"Horse of a lifetime" Unowhatimeanharry retires, aged 13

Harry Fry’s stable flagbearer Unowhatimeanharry has been retired from racing at the age of 13.

Unowhatimeanharry has been in Fry’s care for the past six seasons, initially under the ownership of the Harry Fry Racing Club before JP McManus bought him following his Grade One success in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival – the culmination of a five-race winning streak.

From there, he continued to win top-class hurdle contests and pocketed prizes such as Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle, Cheltenham’s Cleeve Hurdle, two Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdles and two Newbury Long Distance Hurdles.

A statement on Harry Fry’s website read: “We have decided to retire Unowhatimeanharry at the age of 13 after a stellar career as a staying hurdler.

“He has been a marvellous flagship for the yard over the past six years and a horse of a lifetime, having won four Grade One races and over £670,000 in prize money.

“Since he returned into training this autumn there have been little signs that the years are finally catching up with him. In a way, he was telling us it was time for him to take life easy.

“You always have to put the horse first in these situations – and Frank Berry, racing manager to his owner JP McManus, and I both felt it was the right decision to pull stumps now.

“Unowhatimeanharry has more than earned a long and happy retirement with us at Higher Crockermoor and will be in good company with (2012 Champion Hurdle winner) Rock On Ruby and other old soldiers in our care.”