Mandatory retirement for reigning Grand National winner

The ever-powerful Hastings stable of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal have a good team of established jumpers getting ready for the new season.

“We’ve got about eight there plus some younger ones coming through, learning the ropes,” said McDougal.

Unfortunately, last season’s Grand National Hurdles winner at Riccarton, Suliman (NZ) (Redwood) is not amongst this year’s team after retirement was forced upon him.

A new directive from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) means jumpers cannot race after December 31 of their 12-year-old season.

McDougal said the stable and others lobbied NZTR extensively to rethink the decision, but it was to no avail.

“He was in work until we got the final ruling in February.

“They said studies have showed horses are more susceptible to serious issues at that age and the decision was made from a welfare point of view.

“It doesn’t make sense to us.

“We could understand if they had to be subject to vet assessments and we tried to negotiate for that, but they wouldn’t budge.”

Suliman is now being looked after by Lucy de Lautour in nearby Waipukurau.

“He’s now out hunting with Lucy, and she said to us the other day, this horse is so well, he should be getting ready to race.”

Suliman, a son of Redwood, won six races during a successful flat career, all bar the last of them for Matamata’s Graham Richardson.

After joining Nelson and McDougal, he quickly became a force in the hurdling ranks winning the Awapuni and Wellington Hurdles in 2023, both races held at Trentham.

After missing the 2024 winter, he returned last year and took out the time-honoured Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton with rider Hamish McNeill aboard in what was a thrilling four-horse finish.

“He really loved racing on deep winter tracks – it was his forte,” said McDougal.

“He was a great horse to do anything with and a pleasure to have around the stable.”

The stable’s racing team for 2026 is headed by Dictation (NZ) (Tavistock), who won both the Waikato and Sydenham Hurdles last year, and Taika (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu), who won the first running of the Great New Zealand Hurdles at Te Aroha back in September.

“Plus, there’s The Bambino, Nedwin, Skaw Valley and a few others.”

Nedwin (NZ) (Niagara), who has won six Prestige Jumping Races in a storied career, including last year’s Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Te Aroha, is another faced with mandatory retirement.

“He turns 12 on August 1 but the rules will allow him to race through until the end of the jumping season.”