The veteran Take Cover, winner of 15 of his 49 races, has been retired after a gallant second-place finish at Newbury.
The 11-year-old, who raced in the colours of Norcroft Park Stud, caught the public’s affection with his model of consistency, which took him all the way from a maiden success at Southwell to the highest level.
Trained by David Griffiths in Yorkshire, Take Cover is fondly remembered for his dual success’ in the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, while he also finished twice in that same race in recent years.
While he was never able to gain a top-flight victory, the son of Singspiel’s best performance at the top level came when he finished third in the 2016 Nunthorpe Stakes behind Mecca’s Angel.
The remarkable beauty of this horse is that he was bred to be a middle-distance horse, but the never-say-die attitude inherited from his sire was evident in plenty of his races.
In the autumn of last year, Take Cover brought up a fine hat-trick when landing the Beverley Bullet, World Trophy and Mercury Stakes at Dundalk, which he was winning for the third time.
The very same feat looked to be back on this autumn when he doubled up in the Beverley Bullet again, but he was outgunned last Saturday in dreadful conditions when trying to defend his World Trophy crown, but nonetheless he bows out with immense pride.
However, this may not be his last swansong if Griffiths can persuade his owner there’s still spark in the tank, but if this is the final hurrah, the Take Cover is heading for a well-deserved retirement.