Beef Or Salmon still loving life among the Irish National Stud legends

Beef Or Salmon remains a revered figure as the elder statesman of the Irish National Stud, continuing to thrive at the ripe old age of 29.

The chestnut was trained by the recently-retired Michael Hourigan during a long and distinguished career, running 51 times under rules and winning 19 of those starts, with a further 15 placings.

Though he worked his way through the bumper and hurdle divisions and even won twice under the outright Flat code, he was an out-and-out chaser who came into his own when first presented with a fence.

His first season steeplechasing was audaciously planned by Hourigan, who threw him straight in at the deep end with a run in what is now known as the Clonmel Oil Chase on his debut over the larger obstacles.

In those deep waters Beef Or Salmon showed he could swim, however, winning the Grade Two under Paul Carberry to kick-start a remarkable season in which he would also land the Hilly Way, the Lexus Chase (now known as the Savills Chase) and the Irish Gold Cup, which was then run as the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

His bid for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was sadly cut short by an early and unusual fall for the horse as Best Mate went on to win, but the gelding did finish his term on a high when showing his versatility to land a valuable Flat race in the spring.

Having firmly established himself as a top-tier chaser in only his first season, Beef Or Salmon retained that status year after year when winning the Hilly Way once more and both the Irish Gold Cup and the Savills twice more – the latter a record that still stands.

He would also take the race now known as the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal twice and add John Durkan and Punchestown Gold Cup titles to a CV that lists no less than 10 Grade One races.

Despite five tries in the Gold Cup, including when favourite in 2006, Cheltenham glory eluded him, but he retired in 2008 with a reputation as one of the best-loved horses in Ireland and indeed elsewhere, and in 2012 he went to spend his retirement in the expert hands of the Irish National Stud in County Kildare.

That was 13 years ago and he happily spends his time in the perfectly-titled ‘Living Legends’ paddock alongside fellow National Hunt heroes Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and new resident Sizing John.

Beef Or Salmon is the senior presence both figuratively and literally, keeping a weather eye on the famously rambunctious Hurricane Fly and attracting many admirers to the stud, including his old pal Hourigan.

‘Beefy’, as he is known, is cared for by Leona Harmon and is healthy and well as heads into the final year of his 20s, a visitor attraction in himself alongside the band of stallions and the Japanese gardens.

“I still remember the day he got off the truck here and there were loads of tourists around, he just looked so free galloping around the paddock,” she said.

“He’s such a crowd-pleaser and he knows people have come here to see him.

“When you think about what he’s won you know, he’s unbelievable, and for his age too, I’ve never had to get the vet in for him – touch wood.

“He’s such a solid, strong-boned horse with a massive shoulder on him, there aren’t many of them around. He stands out as your typical big National Hunt horse.

“When he notices something and stands up with his ears pricked he is stunning, when the May grass comes in he always does so well.

“He’s all tucked up in his winter rugs at the moment with plenty of feed, he has his own paddock with Faugheen and Hurricane Fly on one side and him in his own space.

“I know him so well and he knows me so well, he’s a joy to look after and it’s a joy to see him in the summertime when people come up to him to give him treats. He loves that.”

The current cohort are exalted enough, but there was a time when Harmon cared for six horses that could all be described in their own right as the ‘horse of a lifetime’.

“I love getting up in the morning to look after them, Hurricane Fly is another one, 22 Grade Ones is some record, and Faugheen was a champion as well,” she continued.

“I had six of them at one point, Kicking King, Hardy Eustace and Rite Of Passage were in the field as well – you’ll never see the likes again.

“It’s a great pride to look after those horses and when you lose one there’s nothing worse. Kicking King was a big friend of Beefy and Beefy was down in the dumps for months after he died.

“Any time he saw a trailer his face would light up thinking it was him, it was very sad.

“Now Hurricane Fly and Beefy are like peas in a pods, but Hurricane Fly is one you can’t take your eye off!

“Now we have Sizing John who joined us last week. He’s a huge horse, massive, I need a step ladder!

“He can team up with Faugheen and then Hurricane Fly and Beefy team up. He’s always been the daddy of the group, Beefy, he’s looked after them all down the line and we look after him.”