Sharjah, an 11-year-old six-time Grade 1 winner, has been retired. Regular rider Patrick Mullins has praised the "incredible horse" for giving him some of the best days of his career.
Owner Rich Ricci's Sharjah has won 13 of his 50 starts. The most recent victory came last month at Ayr on Scottish National Day when he won the novices' champion handicap chase on his first attempt over three miles. Pricewise tipster Tom Segal said the outcome brought him as much joy as any of his winners over the previous few decades.
It was the first leg of a four-timer that helped seal a famous triumph in the British trainers' title, 70 years after Vincent O'Brien accomplished the incredible feat, and that achievement set the stage for a sensational Saturday for Willie Mullins at Ayr.
Sharjah will be best known as a superb two-mile hurdler, despite his final triumph coming in a three-mile chase. In addition to winning two Morgianas at Punchestown and four Matheson Hurdles at Leopardstown, he also won the 2018 Galway Hurdle as the champion amateur.
Patrick Mullins said: "We have decided to honourably retire Sharjah. He won three times this season and he's going out after his really important win at Ayr which contributed handsomely to the British trainers' title. He was an incredible horse. He won four Matheson Hurdles, the same as Istabraq and Hurricane Fly. He won two Morgianas at Punchestown as well. He won a Galway Hurdle and it's seven years now since he fell at the last in that Grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown. He's given me some of the best days of my career and I doubt that I will ever have an association with a horse as good as him again. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Rich for leaving me on Sharjah so often. It gave me the chance to compete and sometimes beat the best at the top level on a regular basis. It was never taken for granted and will always be much appreciated."