A ‘legend’ and ‘a horse you dream of’ is how John Nallen describes Minella Times.
The 2021 Grand National winner was retired this morning after suffering an injury setback.
John Nallen of Hotel Minella in Clonmel purchased Minella Times as a foal in 2013 before selling him to JP McManus in 2018.
In April of 2021, Minella Times, trained by Henry De Bromhead and with Rachael Blackmore on board, was triumphant at the Aintree Grand National.
John described the horse as what you dream about:
“He was a legend, he’s what you dream about and what you work at every day, it just all came together for him.
“He is the gold medal in the Olympics.
“It is good news that he has retired in the one piece and he’ll go to a good home in Martinstown, they care for all the retired horses down there.
“He was a legend, to be associated with him, to buy him as a foal and produce him and point-to-point him and sell him on to JP and for him to win the National for JP and Rachael and Henry was unbelievable stuff.”
Minella Times will now be retired to JP McManus’ stud in Martinstown.
John says he’s in good hands:
“That’s a retirement home I’d love to go there myself if I qualified, if I’d four legs I’d be there in the morning.
“The way he (JP McManus) looks after those horses and the pleasure the horses give him, he goes out and walks around with them and would know every one of them.
“The pleasure it gives him is unbelievable.”
