Limerick superstar! ‘Anything that Istabraq wants, Istabraq gets’

HOT on the hooves of Aintree is the Punchestown Racing Festival, a place that is very familiar to arguably one of Limerick’s greatest sporting heroes, Istabraq.

While the decorated gelding is enjoying a life of retirement on the grounds of Martinstown Stud outside Kilmallock, he knows only too well the preparation, training and star quality needed to win on the big days.

Lara Hegarty cares for the loveable rogue who endeared himself to the wider public when he famously won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on three occasions in the JP McManus green and gold silks.

And, according to Lara, “whatever Istabraq wants, he gets”.

Lara has spent a decade with the horse who has the attitude of a colt - he’s friendly and feisty, youthful and charismatic.

“I love him to bits. He's just got a great personality,” she told the Limerick Leader this Tuesday morning when we paid a visit to Martinstown Stud. Lara explained how earlier in the day, while grooming him, Istabraq picked up the brushes and threw them to the side in a playful manner.

^{[Istabraq pictured with the Limerick Leader's Limerick Live's Meghann Scully]}

In the evening, he comes inside after being in the field alongside his good friend Gilgamboa (his last race and win was in Punchestown in 2018). He likes to inspect the barn, say hello to other horses and walk to the feed room where he knows the stash of carrots are kept.

“It's great because I know how many people love him and have admired him over the last 30 years,” Lara added after revealing he had fans visiting from Germany, England and even America.

Throughout his glittering career over hurdles, with Charlie Swan on board, Istabraq won the Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle in 1997 and Punchestown Champion Hurdle in 1999.

Out of Sadlers Wells (sire) and Betty’s Secret (dam) he was bred for the flat but was unsuccessful and in 1996 made his hurdling debut which would see him go on to become one of the greatest horses over hurdles this country has ever seen.

At the incredible age of 30 (he turns 31 on May 23) and having won 23 major races, this bay thoroughbred has been described as the “King of the Yard”.

He commands attention when you enter the Champions Barn where Minella Times, Buveur d'Air and the recently-crowned Irish Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, are all stabled in the JP McManus-owned yard.

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The 400-acre stud which is nestled in the south Limerick countryside is a place of rest and relaxation for many horses as well as those in retirement.

During the summer, up to 200 horses will be back on site to relax and unwind ahead of the next racing season, others will be visiting to recover from injury. Throughout the course of their stay they will get a full “MOT” with a dentist, farrier, vets and specialists all checking on the condition of these superstars.

Julie O’Connell has been working in the five-star stud for a number of years and the Knocklong native sees first-hand how effective “holiday camp” is for the four-legged visitors between racing festivals.

“The night they come, they switch off and they get their tendons checked and the dentist and then our vet comes up once a week, to check them over. They go out the fields for a couple of weeks and they're just different horses when they come back in, they know they're coming back in for their job. They love it,” she added.

The Punchestown Racing Festival takes place from April 25-29.