Departures 2010

Aye,gutted to hear that DJ. I remember being at Wetherby when he was running for Fahey and he was the 'talking horse' that day and duly obliged by 10 lengths! I followed him after that,not always backing but just to see how he did. Commiserations to the syndicate and all involved.:(
 
GAY KELLEWAY, who became the first woman to ride a winner at Royal Ascot when landing the 1987 Queen Alexandra Stakes on Sprowston Boy, has paid a glowing tribute to the gelding following his death at the age of 27.
"I honestly believe Sprowston Boy, as well as putting me in the record books, kept me in my career in racing," said the trainer. "He was an absolutely fabulous horse."
The son of Dominion was put down on Monday on veterinary advice after his condition deteriorated at the livery yard near North Walsham in Norfolk where he had spent the last three years of his retirement.
 
Just read this on TB Times, poor sods

"Three yearling fillies at Ron McPeek’s Manor House Farm in Winchester, Kentucky, died from a lightning strike on Sunday night.
Anthony Bonomo Sr. owned the New York-bred trio. They were uninsured and collectively worth around $100,000, McPeek said. The fillies were together near a tree that was hit by lightning.
“It happens, but it’s hard to accept,” said McPeek, who has about 12 yearlings on the farm. “I hadn’t had a drop of rain out here in two months, I’d say. All these cells have missed me. We had a little cell come through here about 4:30 [p.m. EDT] and I waited until that was over and the sun came back out to kick them out for the night. It just happened to catch us. Lightning goes through the root systems in these trees and it caught them all at the same time.”
 
Nasty! Poor fillies. Good ole SPROWSTON BOY - sounds like he had a great retirement. Hope the DOMINIONS are long lived - Songy is now 17.....
 
if i am not mistaken meade was quoted saying that he would have been retired anyway this season, but contracted some heart-disease and had to be pts.
 
God I remmber Watson Lake running in his first bumper at Leopardstown. I think Eddie Hales trained him and he was going well turning in around fifth spot, only to run off the track and nearly into the carpark. Eventually was straightened out and past about six or seven horses up the straight. H was still beaten a long way but it stuck in my mind that he was a winner without a penalty. He was fav for the 2004 Deloitte that Brave Inca won. Made a price for us!!
 
Thanks, Crazy - his markings made him easy to spot and follow, and he always ran sincerely - well, maybe not in the Bumper, where it sounds like he made an early bid for freedom!
 
found it now, was side-sentence in article about go native:
"Meade also paid tribute to Watson Lake, his classy chaser who was put down during the summer. "He would probably have been retired anyway, as he was a 12-year-old, but unfortunately he suffered a heart infection.
"It was a sad thing to happen. He gave us some great days, winning eight Graded races in all."
(from racing post archive)

 
and found my Lomitas-Letter there as well:

Farewell to Lomitas - Germany's golden boy

By Racing Post staff 12 SEPTEMBER 2010

LOMITAS is dead, and I bid a fond farewell to a legendary horse. He was Germany's golden boy, one of the best - and certainly highest-rated - racehorses to come out of the country, and he left his mark as a sire as well.
His life had it all - class, courage, talent, but also crime, highs and lows.
Lomitas was born in 1988, a chestnut son of Niniski, out of the Surumu mare La Colorada. Owned by Walther Jacobs' Fahrhof Stud, where he was bred, and trained by Andreas Wohler, he won his first two races as a juvenile, but then became claustrophobic, a trait that manifested itself infamously when he refused to enter the stalls for the German 2,000 Guineas.
Horse whisperer Monty Roberts conquered the problem and, while Lomitas did not win the Derby, his half-length defeat to a horse ridden by a young Frankie Dettori was the German equivalent of Dancing Brave's Epsom loss.
He was unbeaten in his other fourstarts in 1991, destroying a quality field in the Grosser Preis von Baden Baden, but in the summer of 1992 was the victim of a blackmail attempt, with a threat to kill him if a demand for money was not met. To prove the point, he was poisoned.
Under utmost security, Lomitas had to be rushed out of Germany, spending time in England in disguise before being transferred to America, back to the care of Roberts. His racing career was over, as he needed a long time to get over the attack, with his feet affected most.
Lomitas returned home to Germany and to the Fahrhof Stud, and as a sire produced German Derby winner Belenus, 2,000 Guineas winner Sumitas and Arlington Million Hero Silvano. After an unsuccessful spell at Dalham Hall Stud, he returned to Fahrhof in 2006, where he covered mares up until to this season.
We were allowed to visit him many times at the stud and he never lost his charm or his alert look. He was flirting with the camera all the time,getting in position as soon as he heard the clicking noise.
Lomitas leaves behind golden memories and more than just an empty box at Fahrhof. Our heart goes out to all who made his life so special, especially Herbert Kahrs, the longstanding stud manager who foaled Lomitas and had to take the decision to end his life, and to Simon Stokes, groom and later racing manager, who "lost a friend".
Lomitas's death is the end of an era for German racing and breeding. He will be sadly missed. Rest in peace, old boy.

Catrin Nack Hamburg, Germany
 
Matt Chapman sent out commiserations today re MOLLY'S BOY at Listowel. I wasn't watching, but he said it was a very heavy fall.
 
I think he's mistaken I'm afraid. I'm sure it was poor Gallery Man that fell fatally. Horrible end for a lovely youngster who was making such progress after a shaky start in career.
 
Thanks (sort of) for the correction, Rayeburn. That sounds extra sad, if the horse had been building up his confidence. Things might be more forgiving when the real winter mud kicks in, and horses can slide through even rotational falls a lot better.
 
Finoon was PTS as a result of injuries sustained in the Group 3 fillies race at Ayr on Saturday.

Nowzdetime was fatally injured in the Novices Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter yesterday.
 
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