Michael Halford, trainer of Group 1 winner Casamento (Ire), is to depart from the Irish training ranks prior to the start of the Flat turf season. Formerly a sole licence holder, he has been training in partnership with Tracey Collins for the last two years.
Halford, 62, who has been training for four decades and has saddled more than 1,000 winners, announced his impending retirement in a statement on Tuesday.
He said, “Over the last 40 years I've been lucky enough to train for some of the world's leading owners and there have been many highlights along the way, with Casamento's Racing Post Trophy victory and Portage's Royal Ascot success among them.
“Certerach's win on Dubai World Cup night was a really special day for us all as his owner Paul Rooney has always been such a tremendous supporter of the yard.”
He continued, “Being entrusted with horses for the Aga Khan for the best part of 20 years has also been a huge honour and I leave the training ranks with no regrets. I've enjoyed every minute of it and I'm hoping to stay involved in racing but for the moment I've no plans in terms of what is next.”
The victory of the Yulong-owned Platinum Warrior (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Gallinule Stakes of 2018 brought up an important milestone for Halford as his 1,000th winner. He moved from his long-term base at Copper Beech Stables to join forces with Collins at Conyngham Lodge on the other side of the Curragh and the training partners have sent out 44 winners over the past two seasons.
In a heartfelt interview in TDN last September, Halford spoke of regaining his confidence after a tumultuous time in his professional and private life. However, he cites a decline in the number of horses in the stable as the catalyst for his decision to step back from training.
“Unfortunately our numbers aren't what they once were and I'm not getting any younger, so before the 2025 season gets underway it felt like the right time to bow out and give my excellent staff and loyal owners a chance to move elsewhere before the season gets underway,” he said.
“To everyone who has supported us since the early 1980s I extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude. It's been a great journey and I wouldn't have swapped it for anything. We have a great industry in Ireland and one that we can be very proud of and I hope that I can play some part in this wonderful industry over the coming years.”
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