Charles Byrnes has confirmed his dual Cheltenham Festival hero Weapon's Amnesty has been retired from racing after suffering another injury. Winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the 2009 Festival, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned chestnut returned to Prestbury Park 12 months later to run out a hugely impressive winner of the RSA Chase, beating the Nicky Henderson-trained pair of Burton Port and Long Run. However, he then spent over two and a half years on the sidelines with injury and when he did eventually return to competitive action in last month's Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, he was pulled up. The 10-year-old has now suffered a further setback and connections feel it is the right time to call it a day. Byrnes said: "He's got another slight injury unfortunately, it's not the old injury. "It hasn't been straightforward getting him back. He takes a lot of work to get fit and it was always going to be a bit iffy. "It's a shame as the formbook tells you he could have gone right to the top." Happy retirement Weapons Amnesty - and here's to what might have been
Awful news Oddy. Really liked this one and around HQ on decent ground he would of been a match for most.
A crying shame that he was never able to have a rematch with Long Run. Here's to a safe retirement Well done to Charles Byrnes on being so patient also.
Really loved this horse n backed him twice when he won two years ina row at chelts,happy retirment old boy
Shame to hear this, but at least he is being retired in one piece. Could have been on the cusp of being something very special. Will be another one that we will never know what could have been....
