Two-time Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo retires

Fergal O’Brien’s dual Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo has been retired.

The nine-year-old has struggled since winning the Ascot Grade One for a second time in December 2024 and connections felt he no longer had the appetite for top-level races.

“We’re announcing Crambo’s official retirement,” said O’Brien in a video posted on social media.

“We’ve had this horse all our lives, he won his first two bumpers for us, he won an EBF Final, he won at Aintree for us and obviously won two Grade Ones, his two Long Walks.

“He’s been an incredible horse, very straightforward. I wouldn’t say it has been an easy decision to make, but he just wasn’t really loving what he was doing. He had a bad fall at Cheltenham and I think that left a mark on him.

“I’m very grateful Jared Sullivan and Chris Giles for sending him to us and to Noel Fehily who bred him with Jared.

“He’s been a great servant, he’ll have a fantastic retirement with Eve Nicholls, who has looked after him since the day he arrived here. She knows him inside out and was a big part of the decision to retire him. He’ll stay at Ravenswell and she’ll look after him here and go down the ROR route or whatever.

“I can’t wait to see what he does in his next chapter and he’s been a fantastic horse for us.”

Crambo won eight of his 18 races, winning over £200,000 in prize-money.