First Gold Retired After National

First Gold has been retired by owner JP McManus and trainer Francois Doumen following his run in the John Smith's Grand National.

The 13-year-old, who unseated his rider at the 23rd fence at Aintree, will be retired to McManus' Martinstown Stud in County Limerick, where former champion staying hurdler Baracouda is also based.

'He's going to be retired. He's been great and he's been very lucky for us but unfortunately the years have been catching up with him and Ritchie (McGrath) had a great ride on him in the National,' said McManus' racing manager Frank Berry.

'He'll spend his days alongside Baracouda at Martinstown Stud.

'For us the highlights would be when he won the races at Punchestown and Liverpool. They were two great days for us.'

First Gold won 11 of his 44 starts and amassed #885,101 in prize money.

He began his career in the colours of Marquisa De Moratalla and won France's most valuable chase, the Grand Steeplechase de Paris in May 1998 when only five.

After winning the 2000 King George VI Chase at Kempton, he was bought by McManus for a reputed #500,000, a record price for a National Hunt horse at the time.

He would have been a leading contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 2001 but the race was not staged due to the foot and mouth outbreak and he missed the 2002 running due to a leg injury.

He did, however, lift the Martell Cup at Aintree in April 2001 and took that prize again two years later and followed it up with victory shortly afterwards in the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown.

That success in April 2003 proved to be his last although he did run some fine races in defeat, notably when third in the 2003 King George and second in the Grade Two chase at Aintree in 2004 and 2005.

(C) PA Sport