Much-loved ‘quirky’ Grand National runner retires aged 13: ‘A remarkable horse to be involved with’

The hugely popular veteran racehorse Two For Gold has been retired from racing at the age of 13. Trained by H&H columnist Kim Bailey and his assistant turned co-trainer Mat Nicholls, the gelding won 11 times in a remarkable career spanning more than eight years, during which he ran 36 times – an outstanding 36% winning strike rate.

Two For Gold also finished second six times and came third twice, taking part in the 2022 Grand National and at the Cheltenham Festival, accruing  over £287,000 in prize money for owners, the May We Never Be Found Out Partnership 2.

Kim Bailey writes in Horse & Hound this week: “All in all, he has been a most remarkable horse to be involved with.”

Kim Bailey on Two For Gold: “He has a truly remarkable record”

Two For Gold was bred by Neil Tector and is a son of Gold Well. He made a winning debut in a Southwell bumper in 2017 under conditional jockey Richard Condon and returned to the winner’s enclosure two months later at Doncaster with Mikey Hamill in the saddle.

The following season he embarked on a hurdling career before going chasing and it was with jockey David Bass that he posted a glittering nine successes.

A Grade Two victory at Warwick and the Fleur Du Lys at Lingfield are just some of the highlights of Two For Gold’s racing career and he became a great campaigner of the hugely popular veterans’ races in recent years.

“A truly remarkable record,” said Kim Bailey of the yard favourite who he has described as “a funny old horse and a quirky individual”. “He will now enjoy a wonderful and very well deserved retirement.”

Ensuring the future of Two For Gold and other retired racehorses

Kim Bailey went on to explain the importance of safeguarding the future of all racehorses when they retire from the sport.

“When we retire our horses, they go with a non-racing agreement,” he explained of the system in place at his Gloucestershire training yard. “The people who take them on are heavily vetted by my wife Clare, and the conditions are very clear: the horse must be properly looked after, we must be kept informed of how they are getting on, and there has to be ongoing communication. We never sell our retired horses, because once you sell a horse, you lose all control. This way, we retain some influence over their future.

“Racing has absolute responsibility to look after its horses when their racing careers end, but when you consider how many horses retire every year, it’s easy to see what a challenge this is for trainers and owners alike.”

You can read more from Kim Bailey in this week’s Horse & Hound, the magazine is in shops on Thursday, 12 February.

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