Win casts doubt on Rooster plans

Rooster Booster won the Champion Hurdle in 2003

Popular former champion hurdler Rooster Booster could have ended his career on a perfect note with victory in Friday's Concept Hurdle at Sandown Park.

It was the Philip Hobbs-trained grey's first triumph in 16 months and he received a great reception after the four-length success over Self Defense.

Proud owner Terry Warner said the 11-year-old's gutsy performance had cast doubt on plans to retire him.

"I'll have to discuss it with Philip Hobbs," Warner said.

Royal Shakespeare was leading in the two-mile race and going ominously well when he took a nasty fall at the second-last, but both he and jockey Robert Thornton appeared to escape serious injury.

That left Rooster in front and he galloped on strongly up the hill for jockey Richard Johnson.

He is still the best English two-miler hurdler around and it is a big temptation to carry on for another season Terry Warner

Warner added: "He's 11 and you can never be sure about an 11-year-old.

"I'd hate to see him get hurt or injured and that's a big risk.

"Thankfully there were no Irish-trained horses in the race, but he is still the best English two-miler hurdler around and it is a big temptation to carry on for another season."

Hobbs also admitted he was unsure about Rooster's future plans following Friday's result.

"Of course it would be nice to go out in a blaze of glory, but it might not be the right thing to do for the horse," Hobbs said.

"I don't think he has deteriorated that much and I am not sure he wants to be retired - I will have to discuss it with his owner Terry Warner.

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"We might run him in the Swinton Hurdle in a fortnight, but having said that, Terry might want to retire him."

Perouse, trained by Paul Nicholls, finished a length-and-a-quarter back behind the Patrick Chamings-trained Self Defense in third.

Rooster has won eight of his 42 career starts for trainers Richard Mitchell and Hobbs, including wins in the Bula and County Hurdles.

Earlier at Sandown, Tikram gave Tony McCoy his 199th winner of the season with a hard-fought success.

The champion jockey brought the Gary Moore-trained gelding with a beautifully-timed run to challenge long-time leader Enzo De Baune and Impek between the last two fences.

Tikram battled on well to deny the 9-2 favourite Impek by two lengths, with Enzo De Baune a further two-and-a-half lengths back in third.