Departures 2009

That really is devastating news, the horse contributed to one of my best punting evenings in a long time.
 
Saafend Rocket, fatal fall, gutted as I've followed him for years

Stormfield, fatal

Mistanoora, Broke Leg

Viva Averti, Broke leg
 
I'm extremely sad to hear that SAAFEND ROCKET's gone - a bonny wee horse who I've also followed for what seems like eons. A bad couple of months.
 
Pretty sure Olay Olay was lost at Newton Abbot today after striking into himself and severing a tendon. I heard that two horses were lost there today but I've no idea about the other one.
 
Oh, dear - the presenter said he'd been struck into, but that was it. Wonder if the other horse might've been HEATHFIELD FLYER (Victor Dartnall's - whose BENETWOOD won the first so well)? He came 3rd in the next race, a maiden hurdle, but the RP comments say he was dismounted after the line. Hope not - that sort of 'up' followed by such a 'down' would be very cruel, although I hope not for anyone.
 
Utmost Respect RIP - Contacted peritonitus whilst recovering from minor surgery. Could have won a Group 1 on his favoured going. His Ayr Silver Cup will long live in my memory, but so will the 12/1 I had antepost on him for the abandoned William Hill Trophy that would have been opn bottomless ground!
 
Yes, an absolute bummer - such a handsome horse, too. There's a strong feeling that PRINCEWALLYWOGAN collapsed and died after the line yesterday, too.
 
Aldaniti said:
Party Politics has been put down at the age of 25yrs
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I absolutely well and truly loved that big horse and I followed him continually throughout his career. Although i'm saddened to hear of his passing away I am just so glad he lived as long as he did and enjoyed a long retirement. Sleep well old lad and thanks for the memories.
 
Oh... haven't seen, been busy on here, wasting people's time! God, I hope so. What did he cock up this time, Colin?
 
Great news, Arkers, many thanks for that response - you do a far better job at this than most of the guys on course, and def the RP!
 
Thanks, Arkers.

Kri, the horse made most and was tiring and jumped low and made a mistake at the second last, he recovered but Sam rode him like a maniac into the last, he made exactly the same mistake but this time went down neck first. No recording of the fall shown which is often bad news.
 
Colin Phillips said:
Did Marufo survive his last fence fall in the second at Southwell.

Feckin' Sam Thomas!!!!!
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can only echo and really happy horse got up alright. appalling ride and cant have this guy, they only thing he can do is get the whip out and would have been huge huge shame if this brave horse would have paid the price. all he had to do with sitting still but as soon as he starts moving you are in trouble....
 
Thanks, Colin. I feared it would be one of his panic-stricken go-mad efforts. Jeez, if he doesn't know by now when a horse is fading under him, he's a hopeless case. You keep those together, pick 'em up and keep them focussed, good boot into couple of last strides and hold the head up. He sounds like he went for it in a style guaranteed to effect another low jump, but with weakening undergear. Crap.

So, tomorrow poor horsey will be sore and demoralised, with the memory of a mad jockey not supporting him. Great stuff - just what you pay thousands for, to have fecked-up in a flash.
 
Think the problem here was that he was leading 2 out made a mistake and was a neck down coming into the last and had to really go for a big one to give him any chance of winning. With that the horse didn't pick up at fell, but had he reigned back and popped it, he would have thrown away any chance of winning.
 
Flame said:
Think the problem here was that he was leading 2 out made a mistake and was a neck down coming into the last and had to really go for a big one to give him any chance of winning. With that the horse didn't pick up at fell, but had he reigned back and popped it, he would have thrown away any chance of winning.
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It's a myth that horses ever need a "big" jump at the last in order to win; what they need is to meet it on a stride and that sometimes means checking them slightly in order to do so (cf Gina Andrews today on Ovthenight). Throwing them at an obstacle on the wrong stride is simply bad workmanship.
 
No, he wouldn't, Flame. He needed to collect up a tiring horse which had already bungled the previous jump (and gone low, a sign of getting weary if it's not the usual jumping style), get it balanced, give it a bit of a lift over the last, and then kick on once safely landed. There's no such thing as a 'big one' when patently the horse hasn't got it in him. It usually ends in a splatter - look how many times exhausted Irish nags, ploughing through the goo, come to grief at the last because they're hammered into it by someone riding with his balls and not his brain. You'd have thought the boy had seen enough demonstrations to know better. To paraphrase a certain song, "Know when to hold 'em, know when to scold 'em".
 
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krizon said:
No, he wouldn't, Flame. He needed to collect up a tiring horse which had already bungled the previous jump (and gone low, a sign of getting weary if it's not the usual jumping style), get it balanced, give it a bit of a lift over the last, and then kick on once safely landed. There's no such thing as a 'big one' when patently the horse hasn't got it in him. It usually ends in a splatter - look how many times exhausted Irish nags, ploughing through the goo, come to grief at the last because they're hammered into it by someone riding with his balls and not his brain. You'd have thought the boy had seen enough demonstrations to know better. To paraphrase a certain song, "Know when to hold 'em, know when to scold 'em".
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Well said Krizon. One would think Thomas had done it enough himself to know by now. There is, or can be a fine line between riding for the best possible place and being an ignorant arse, but he seems to excel in the latter and he's not alone unfortunately.
 
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