Banbury trainer Paul Webber has paid tribute to Time For Rupert after revealing his stable star has been retired.

The 11-year-old gelding, who recovered from a life-threatening brain tumour to race again, won eight of his 26 starts and £230,257 in prize-money.

But after the son of Flemensfirth suffered a tendon injury working on the grass gallops, Webber has called it a day with him.

The Mollington handler said: “He looked in tremendous form and as if all his troubles were behind him, but it was not to be.

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“It would be too late to bring him back from that, and we hope he will have a very happy life now in Wales where he will go hunting with one of his owners, Margaret Gardiner.

“If that doesn’t work out he will come back here.”

Time For Rupert capped a successful hurdling career by finishing second to Big Buck’s in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in 2010.

“I don’t know how much he worried Big Buck’s, but he got closer than many,” reflected Webber.

He then turned his attention to fences, with two impressive wins at Cheltenham seeing him sent off the 7-4 favourite for the RSA Chase back at Prestbury Park.

But fortune was not on his side as he finished fifth to Bostons Angel after breaking a blood vessel.

“He had a very hard race and was only beaten five or six lengths,” said Webber.

“That was an enormous effort for him and showed how brave he was.”

Time For Rupert bounced back to finish a highly-creditable fifth, beaten less than ten lengths, behind the ill-fated Synchronised in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“It was a very good run,” recalled Webber.

“We probably set it up for everyone else, but it was a great effort.”

However, the fates once more conspired against Webber’s star.

Webber said: “It is bad luck when the best horse you get has a suspensory ligament injury, and then comes back well from that and has a brain tumour, which was six weeks away from proving fatal.

“He is right up there with Flying Instructor, Carlito Brigante and Ulundi of the horses I’ve trained.”

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