Ted Walsh savours special moments, as Any Second Now heads for ‘five-star’ retirement

Ted Walsh has described training Any Second Now as “a privilege” after the stalwart of the Irish staying chasing scene brought the curtain down on his career at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Owned by JP McManus, the 13-year-old was bidding to become the first teenager since Overshadow in 1953 to win the Irish Grand National, finishing runner-up for the second successive year, this time behind Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs – a typically brave effort which would ultimately be his final outing.

“He was a great horse to have and a privilege to have him,” said Walsh.

“We’ve had him since he was a four-year-old, he’s been here for nine seasons and we’ve had some great days with him.

“He was just a pleasure to be involved with and I get very attached to them. He was here for a long time and I appreciate everything he has done for me. He has always run his heart out and he was good at Fairyhouse on Monday, as he was 12 months ago – he just met a better horse on the day.”

A winner of the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019, he also ran in the Grand National at Aintree three years running, finishing second in 2021 and again making the podium when third a year later.

“We went to Liverpool for the Grand National on three occasions, twice to Cheltenham, ran in three Irish Nationals and we got a Cheltenham Festival win out of him,” added Walsh.

“When he won the Moscow Flyer over hurdles, with the size of him and the scope he had, you knew he would make a nice chaser and he did that and he became a very good horse and a very sound horse. We had some terrific days.

“The only time I think he was unlucky was in his first Grand National which Rachael (Blackmore) won on Henry de Bromhead’s horse (Minella Times). He got very badly baulked and lost a lot of ground and that’s probably the only day when you could think if the ball had bounced right he might have won.”

Any Second Now will now join fellow McManus-owned luminaries at the owner’s Martinstown Stud in retirement, with Walsh delighted he will head off to what he termed a “five-star hotel” for horses.

“I just always liked everything about Any Second Now and he had a very good owner in JP, you could do whatever you liked with him,” continued Walsh.

“He would have had a very good home here, but he is going to a five-star hotel at Martinstown.

“I wouldn’t mind going down there myself in retirement and JP has a beautiful set up and he’s off to The Savoy or The Ritz for horses.”

Walsh also reserved praise for Mark Walsh – McManus’ retained jockey in Ireland – who partnered Any Second Now for the majority of his 41-race career.

“One of the reasons he lasted so long is that Mark rode him nearly all the time and rode him so well,” said Walsh.

“He knew when it wasn’t happening for him and never abused him. He didn’t give him any hard races to be third or fourth when he didn’t have to, he always thought of the next day and the bigger picture and the horse thrived for that, it was a big thing.”