in Ireland for his Cheltenham Festival hero to enjoy.

Brooke, who is His Majesty’s Representative at Ascot, had the pleasure of owning Chianti Classico throughout his racing days alongside Sir Richard Pilkington, with Kim Bailey’s popular chaser enjoying his finest hour at Prestbury Park in 2024 when winning the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Gold Cup dreams were cruelly dashed when Chianti Classico suffered an injury back in the Cotswolds later that year and although he made encouraging strides in his recovery, a further setback led to the decision to call time on his racing career in October.

The eight-year-old has subsequently remained in Ireland, with Brooke revealing at Huntingdon on Sunday that hopes are high for a long and enjoyable second career away from the racecourse.

He said: “We had a wonderful summer, he was with Enda Bolger for a while and was cantering and galloping and then he had a little bit of a setback and we knew we couldn’t go on.

“We’re going to try to find a second career for him in Ireland definitely, maybe showing or retired racehorse classes, something like that sort of thing.

“He was so popular and we gave him every chance, he really enjoyed his summer. He’s in good shape now and he will have a happy retirement, we’ll look after him.”