Fiddling The Facts has been retired, it was announced today. Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old mare has failed to show her usual sparkle on her last three runs having finished a good third for the second year running in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on her reappearance in November.
'She's retiring to stud,' Henderson said this morning. 'It's time for her to start to make babies. We'll be discussing which stallion to use over the next couple of days.'
Fiddling The Facts, a successful point-to-pointer in Ireland, won the 1997 running of the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton Park but has failed to add to her tally since.
However, she ran several good races in defeat last season including when filling the runner-up's slot in the Coral Welsh National, Singer & Friedlander National Trial and Greenalls Grand National Trial.
On the strength of those efforts she was made favourite for the Martell Grand National but fell at the second Becher's when still in contention.
And prior to her disappointments this time she was once again being aimed at Aintree.
Henderson paid tribute to Fiddling The Facts.
He said: 'She's been a wonderful servant. She's been here quite a while and we are going to miss her.
'She's been running in the big races for the last four seasons and she's done everything we've asked.
'She's a Grade One-winning mare - they don't come round very often - and she's retired sound as a pound.
'She deserves a wonderful retirement and will be retained by her owner (Bunny Roberts) for breeding.
'Hopefully Mrs Roberts will retain some of the offspring for racing.'
Fiddling The Facts raced 21 times over jumps for four victories, six seconds and three thirds and £107,416 in win-and-place prizemoney.
