Visitors to Newmarket have an opportunity to meet an equine legend in the flesh with the news that Big Orange will be stabled at Palace House for the next three months.  This legend of the turf will be stabled at the  flagship home of the Retraining of Racehorses  at Palace House and anyone making their way into the Rothschild Yard during their visit will be able to  see him as he settles in and enjoys something of a ‘working holiday’ and time spent doing  ‘meet and greets’.

To book your tickets to Palace House to see Big Orange then click here.

Trained by Michael Bell during a career that included many highlights, the biggest of those was his epic victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2017 when partnered by James Doyle in the familiar yellow and black silks of Bill and Tim Gredley. He also enjoyed success at Newmarket’s July Course when winning the Princess of Wale’s Stakes in consecutive years as well as  the Goodwood Cup. His career also included brilliant efforts overseas  in both the  Melbourne Cup and in Dubai.

Big Orange will be able to share stories with Purple Moon, another horse with a gallant Melbourne Cup showing to his name, given that they are stabled in close proximity to one another at Palace House.  Other horses currently enjoying time with the Retraining of Racehorses at Palace House include Accession, Tariq Too, Rouge Nuage and Whiteshift.

Tim Gredley commented: “We are so pleased that Big Orange will continue his retirement at Palace House, having been born and bred at Stetchworth and trained locally by Michael Bell, he really is a Newmarket boy through and through. It’s great that he’s going to spend a few months in the heart of the town where visitors to the museum can meet him and importantly see the great work of the RoR.”

Palace House Director, Chris Garibaldi, said: “It really is such an honour to have Big Orange join the Retraining of Racehorses yard here at Palace House. I am sure he will be a joy to have around and will no doubt give much pleasure to the visiting public along with his five other stable mates. We are incredibly grateful to Bill and Tim Gredley for their long-standing support of Palace House and for their generosity in lending us their much loved racehorse to highlight the wonderful work the RoR does”

The Ascot Gold Cup winner will be meeting Palace House visitors and enjoying time in the Palace House paddocks overlooking the Peter O’Sullevan Arena. His stable mates, who are all at varying stages of their retraining, will be showcasing the versatility of thoroughbreds and how they can be re-trained effectively for a fulfilling career beyond horseracing. Big Orange will return to Stetchworth Park Stud later in the summer where he will continue to enjoy his retirement.

It was an epic performance that proved to be Big Orange’s crowning glory as a great stayer and we thought it would be worth reliving this fantastic race,. Watch the closing stages as Big Orange rallies under his jockey and hangs on for a brilliant win.

And here’s another video of the time that Big Orange had heads turning on Newmarket’s High Street during the infamous Beast From The East in 2018.