Departures 2009

jumps fan ed06 said:
Just seen that Stearsby Sun Alliance and Welsh National winner from the mid 80's has died aged 30.:(
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Sad news, but a good age. Hopefully not a trauamtic end to such a long life. Remember him winning at Cheltenham. A very good-looking horse.
 
I loved Stearsby - he was a great goat of a horse at times - would happily plough through a fence and remove most of the birch at least once a race.
 
Very upset to hear about Slim Pickin's. I always have a huge affection for any horse which won me money in a Grand National. Right in his prime too....
 
2 old times passed away already this year Drumstick has died aged 23 and Stearsby died aged 30 both had long and honourable retirement and for those with shorter term memories only Rigmarole that former highclass huirdler has been retired (long and honourable retirement beckons I hope). Anyone who remembers Stearsby or doesn't but would like to the following web page will lead you to probably his biggest win full footage of the 1986 Welsh Grand national. http://manced43.multiply.com/video/item/42
 
Its been repported that Pressgang broke his cannon bone before he took off. In the RP blurb that Webber wrote - he mentionned that the horse had been jumping left in his previous race but they had schooled him and he'd jumped fine. I wonder whether there was an underlying problem which is why the horse was reluctant to land on that right leg. Sadly the only way you would find this out beforehand is by scanning the bone to see if there are any shadows present in the bone.
 
I was chatting at Ascot** to friends of the Timpsons (who sadly weren't there that day) about the horse waiting for him to come in after his win, as he gave us all a horrible scare jumping violently to the right that day. They mentioned he'd jumped violently left the time before and were amazed to see him doing the same thing but the other way round. So yes, there must have been a problem.

Some old-time horsemen (and trainers) swear that anytime a horse is jumping violently to one side, there is ALWAYS an underlying problem. Horses don't do it to be perverse, they do it because something is hampeing and paining them - usually a back / muscle problem. If I had a horse which did that I'd insist on physio / chiro etc until the problem was found. Although in this case it sounds like it there was a weakness in the leg

Sorry yes Kempton as UG says, I was snapping at both
 
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The win was at Kempton on Boxing day. Webber did seem more concerned about the soundness of the horse after that race rather than taking any particular pleasure in the win.

He was not jumping left or right yesterday before the incident, nor was he at Kempton until the final 4 or 5 fences, when he was allowed to do so by his jockey. Alot of horses will run down fences in the later stages of races when they are tired as it is easier for them to reach the fence on a stride to jump it without having to lengthen or shorten. Some jockeys will allow their horses to do this which can exacerbate the problem.

Thats not to say that there arent a number of horses that jump one way or the other because of a physical problem. The fact that the horse broke his leg on the flat does suggest that this may have been troubling him late in races.

Young Hustler was a horse who jumped the opposite way of which ever way he should have been , with no adverse effects.
 
Big Zeb just fell at Punchestown. This was not the thread I wanted to see at the top.
 
He galloped away they just said - thank God for that (in fact just saw the head on - he looked fine)
What a change from Colm Murphy's fortunes last weekend to this one!
 
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What news of Gaelic Gift, who took a horrible-looking fall at Doncaster yesterday? Can't see any mention in the reports.
 
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