Departures 2009

Sorry to have to report two of Francois Cottin's horses were killed in the GSDP today.

Musica Bella after a fall on the first circuit and Oniraloin who had a heart attack before the final hurdle :(
 
You didn't see the dreadful last-hurdle fall of DIVINITUS at Ballinrobe when contesting for 1st place, Martin? He somersaulted, got up, and galloped after the field, although all terribly wrong behind. He nearly fell to the ground at one point, still trying to go on, the poor mite. Not a happy sight for the crowd to see.

I thought MUSICA BELLA might've gone, as she went dead flat before going off-screen and there was no further sighting of her running loose. Didn't see the other horse go - a terrible day for one yard to bear.
 
There was another horse, Uttoxeter I think, which was going round in circles sans jockey after a fall. I've got the furniture van on Tuesday so madly packing, and wasn't really concentrating today, but a catalogue of nasty incidents indeed. And some of them very good horses too... damn sad.
 
More carnage at Ballinrobe today...almost Killarney-esque if there'd been an entire jumps card

Dead horses at second last hurdle in both hurdle races...
 
Not when THE TATLING's still knocking in prize money at 12! No, a great shame he didn't see out a longer retirement, after managing to do so well in a difficult time (F&M, etc.).
 
Sorry Gazella, no. I've been mulling over whether or not I wanted to watch any summer jumps given the high level of injuries lately. I then saw that Chris Grant's NGONG HILLS was running at Wetherby and favourite, so thought I'd risk it and watched the replay, having carefully avoided the result.

Chris's horse won by half a length but ANOTHER CLUB ROYAL broke down very visibly and horribly between fences - a hind leg clearly gone. He was owned by John Halewood.:(
 
Thanks very much for that, can breathe a sigh of relief but a sad day for any horse that was been lost.

Deb
 
Assorted, many OAP, departures listed in Owner & Breeder's June issue (sorry if one or two have been mentioned already):

SUNLINE - 13 y.o. exceptional NZ race mare, winner of 13 Group/Grade 1 races, including two Cox Plates and a Hong Kong mile.

PARISIENNE GALE - 10 y.o. daughter of LAPIERRE who won 8 of her 23 races under Rules dies after giving birth to her second foal.

TRAINGLOT - 22, talented hurdler, winner of the 1996 Coral Cup and Ascot's Long Distance Hurdle in 1997, who was bred and owned by the Marquesa de Moratalla.

ANDROMA - 32 (yes, 32!), winner of the Scottish Grand National in 1984 and 1985.

COMMITTED - 29, champion older sprinter of 1984, winning the King's Stand Stakes, William Hill Sprint Championship and Prix de l'Abbaye.

BURGUNDY - 12, made 116 appearances on the Flat in the UK, winning 15 races and over £100,000 in prize money.

FAR AHEAD - 17, the 1997 Ebor winner, owned by Tony Yates.

ARCTIC CALL - 26, winner of the 1990 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, owned by Brian Stewart-Brown.

BARATHEA - 19, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and Breeders' Cup Mile, and a rich source of Group 1 talent from Rathbarry Stud.
 
Will she, IS? Isn't she a big chum of Sir Peter O'Sullevan's, or he race-manages for her, something like that?
 
Ah, I see. FIRST GOLD - fabulous horse. We tend to wax lyrical about top UK or Irish horses and sometimes overlook how super our visitors are or were.
 
NEBOISHA - 5 y.o. mare in the first at Brighton today. Snapped near-fore at the 1.5f marker, while uncharacteristically looking nailed on for a first win or a decent place. Owner Mr Rees and breeder Miss Omersa both present, both in serious tears (as were some other racegoers), as the poor animal ran all the way past the post, trying to follow the field, gimping along on her broken leg.
 
Does anyone know whether Valart, the poor creature, survived her horrific fall at Fontwell in the 6.30? She'd gone off like a lunatic as usual and it wasn't clear if Eamon was trying to pull her up when she went rapidly backwards when headed) as she has often done) then just ploughed through the next. It was her fto over hurdles and I happened to have popped into the bookies and told the regulars she would likely come a cropper and she shouldn't be hurdling... she never has settled... sat hardly daring to watch. What an unfortunate horse. Bloody owners, selling her on for £450 when they'd had her in about 6/7 different yards in 3 years.

Poor Neboisha and poor connections - and poor racegoers. Sometimes racing is truly horrible.
 
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Headstrong, every owner has the right to sell their horse on and it is nobody else's business, nor should anyone else presume to criticise.
 
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