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Equine Retirements, Long Term Injuries and Departures

I don't think many racegoers know quite how incredibly efficient the vets are at racecourses or how much they actually do. Even within the point to point field it's noticeable. For example my Area has purchased a "Newmarket boot" which is a boot which can be used when a horse suffers a bad leg injury (either fracture or tendon) that needs complete support. These boots are not cheap! I think every racecourse has one too. Anyway our Wessex one went to a different Area by mistake yesterday as the vet forgot to give it back (its a huge great thing in a bright orange suitcase so I'm not sure how that happened!) There was a bad injury in the last race and the vet used the boot probably saving the horse's life so I am very pleased it went even if by mistake. And that Area now realises it needs to buy its own now.
 

Good horse but only a superstar because of the paucity of talent in the staying divisions. Off the top of my head I would have rated Yeats higher but I suspect the good ones from a generation or two back were better again.

Not trying to start an argument about it since it tends not to get us anywhere other than degenerating into a slangfest but I'll have a wee look back through my historical figures to see what else might have been better.
 
Didn't look good for Harry's Girl there......just been confirmed. You just don't expect that at Ascot. :cry:
 
Just see on Facebook that Harchibald has left us.
Had he not been ridden by Paul Carberry we might never have heard of him is all I'll say on the matter.
Had the whip been banned he would be model by which all racehorses should be ridden.
Friendly as I am with Lar Byrne I'll never forgive Hardy Eustace for not stopping/fading/tying up that day in Cheltenham.
 
Life was never dull when Paul Carberry and Harchibald were around.

My favourite moment in their respective careers was the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton when they overhauled Rooster Booster after allowing him a 25 length lead down the back straight. According to the RP the lead was still 20 lengths turning into the home straight and 12 lengths two out. They were four lengths down at the last and went on to win under a hands and heels ride.

With the aid of hindsight Rooster Booster’s best days were behind him at that stage, but nobody could be sure of it. Especially not Paul Carberry looking at RB’s receding backside down the back straight. It took some nerve not to panic.

Carberry showed huge nerve as well in the Champion Huddle, this time without reward, when he tried to wait until the last impossible moment to land Harchie’s head on the line. Eddie, you don’t forgive Hardy Eustace for denying Harchibald that day? A touch harsh, I would say. Hardy was well named and was not for passing without a battle.

Neither horse was a ratings god but I don’t imagine they would ever have been bothered about that, they weren’t subscribers to Timeform. But they gave us huge entertainment and they’re remembered with great affection.
 
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With the aid of hindsight Rooster Booster’s best days were behind him at that stage, but nobody could be sure of it. Especially not Paul Carberry looking at RB’s receding backside down the back straight. It took some nerve not to panic.

I suspect sectional analysis would probably show up Johnson for the fanny he was.
 
Life was never dull when Paul Carberry and Harchibald were around.

My favourite moment in their respective careers was the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton when they overhauled Rooster Booster after allowing him a 25 length lead down the back straight. According to the RP the lead was still 20 lengths turning into the home straight and 12 lengths two out. They were four lengths down at the last and went on to win under a hands and heels ride.

With the aid of hindsight Rooster Booster’s best days were behind him at that stage, but nobody could be sure of it. Especially not Paul Carberry looking at RB’s receding backside down the back straight. It took some nerve not to panic.

Carberry showed huge nerve as well in the Champion Huddle, this time without reward, when he tried to wait until the last impossible moment to land Harchie’s head on the line. Eddie, you don’t forgive Hardy Eustace for denying Harchibald that day? A touch harsh, I would say. Hardy was well named and was not for passing without a battle.

Neither horse was a ratings god but I don’t imagine they would ever have been bothered about that, they weren’t subscribers to Timeform. But they gave us huge entertainment and they’re remembered with great affection.

Yes the Booster was not the horse he was by Christmas 2004 - the issue was also in Graded races the other jockeys had worked out after the 2004 CH that he was much less effective off an ordinary gallop - and as Terry Warner's only possible pacemaker was so inferior as to be ignored they tried making the running on the Booster - he was far less effective a horse then too .

Off a good gallop and as he was so technically good at his hurdles he was an outstanding hurdler as his 2002-2003 exploits especially the CH in 2003 showed.
 


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