‘She was special in every way’ – Nicky Henderson confirms retirement of Cheltenham Festival winner Marie’s Rock

Nicky Henderson paid an emotional tribute to Marie’s Rock after announcing the retirement of its Cheltenham Festival winner.

The nine-year-old, who caused an 18-1 surprise under Nico de Boinville in the Mares’ Hurdle in 2022, has won nine of her 22 starts and earned just over £350,000 in prize money.

Owned by Middleham Park Racing, Marie’s Rock was purchased for €35,000 at the Goffs Land Rover store sale before making a successful debut at Ffos Las in May 2019. The mare followed up her Cheltenham Festival success with a second grade win 1 in the Irish Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

She landed the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day last year, before taking the Grade 2 Warfield Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster in January this year. Her last race was on the Flat when she finished second in the Listed Beckford Stakes at Bath this month.

Reflecting on her career, Henderson said: “She was a bit special in every way. When we bought her, no one would have ever dreamed, or even after her first two seasons, that she would end up where she did. She never missed a beat throughout of his career – it was fantastic.

“Fair play for Middleham Park, who have a great squad, because she was very special to everyone and we will miss her.”

Marie’s Rock: winner of the 2022 Mares’ HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Henderson added: “She will be sold as a potential broodmare and whoever takes her will have the most fantastic broodmare in the world. We gave her two races on the Flat; she was unlucky the first time and only got a beating on the head in one race. listed a few weeks ago. It’s time to move on and I hope she enjoys what’s next.

Marie’s Rock shared multiple Cheltenham Festival winners Sire Du Berlais and Flooring Porter when finishing second in last year’s Liverpool Hurdle and when explaining why she was so special, Henderson said: “She had an extraordinary characteristic that we never got resolve and never interfered with it.

“You’ve never seen any racehorse with its head held higher than she does every day. It almost seemed somewhat unnatural, but she did all her work and studies this way, and you would wonder how she could see an obstacle. we made her wear the sheepskin muzzle so she could put her head down and see where she was going.

“It took a jockey with really good hands to ride her, because when you have a horse with its head up like she did, it’s very uncomfortable, but she was very unique and it was her way of doing things. the fakest horses, but she was the most genuine horse.”

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