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Senior Jockey
Alas the next day was never to be, the filly found dead on the morning of Tuesday July 25.
The end of July was to be decision time, this date postponed to Season end after her impressive Listowel third placing.
Informing the other syndicate members is the worst part ; luckily many are farmers who live with the disappointment of dead stock on a regular enough basis to realise that these things happen and to appreciate that it is nobody's fault a lot of the time.
I have already written about that dark, damp February day i first saw the filly; small and insignificant but well mannered and quiet as she was led around the yard, the bottom line of her pedigree that promised so so much.
Luckily as she coped with her muscle enzyme issues we had Turret Rocks to cheer on in Classics and grade 1 races; one of the benefits of having one related to one of Jim Bolger's is you will get to see quite a lot of them on the racecourse.
Then to her Killarney debut , debut for many of the syndicate members also in this Sport of kings.
Second day out was greatest embarrassment. My Kanturk Colleague Daniel Winston Hutch ( imagine what his middle name might have been if WW2 had a different result !) of Missunited fame had a runner in the same race. Both were Bushranger fillies and both were lapped, beaten 66 and 78 lengths, ours losing that local Derby.
Onto her winter rest and her introduction to Sam, a 28 year old hunter who never hunted, not that he had any objection to blood sports. One winter morning as I gave them their feed they were doing synchronised stretches; it could have been a youtube sensation had I only filmed it for posterity.
the separation anxiety suffered by both as Tjukurrpa returned to her trainer was like something parents speak of when their children go to school their first day.
Through the Spring as time after time she was at the bottom of the ballot with each entry i feared for the worst, that the money would run out before she even got a run but then light in the tunnel as with a race divide she was third reserve at Cork only for her no revert to the end of the ballot yet again.
That she finally made the racecourse in early June was as a victory in itself; we would finally find out what we had. The relief when she ran so well washed over me like a Timotei advert, removing the doubt of twelve months wondering if we had a racehorse. This was confirmed by the handicapper who gave the filly a 39 pound hike in ratings, Guinness Book Of Records entry surely guaranteed.
Her final race was an anti climax but at least there were valid reasons for her performance on the night so an interesting Autumn beckoned and all was going to plan until the news came through.
The dreamtime is on hold as we regroup and try plan for the future; there are one or two possibilities but first the syndicate must meet and share memories of what was a tantalising glimmer of what might have been , in the silks of my pal, the late great Michael Doody.
We shall try to do it again in both their memories.
The end of July was to be decision time, this date postponed to Season end after her impressive Listowel third placing.
Informing the other syndicate members is the worst part ; luckily many are farmers who live with the disappointment of dead stock on a regular enough basis to realise that these things happen and to appreciate that it is nobody's fault a lot of the time.
I have already written about that dark, damp February day i first saw the filly; small and insignificant but well mannered and quiet as she was led around the yard, the bottom line of her pedigree that promised so so much.
Luckily as she coped with her muscle enzyme issues we had Turret Rocks to cheer on in Classics and grade 1 races; one of the benefits of having one related to one of Jim Bolger's is you will get to see quite a lot of them on the racecourse.
Then to her Killarney debut , debut for many of the syndicate members also in this Sport of kings.
Second day out was greatest embarrassment. My Kanturk Colleague Daniel Winston Hutch ( imagine what his middle name might have been if WW2 had a different result !) of Missunited fame had a runner in the same race. Both were Bushranger fillies and both were lapped, beaten 66 and 78 lengths, ours losing that local Derby.
Onto her winter rest and her introduction to Sam, a 28 year old hunter who never hunted, not that he had any objection to blood sports. One winter morning as I gave them their feed they were doing synchronised stretches; it could have been a youtube sensation had I only filmed it for posterity.
the separation anxiety suffered by both as Tjukurrpa returned to her trainer was like something parents speak of when their children go to school their first day.
Through the Spring as time after time she was at the bottom of the ballot with each entry i feared for the worst, that the money would run out before she even got a run but then light in the tunnel as with a race divide she was third reserve at Cork only for her no revert to the end of the ballot yet again.
That she finally made the racecourse in early June was as a victory in itself; we would finally find out what we had. The relief when she ran so well washed over me like a Timotei advert, removing the doubt of twelve months wondering if we had a racehorse. This was confirmed by the handicapper who gave the filly a 39 pound hike in ratings, Guinness Book Of Records entry surely guaranteed.
Her final race was an anti climax but at least there were valid reasons for her performance on the night so an interesting Autumn beckoned and all was going to plan until the news came through.
The dreamtime is on hold as we regroup and try plan for the future; there are one or two possibilities but first the syndicate must meet and share memories of what was a tantalising glimmer of what might have been , in the silks of my pal, the late great Michael Doody.
We shall try to do it again in both their memories.
