Charlie Swan to retire from training ranks

Charlie Swan is to retire from the training ranks at the end of this month.

Swan, who will always be remembered in his riding days as the partner of the great Istabraq and has enjoyed many big-race successes from his Tipperary stables, cited rising costs and the viability of his operation as being behind his decision.

“It’s just got a bit difficult, we don’t have as many horses here now and it’s time to get out really.

“With the costs of labour and everything else, the rising costs and less horses, it’s not as easy as it was.

“I’d like to thank all my staff and owners. Life goes on and I will look to the future, I will probably do a bit of trading in horses and the bloodstock side of things and see what happens.”

Swan, who retired from the saddle in 2003 having won three Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham on Istabraq for Aidan O’Brien and JP McManus, saw Offshore Account and One Cool Cookie win Grade Ones for his Cloughjordan yard, at Punchestown and Fairyhouse respectively.

Emmpat won the Scottish Champion Hurdle, while smart stayer This Is Serious claimed the Eider Chase at Newcastle, the Cork Grand National and the Thyestes Chase at Gowran, with Ground Ball winning the Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse with Tony McCoy on board.

What A Native was another big handicap chase winner, and there was success on the Flat, too, as Jalmira lifted the Irish Cambridgeshire and Crooked Throw took the Irish Lincoln. Among his best horses on the level was Rajik, a dual Listed winner and fourth in the Irish Leger of 2010 to Sans Frontieres.

Swan said: “I’ve been very lucky and trained some nice horses for JP and Gigginstown and others, and I thank them all for their support. One Cool Cookie won a Grade One and so did Offshore Account, then there was Ground Ball and This Is Serious and horses like that, in the Eider and the Thyestes.

“I’ve had a couple of nice Flat horses, winning the Irish Lincoln and Cambridgeshire, and Rajik running fourth in the Leger.

“I just don’t have as many horses now.”