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can someone reflect on what this horse has achived please ?
and do they think he can still retain his abilty?
with thanks
From Racenews:
Tikram won the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase (now the Freddie Williams Festival Plate) at The Festival back in 2004 and his owner Rodger Sargent is relishing a return to Cheltenham in the Citroen C3 Picasso Hunters’ Chase with the evergreen 12-year-old.
Sargent said: “He had been retired for about three months and we sponsored a race in his honour at Fontwell in November. We took him to down there for the occasion and he was so well in himself that Gary suggested that we put him back in training.
“So we sent him to Di Grissell, who did a cracking job with him, and he bolted up in a point-to-point at Penshurst on April 4. It was a bit strange because it was the same day as the Grand National, which he had run in two years earlier.
“He went to Gary’s yard straight after that and seems in great nick. All of the Moore children have ridden Tikram at home and Josh will take the ride on Wednesday.
“He made his chase debut at Cheltenham and he has run some cracking races there over the years. Obviously, his big win was in the Mildmay Of Flete Challenge Cup in 2004 but he ran a cracker under Tony McCoy in the William Hill Trophy Chase the following year.
“Even his run in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup was a good effort and he didn’t disgrace himself against the best chasers around. Gary said that the only gig he missed was the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle because he ran in virtually every other race over fences and hurdles, while he also ran in the Cesarewitch and at Royal Ascot on the Flat.
“I ride him a lot at home and I was actually going to ride him on Wednesday but the problem was that I am not a very good jockey and Tikram is a very strong horse – he carted me off for two miles at Gary’s last year – so I decided to leave it to Josh on this occasion.
“He’s a fast ground horse and hopefully he will get his ground. If he could win at Cheltenham again, it would be fantastic and we may aim him at next year’s Christie’s Foxhunter Chase – there can’t be many horses who have raced at seven Festivals.”
In terms of what Tikram has achieved; he was purchased from Henry Cecil for 50,000gns in October 2000. That’s over eight years his been stabled at Gary Moore’s yard, winning on seven occasions including a Mildmay Of Flete at the Cheltenham Festival. When you consider Tikram has taken part in a Gold Cup, Grand National, Imperial Cup, Ladbroke Hurdle, Vincent O’Brien Hdle, Elite Hurdle at Wincanton, Tote Gold Trophy, Cesarewitch, Mildmay Of Flete, Silver Trophy, Paddy Power, Great Yorkshire Chase, Racing Post Chase, William Hill Trophy plus the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot he must have been a joy to be connected with
To have retained a mark in excess of 120 since December 2001 and only hold a ceiling mark of 146 explains how durable Tikram must be.
Connections retired him after a 7th trip to Cheltenham Festival last year. The owners sponsored a race in his honour at Fontwell, Tikram paraded prior to that race in November.
Subsequently he joined Di & Gardi Grissell for one run winning a PTP at Penshurst on Grand National weekend quite readily compared to his previous convinctions of keeping a good bit back.
Hopefully he gets round safe n sound this week and is allowed a 2nd retirement package if things don’t pan out
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