Equine Retirements, Long Term Injuries and Departures

Absolutely gutted to hear about Desert Crown. It must have been a very serious injury to have required 16 screws in it and no doubt he was incredibly fragile but it must be devastating for connections to have nursed him for so long only for the horse to succumb to presumably laminitis in his weight bearing leg. It just highlights how difficult it is to save some horses with serious injuries due to this very reason. A very sad outcome.
 
Hope Battle Cry is really OK. That was nasty in the stalls and although he’s out and standing, they’ve clearly given him some sedation to keep him quiet but he still looks stiff behind.
 
“Dual Group One winner Shaquille has been retired from racing and will stand at Dullingham Park Stud.”SL
 
barjon said:
“Dual Group One winner Shaquille has been retired from racing and will stand at Dullingham Park Stud.”SL
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There has to be a chance those two efforts in overcoming bad starts ultimately bottomed him.

Still, I got my money out of him :lol:
 
Copy of PM sent on 11 Sept - 2 days after Shaquille's Haydock reverse:
Race-reading's instinctive to me, as I'm sure it is to many others who've spent their time similarly, and it's that instinct that pointed Shaq out on his Ascot run.
In a fast ground contest he gave them 5l start and proceeded to head the field after about 4.5f.
That run marked him indelibly as a speed horse in my understanding, and it would take a seismic shift to change that view.
Fair enough, he ran a bad race on Saturday, and probably ran flat as they'd messed about with his training though he was fit enough to lead for about 2f - according to the commentary and the replay - then fell in a hole.
My guess is they're scratching theit heads how to train him,and it'll be interesting to see how they proceed - if they do,at all[/COLOR]
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Clearly, they didn't - but chose to hide his inadequacy behind the retirement wall.
 
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I'm not convinced that I see having "speed" as being an indicator of inadequacy. In this instance, I think "nutcase" and "money" would be better words to use when examining the reasons for him being retired so early.
 
Sadly it has been decided to retire the wonderful Ajero from racing..

Ajero who is a half brother to the great Charbel was bought privately by Julie Martin after he had finished 3rd in a bumper at Thurles.

He might not have been as tall as his brother, but he was supremely athletic.

Ajero started his career for us over hurdles at Huntingdon in the days when it was difficult for owners to go (covid) and David Bass my stable jockey was injured and out of action.

Hence why we asked a rather young and very confident Harry Cobden to ride him. Harry at that stage had never ridden me a winner, although he had ridden plenty of seconds..On legging him up I told him that Ajero was a hard puller and needed settling in, and if he did as I told him he would be breaking his duck.

So relaxed was Ajero going to the start that Harry, in his wisdom, decided (probably rightly) that I did not have a clue what I was talking about and he would ride him handier that I had asked him to do.. Ajero pulled hard during the race and although Harry did not really do much wrong he finished second…and aplogised!!

I am a big fan of HC’s but I have never let him forget it.. Not helped by the fact he rode another horse an hour later and after finishing third, HC advised the owner to sell him.. that horse has won many races for his new trainer!!

Anyway, although Ajero was beaten. Julie Martin was absolutely thrilled with her new horse as she was able to see the potential of her purchase and was able to remind David why she had bought him!

Moving on to Ajero’s career.. David Bass returned from injury and he and Ajero won they their next 4 hurdle races, all on right handed courses.

The handicapper was not kind on him the following season but he did win a valuable handicap at Taunton.. Then he went for another valuable handicap back at Huntingdon when at well odds on he fell...

Ajero just loved fast ground and because there were no suitable hurdles races for him, we jokingly (not) thought we would get him handicapped to run at Royal Ascot..

We had to quickly get three runs in.

He was slow learner about coming out of stalls and on his first start he imitated the famous Hamlet Advert and was so far behind after two furlongs that we were worried that he might not even finish in time for the next race.. Ajero has always surprised us.. he turned in to the home straight and simply flew home and was beaten a neck by a very good horse of William Haggas’s..

We then had to get two more quick races in before closing dates for Royal Ascot.. We ran him twice in 8 days in late May and on both occasions he finished second..

Two weeks later.. Royal Ascot and Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.. Ajero just scraped him by the skin of his teeth..God it was hot on the day and Ajero was in fine form.. He ran an absolute blinder to finish second.. we were so proud of him.. What a gem!

3 weeks later he travelled down to Glorious Goodwood, where he won..I gave one of those interviews on Racing TV that I would rather forget.. Blame co-owner Dan Hall.. Yes, it was the last race!

Ajero was second again at Goodwood and then holiday times.

This year we needed a couple of runs to get him fully would up for a Royal Ascot repeat and although he did not, he still ran an absolute blinder to finish 4th.. The following day he found to be lame and after extensive x-rays and treatment his owners Julie and David Martin and Dan Hall have rightly decided to retire him and give the opportunity of a wonderful life away from racing.

What a huge pleasure it was to train him. Kate Paddock looked after him and just loved him. David Bass described him as 'Kind, big hearted and very fast!!'

Ajero gave Julie and David Martin and Dan Hall, and of course all of us here at Thorndale some wonderful days and we have some great memories which will be with us for ever... Now Ajero will have a very spoiling life at Bondwood Farm.. Bailey’s Blog
 
Would have thought this fairly common knowledge by now but

Iroko, a 10-1 chance for the Turners Novices’ Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, has been ruled out for the season with a foot injury.

Liked him this season too
 
I think it's going to be a nine-to-follow for a few of us after this news.

Hopefully he's okay and makes it back. That's the main thing.
 
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Such a shame, always liked that horse. I think the race above is one I've rewatched more than most from the last few Festivals. It was a cracking renewal of the AB and at the time I watched it so much because I thought it was gonna be cracking form to follow. Sort of was (Foxy Jacks who won the XCountry race the other day was further down the field.) I think we can say that Thyme Hill had the best career out of any of them given Monkfish had so many injury issues. RIP.
 
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