National winner Papillon retires
Papillon, winner of the 2000 Grand National and widely acclaimed as the horse that put his Irish jockey Ruby Walsh on the map, has been retired.
Trained by Ruby’s father, Ted, at Kill in Co Kildare, Papillon ran disappointingly over hurdles at Punchestown on Sunday (16 March).
It was after this performance that prompted Walsh and Papillon’s Pennsylvania-based owner Betty Moran to call it a day.
Walsh said: “His owner has a grand-daughter who rides and hunts in America and Papillon might go therelater in the year for her to ride.”
The original plan had been to try to get Papillon back to run in next month’s Grand National.
“There was always a big if about him going back to Aintree this time. And after his run on Sunday I talked to the owner and we agreed retirement was the best course of action.”
In addition to his glorious Aintree triumph Papillon won the Ladbroke Chase at Cheltenham and finished second to Bobbyjo in the Irish National.
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