Champion jumper The Cossack retired

The curtain has come down on the career of champion jumper The Cossack.

A winner of 15 jumping races, The Cossack returned this season after sustaininga suspensory ligament injury that he suffered just days out from last year’s Grand National Steeplechase (5500m), but after fourth placed efforts in the Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) and Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4300m), his trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal decided he had nothing left to prove.

“We’d been talking about it and he hadn’t been performing quite as well this season as he had done, so we were very cautious of him going out and finishing on a low point, having been such a great performer,” Nelson said.

“We were happy to finish with the Pakuranga, he possibly doesn’t handle 6400m on a Heavy track as well, which we would probably get in the Northern.”

Bred and initially raced by Ivan Grieve, the son of Mastercraftsman commenced his career in the care of John Bary, who prepared him to two victories on the flat and a fourth placing in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m).

Late in the 2018/19 season, The Cossack stepped out over fences for the first time, and on the recommendation of top hoop Aaron Kuru, Nelson decided to purchase the promising gelding for $30,000, alongside Ivan’s brother Peter and nephew Doug Grieve, and John Frizzell.

Nelson and McDougal took over The Cossack’s training and he rose rapidly through the ranks in his second season hurdling, culminating in his first prestige success in the Great Northern Hurdle (4190m) at Ellerslie.

While he was still a relatively inexperienced jumper, that first Northern crown and what followed came as no surprise to Nelson.

“Aaron Kuru schooled him over jumps and he recommended him to us, he thought he felt the goods,” he said.

“He ran second in his first hurdle start for us, then won two hurdle races at Te Aroha by 19 and 20 lengths, so we knew from there that he was a pretty fair horse.

“After that first Northern, he won another eight jumping races in a row, as well as the Road to the Jericho.

“We just looked forward to the next race with a horse like him.”

Among his nine-straight jumping victories was the Waikato Hurdle (3200m), Wellington Hurdle (3100m), Grand National Hurdles (4200m), a second Great Northern Hurdle (4200m), KS Browne Hurdle (3100m) and Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m), nearly the complete set of New Zealand’s prestige hurdle races.

“He always gave 100 percent every time,” Nelson said.

“Although he could be hard to settle early in his races, when he did settle, you could ride forward or back, it didn’t matter, and he could sprint at the end of these races if he needed to.”

After his Hawke’s Bay win, Nelson and McDougal decided to test The Cossack across the Tasman, and despite carrying six kilos more than the winner, he came agonisingly close to claiming the Australian Grand National Steeplechase (4500m), going down by a short head to St Arnicca.

“We wanted to have a try, but unfortunately he was so high in his hurdle rating, so when he ran in the Grand National Hurdles, he was weighted well above any other horse over there,” Nelson said.

“He lost a point or two for running fifth, but in Australia, they don’t have separate ratings for hurdles and steeples, so he was only having his second steeplechase start in the Grand National Steeples there and carried topweight.

“I don’t think that system is doing the jumping in Australia any good because the good hurdlers are so high in the handicap so they don’t convert to steeplechasing. Whereas in New Zealand, a good hurdler can go out on the minimum in a maiden steeplechase, and move up the ratings accordingly, as he was able to here.

“It was pretty tough on him, but he ran a hell of a good race and we were very proud of him, as we were every time he raced.”

Upon his return to New Zealand, The Cossack continued steeplechasing and added two successive Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) wins, a Pakuranga Hunt Cup and Wellington Steeplechase to his record.

The 12-year-old heads into retirement having shown serious versatility, with four wins on the flat, nine over hurdles and six in the steeplechasing role accumulating over $700,000 in stakes. He was twice crowned Champion Jumper at the Horse of the Year Awards and is right up there in the best Nelson has trained.

“I couldn’t really pick between him and No Hero, this horse won nine in a row, and No Hero won eight steeplechases in a row,” he said. “I think of them in the same class.

“He’ll go out to a nice paddock now for a spell, and after that, we will look for someone that he will suit. He’s not the easiest to ride as he does like sticking his head in the air when it’s time to go so we’ll be careful, but he can have a good rest first.

“It’s been a great ride for myself and the owners, he’s a very special horse and provided them with a lot of exciting times.”