Pitman ponders Smarty decision
A decision on whether or not to retire 2001 Grand National runner-up Smarty is likely to be made next week.
The 12-year-old will always be remembered for his gallant second to Red Marauder in the Aintree spectacular four years ago when they were the only two horses to put in a clear round in a race run in appalling conditions.
“The jury is still out,” said his trainer Mark Pitman today. “We’ll make a decision next week as to whether to give him a final spin on the track, but he’s fit and very well.”
Pitman had hoped Smarty could have ended his career on a high with a run in either the John Smith's Grand National or the Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National.
However, it was not to be as Smarty missed the cut for Aintree which denied him a fourth successive crack at the world’s greatest steeplechase.
And he had to forego Ayr last Saturday through lameness.
The Upper Lambourn trainer added: “It would have been nice to have given him a run in one of the Nationals and then to have ridden him off into the sunset.
“He knocked himself just before the Scottish National last week. It came just at the wrong time.
“We are looking at several places for him should we retire him.”
Pitman believes that Smarty was never quite the same after giving his all behind Red Marauder.
“His second in the Grand National was a remarkable effort. He gave that much in that race and I’m absolutely certain that he always kept a little bit for himself after that because he never knew if he would have to give that bit extra again,” he went n.
“He did go on to run some good races after that but I think that race left its mark.”
In a career spanning eight seasons, the Royal Fountain gelding has run 35 times, winning six races and amassing prize-money totalling £192,242.
“We will be forever indebted to him,” added Pitman.
