Native Upmanship

Native Upmanship was a National Hunt racehorse. He was trained in Ireland by Arthur Moore and owned by John Magnier.

Early career

He made his racecourse debut in a National Hunt flat race in February 1998 at Gowran Park, where he finished third behind subsequent Champion Bumper winner Alexander Banquet. He had one more run that season in April, where stepped up on his debut, to win a National Hunt flat race at the Punchestown Festival.

1998/99 season

He reappeared in the 1998/99 season, where he made his seasonal debut in a Grade 3 Novice Hurdle at Navan in October, finishing fourth. His trainer then immediately stepped him up to the top level a month later for the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, but Native Upmanship could only finish seventh of eight runners, behind Alexander Banquet. His next outing saw him dropped down considerably in a maiden hurdle and he obliged with victory. He then went on to finish second in his next three runs, two of which were at Grade 2 level. In his final run of the season, Native Upmanship went to the Punchestown Festival, where he was sent off an 8/1 chance for the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle, but won by 5 lengths.

1999/00 season

The 1999/00 season saw Native Upmanship go down the novice chase route. After winning a beginners chase at Navan in November, he then went on to win the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase, before another victory in the Dr P J Moriarty Memorial Novice Chase. He then went to the Cheltenham Festival, where he was sent of the 7/2 favourite for the RSA Chase, but could only finish fourth. He made up for that defeat however in his final appearance of the season, where he comfortably won the Powers Gold Cup.

2000/01 season

Native Upmanship began the 2000/01 with two victories in the Fortria Chase and the John Durkan Memorial Chase. Following this, he was sent off the favourite for the Lexus Chase, but finished a distant fourth behind Rince Ri. He was disappointing on his final two starts of the season as well, when pulled up in the Irish Hennessy Chase and fourth in the Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. These runs seemed to confirm the opinion that he didn't get the 3 mile trip.

2001/02 season

The 2001/02 season saw Native Upmanship finish second in his first three runs of the season, in the Fortria Chase, John Durkan Memorial Chase and the Lexus Chase. He then won the Kinloch Brae Chase in January 2002, before going to the Cheltenham Festival, where he ran a brilliant race at an inadequate trip to finish second to Flagship Uberalles in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. In his next start, which was over a more adequate trip of 2 miles and 4 furlongs, he won the Melling Chase. In his final start of the season, his trainer again stepped him up to 3 miles plus, for the Punchestown Gold Cup, where he finished a creditable second to Florida Pearl.

2002/03 season

The 2002/03 season saw Native Upmanship follow a near identical path to the previous one. After finishing second in his seasonal debut as Naas, he went on to win the John Durkan Memorial Chase again, before going to Kempton for the first time to contest the King George VI Chase, where he could only finish fifth to Best Mate. He then went on to win his second successive Kinloch Brae Chase, before returning to the Cheltenham Festival, where he again finished second in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, this time behind Moscow Flyer. He then returned to Aintree, where he won his second successive Melling Chase. He then once again finished the season contesting the Punchestown Gold Cup, where he finished third behind First Gold, seemingly failing to see out the trip again.

2003/04 season

The 2003/04 season saw him make his seasonal debut in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, where Native Upmanship finished fifth behind Beef Or Salmon. After winning the Kinloch Brae Chase again, he went on to finish third in both the Newlands Chase and the Melling Chase. He finished the season with another disappointing effort, finishing fourth behind Moscow Flyer in the Punchestown Champion Chase.

Final two seasons

Over the next two seasons, Native Upmanship continued to run in the top races in both Ireland and England, including the 2006 Grand National, but he only managed one victory, which was in a Grade 3 race at Navan in April 2005. After finishing last of 6 runners in the 2006 Punchestown Gold Cup, Native Upmanship was retired.

References