TRIPLE World Hurdle hero Inglis Drever has been retired.

Time has been called on the ten-year-old’s illustrious career after he failed to recover from an injury sustained in the Long Distance Hurdle, at Newbury, in November.

Crook-based trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie hoped he had recovered from that setback after receiving positive X-ray results earlier this month.

But a disappointing workout at the weekend convinced connections to abandon plans to send Inglis Drever back to the Cheltenham Festival, after which the decision was taken to retire him.

Wylie said: “We decided on Saturday that he wasn’t really interested in his racing any more. We always knew that he would tell us when he wanted to be retired.

“That day has now come.”

Inglis Drever made history at the Cheltenham Festival last March when he became the first horse to win the World Hurdle three times.

His indomitable spirit and appetite for a scrap made him one of the most popular National Hunt horses in training.

The brilliant gelding signed off with 17 wins – 12 of which came at Graded level – from 35 starts and amassed nearly £800,000 in prize-money.

Wylie added: “At the end of the day, he has won three World Hurdles and has been one of the greatest horses to have been around.

“But more than any horse – probably apart from Lord Transcend – Inglis Drever was the horse who got me seriously interested in racing.

“People might think Cheltenham gave me my favourite memories of him, but it was actually a day at Haydock in 2005 when both him and Lord Transcend won.

“He instilled in me such a passion for the sport.

“Howard says to let him chill out for a bit and he’ll have a box next to one of our broodmares.

“I’m sure he’ll have a long and happy retirement.”

Johnson breathed a sigh of relief as speculation over Inglis Drever’s future finally came to an end.

“I’m over the moon I’ve retired him,” said the County Durham handler. “I’m happier in myself now. We put shoes on him the other day, we rode him out and he didn’t even want the jockey to get on him.

“He was telling me he’d had enough. We gave him a jog along the road and I wasn’t happy, so he’s gone into retirement.

“He goes back to Chesters with Lord Transcend at Mr Wylie’s place.

“One day, we might hopefully find another one like him, but we’ll struggle.”

Inglis Drever began his career on the flat for Sir Mark Prescott, for whom he won four races.

He was transferred to Johnson’s yard in 2003, when he made a winning debut for his new team in November.

Although the star hurdler will be best remembered for his exploits at Cheltenham, he also won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury three times (2005-7) – in addition to big-race triumphs at Sandown, Warwick, Wincanton, Haydock and Wetherby.

“He’s done us proud with three World Hurdles and winning the first Order of Merit that ever was,” said Johnson.

“I just hope Sir Mark will find me another one – he’s on the case.

“I think I’ve done the right thing for the public and everybody.

“I didn’t want to go to Cheltenham against younger horses and either be pulled up or get beat 20 lengths.”

Another endearing quality in the make-up of Inglis Drever was his tendency to hit a flat spot in his races – as evidenced by his World Hurdle victories of 2005 and 2007.

There was no sign of that trademark quirk at Prestbury Park last March, however, as he powered up the hill to record a no-nonsense verdict over Kasbah Bliss. Defeat at Aintree – never his happiest hunting ground – followed in April, after which he was sent to Newbury for his seasonal debut.

But Denis O’Regan’s mount sadly suffered a hock injury and was pulled up after four out.