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Equine Retirements, Long Term Injuries and Departures

A tremendous racehorse, with a great record of 12 wins from 19 chase starts.

I still find it hard to believe that he somehow contrived to get beaten by horses of the calibre of Uxizadre and My Filleule in the 2015 Ryanair.
 
Cruella said:
Don Cossack retired.
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Was a talking horse early on but eventually justified it in the autumn of his career
He deserved his Gold Cup win but The Melling chase of 2 years ago was a masterpiece.
 
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Nice piece on Don Cossack

Eddie Hales was about to get shoes applied to a German-bred recruit in his Dundrum, Co Tipperary stables the guts of a decade ago.
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The farrier caught sight of the horse in question. "Jesus Christ," he exclaimed. "What is this?"

Later, Kevin Power rode him work. "Eddie," he imparted. "I've never sat on anything like that."
Hales' judgement is the stuff of renown but, when it came to this son of a one-time 200/1 Irish Derby runner-up Sholokov, "anyone could tell you, it was that obvious".

By May, 2011, he would run in a Punchestown bumper and had a name, Don Cossack, which recalled an ancient tribe of rich military tradition. But the horse, already 17 hands of power, was as yet no disciplined soldier.
Hales jokes: "I got him beat too!" 'The Don' must shoulder the blame, getting over-excited on his first big day out and coming fifth.

Quito De La Roque had landed the preceding Grade One. Hales had sold him to Gigginstown; he and Eddie O'Leary happened into post-bumper conversation.
O'Leary: Have you another one? Hales (shows Don Cossack): Him.

O'Leary said he was the most beautiful horse he'd seen in years.
Deal done. Gordon Elliott would train. Shane McCann would be his work rider. Don Cossack would become Shane's favourite horse of them all even if it wasn't straightforward initially.

"At the start he was cocky, like us all when young. He knew he was good. He was often keen to get rid of you! It was 'hang on to him'. Bobby McNally got a belt in the nose and scars to prove it!"
McCann reckoned he was next to unbeatable in bumpers. He couldn't believe in 2012 when he was held behind the ill-fated Pont Alexandre at Navan. An ugly tumble ended what race he'd left. "That took so much out of him. As a hurdler, he'd problems. His work was as good as ever but he wasn't finishing his races."

People now belittled 'Dog Cossack'. By March 2016, he was Gold Cup favourite. Nobody had more faith than Shane McCann.
"I honestly say I've never been as confident with a horse given his work beforehand. He was the type who knew when he needed to be on his game. Earlier in the season he was doing enough to get by, like as if he knew he didn't need to peak. Nearer Cheltenham he was in another gear. If he were human he'd have a high IQ."

His best day was his last. Gigginstown may be deemed ruthless but would never do any wrong by Don Cossack. Heat in his leg made a call easy. The fiery steed which became a gentleman, in a way, mirrored owner Michael O'Leary's mellowing with age.
Locals told McCann they'd been around for Meath winning All-Irelands, Trim county titles - but never experienced anything in the pub like the roar when he turned into the Cheltenham straight. "I think partly why everyone fell for him was he was so handsome."

Hales can relate. "He'd have been one of those fellows good at every sport - and the birds would've loved him too."


One hopes his new mates at Gigginstown's retirement home of stars are not jealous types.
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Is it me or does WPM seem to have quite a high attrition rate with his horses lately ? Haven't any figures to back that up but reminds me of the Martin Pipe era.
 
There's definitely a volume element to it, but it's also that time of the year when they're getting stepped right up in their work if they've got any spring Festival pretensions.

In the case of Willie it's widely regarded that he's getting the lions share of the better horses, but he doesn't have the win record he has without having them as fit as a flea. As they get older, with more miles on the clock, they're bound to become more susceptible to injury.
 
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