RETIRED Dorset-trained racing legend Thistlecrack was one of the greats of his era, handler Colin Tizzard has said.

The Milborne Port giant’s career came to an end aged 13.

Thistlecrack claimed the King George VI Chase and a stonking World Hurdle win at Cheltenham – both in 2016.

Tizzard told the Racing Post: “He’s been a fantastic horse. For two years he was unbeatable when he was a hurdler and then he went on to win a King George.

“He was one of the best horses around in his era and we had some great days.

“I always say on our gallop he was the best horse we ever had, you’d hold on but he’d power up it.

“I always remember his gallop the week before he won the World Hurdle, he had his head in his chest and he came up over it – I can still picture it now.

“We had Cue Card at the time who was pretty good at home but Thistlecrack would just eat our hill and not check his stride.

“Then he won the World Hurdle that day and he just powered away, it was an awesome performance.”

Tizzard added: “We’ve had some little issues with him the last few years so we decided to stop riding him and he didn’t deserve to be pushed anymore.

“He’s been hacked around now and he’ll stay here and we’ll look after him, then when the weather warms up he’ll go back to Heather’s and have a summer off. Hopefully then he can have an active retirement.”

Tom Scudamore, who rode Thistlecrack to 11 of his 13 career wins, told the Racing Post: “He was a fabulous horse to win the Stayers’ and then go over fences and win the King George in the same year.

“He was unbeatable for 18 months in his career and just a really great horse. The privilege was all mine.

“He had a very good temperament along with a lot of ability, he was just straightforward to ride. He was class, you just had to point him in the right direction.

“However the race was run he could adjust to it. At this stage, he’s the best I’ve ever ridden by quite some way.

“The first time I rode him I’d picked him up as a spare ride. It wasn’t a shock to Joe (Tizzard, assistant trainer) but he absolutely bolted up and then you were thinking he was a hell of a horse.

“We had so many good days, even the days in defeat because he’d come back off injuries and run his race which gave me great pleasure. It showed the mark of the horse and how tough he was.”

Thistlecrack proved a dominant force over three miles after his 25-1 top-level breakthrough in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in 2015.

What proved to be his final victory came in the prestigious King George VI Chase in 2016.

He retires having won 13 of his 25 career starts, amassing £743,651 in prize-money.