OWNERS Paul and Clare Rooney have decided to quit the jumps and focus on the Flat instead.
The Rooney’s famous yellow and navy silks have been carried to success in plenty of high-profile races over obstacles.
Willoughby Court won the 2017 Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Ben Pauling.
The Last Samuri finished second in a Grand National while If The Cap Fits won at Grade 1 level at Aintree.
But their racing manager Jason Maguire confirmed they will now solely own a Flat string.
Their best horse on the level so far has been the 2016 Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner My Dream Boat.
Maguire said: “They have decided to concentrate on the Flat. They’ve had plenty of nice horses on the Flat before and hopefully there will be more to come.
“I think it’s good going forward and we look forward to putting all our energies into the Flat season.”
The move comes a little more than a year after the owners announced they would not run their horses at Cheltenham over safety fears. Their remaining jumps horses will now go to the sales.
Maguire added: “Hopefully the trainers will get first refusal and be able to buy them to keep them in their yards, as they have done very well with them.”
