Yard Stalwart Innisfree Lad Retired at 14
- bundlepickardracin
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Popular yard favourite Innisfree Lad has been retired at the age of 14 following a remarkable jump racing career that spanned over a decade.
Having joined the yard as a five-year-old, Innisfree Lad quickly became a much-loved member of the team and remained a familiar face. During that time, he ran 58 times under Rules before spending the last two seasons semi-retired, competing successfully in the point-to-point field as a schoolmaster.
In total Innisfree Lad won nine races under Rules, two wins over hurdles and seven chasing, as well as adding two point-to-point victories to his record during the latter stages of his career. Over his 67 starts, he earned more than £108,000 in win and place prize money. He finished in the first four on 52% of his starts and, remarkably, never fell or unseated a rider despite the huge number of fences and hurdles he jumped throughout his career.
The highlight of his career came in April 2021 when he landed the Betway Challenger Staying Chase Series Final Handicap Chase at Haydock under Tom Bellamy during lockdown. Ridden prominently throughout, Innisfree Lad tracked the leaders before narrowly leading at the 13th fence. Approaching the closing stages, he appeared beaten two fences from home, but Tom Bellamy kept driving him forward, and Innisfree Lad responded bravely to rally and win by three-quarters of a length. To get up and win having been headed in a championship race, when giving the second placed horse 19 lbs was exceptional.
That memorable victory capped a tremendous 2020/21 season during which he ran 10 times, winning five races and was placed in three. During that outstanding campaign as an eight/nine-year-old, he progressed from a handicap mark of 100 to 132, firmly establishing himself as a decent staying chaser. It also marked Innisfree Lad as the joint winning-most horse in Britain and Ireland that season.
He also produced several excellent efforts in staying handicap chases, including finishing third in the prestigious Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle off a career-high mark of 135 as a ten-year-old and third in the Borders National at Kelso, performances which confirmed that both jumping and stamina were his forte.
During his final two seasons Innisfree Lad also played an important role at home becoming an excellent schoolmaster in the point-to-point field for David’s daughter, Tilly, by kind permission of his owners Lorna Hardwick and Bob Allum. One particularly special moment came when Tilly enjoyed her first ever point-to-point victory on him in the Ladies Open at Chaddesley Corbett in April 2025.
A half-brother to another yard favourite, Cyclop, Innisfree Lad has been a real pleasure to train throughout his career and leaves the yard with enormous affection from everyone involved.
All involved with DD Racing feel fortunate to have trained and cared for such a genuine and dependable horse, whose consistency, toughness, willingness, and excellent temperament made him a favourite with staff, owners, and supporters alike. Innisfree Lad was also incredibly sound throughout his career and hardly missed a day through setbacks or injuries, something which is exceptionally rare in racehorses.
Lorna and Bob, and all at DD Racing, would like to give a special mention to all the staff that cared for Innisfree Lad throughout his career and an extra special thanks to Amelia Smart who whole heartedly looked after Innisfree Lad in his latter years and kept him sweet and happy so he could continue producing great results until the very end of his career.
Everyone at the yard wishes Innisfree Lad a long, happy, and well-earned retirement.
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