Retirements & Departures 2011

There are a number to add, courtesy of postings on other forums:

HASPER, Hexham
PREMIER DES MARAIS, Fontwell
KHALASHAN, Redcar (SU on bend - may have been barged)
KATALAK, Fontwell
TAMPA BOY, Uttoxeter
GUSTING, broke down at Doncaster
PROVOST joins TROODOS JET and BEST HORSE (noted above) as the third fatality on Good to Firm feckin' going at Sedgefield on June 13.
POPPANAN, Windsor
And it looks highly unlikely that TIME MACHINE survived his hurdles crash at 4.05 today at Gowran Park - might even be a second fatal in that race.

On a happier note: Jonjo O'Neill's yard sees three retirees - BOB HALL, ISN'T THAT LUCKY, and RINGAROSES. Seems the first two are destined for blood sports with Devon & Somerset Staghounds.
 
Erra Go On suffered a fatal injury at Ballinrobe last night on his 91st start. Listed as slipped up, be he actually collapsed 50 yards or so after sustaining a serious injury jumping the second last.
 
That's very sad news, Rory - one helluva stalwart and a sad demise. I heard from Rodney Hawkins, the knackerman round here, that PREMIER DES MARAIS, who shattered his shoulder at Fontwell (as above), was down for retirement, but the owners thought they'd just give him 'one last run'. Fateful, and fatal, decision.
 
krizon said:
That's very sad news, Rory - one helluva stalwart and a sad demise. I heard from Rodney Hawkins, the knackerman round here, that PREMIER DES MARAIS, who shattered his shoulder at Fontwell (as above), was down for retirement, but the owners thought they'd just give him 'one last run'. Fateful, and fatal, decision.
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Odd that they should choose to give him one last spin on fast ground, when he was a proven mudlark. Oh well.
 
Barney Curley is now seeking compensation from Northern Racing for the loss of the filly MAGIC MAID, saying she damaged her near fore when tripping on the road-cover mats (laid in the pull-up area) on the way back in. He doesn't insure the animals.
 
I read this as the start of the article suggests it was a potentially high class filly. Then I saw it was Brighton, 33/1 and beaten 15 lengths by a 78 rated horse. Sensationalist or what.
 
He's going to vastly overplay her breeding (by MONSUN) in order to imply that she had a glittering future ahead of her. Well, whether she would or not, we'll never know as the poor soul is dead. I suspect Curley is hoping that his 'hole in the mat' theory will be proven somehow - Queally was saying something along the lines that as she returned, part of the heavy coir matting didn't cover a bit of the tarmac of Manor Hill, and she went down heavily onto the hard ground and mashed her fetlock. On the other hand, you'd have to have vets to autopsy the joint to see if there was any prior evidence of hairline fractures, whereby any drop, small dip, hole, etc., etc., might have exacerbated a serious fracturing. Knowing how experienced and careful the groundsmen are who roll out the matting, I'd be inclined to not go with this theory, but who knows? Once lawyers are involved, the case could grind on for some time.
 
Cantoris said:
I read this as the start of the article suggests it was a potentially high class filly. Then I saw it was Brighton, 33/1 and beaten 15 lengths by a 78 rated horse. Sensationalist or what.
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In fairness to Curley, he's saddled 47 debutants on the Flat in the last 14 years, none of which were placed, and her starting price yesterday is no real indication of how good she might have been.
 
But those stats do rather shoot his own argument in the foot, don't they? Trying to say she would have had a brilliant future because she's beautifully bred, but not having the record to prove you do much good with your debut horses. Not to mention that there are plenty of Class 5 - even 6 - races with 'beautifully bred' nags filling them every year! I don't think he can win compensation on that score - his best bet is to try to find negligence on the part of the course and leave the crystal-gazing alone.
 
Two fatal breakdowns in running: the youngster WALLEYD, Linda Perrett's yard, having just his seventh run on the Flat on Monday at Ayr; the 6.y.o. DENIER, in the Beginners' Chase at Killarney tonight.
 
BLACK TOR FIGARRO, Lawney Hill's 6 y.o. gelding by ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, was PU at Southwell on the Flat last Tuesday, according to the RP. It's now reported on Atacanta that the horse was put down later. A modest campaigner who'd pulled in a bit of prize money for his owners, ridden by Richard Kingscote at the time.
 
HOGMANEIGH - pts due to foot problems

Article via RP:

TALENTED sprint handicapper Hogmaneigh was put down last week after a recurring foot problem proved untreatable.
The eight-year-old, whose five victories included the Dash at Epsom in 2007 and the Portland Handicap at Doncaster the following year, began his career with trainer Stuart Williams and took his owner Lucille Bone all over Britain and Ireland as well as to France to compete in the Prix de l'Abbaye in 2007.
He had suffered from serious foot abscesses and often had problems with sore feet through his 36-race career.
Bone referred to Hogmaneigh as "the gentle giant" and added: "He was part of the family, there are pictures of him all over the house. He won't be forgotten.
"He took us all over the place, places we would only dream about. The days out at the Curragh and in France were very special."
Bone nominated his win in a handicap at Sandown in 2006 as one of her favourite memories.
She said: "I remember his big white face, you could spot him easily, the commentator that day said he'd dropped out of the clouds, coming from last to first to win."
Hogmaneigh had joined Mark Johnston this season and Bone praised the trainer. She said: "Mark was fantastic at the way he handled our horse."


Lots of comments on the site re running him in a seller then putting him to sleep - anyone aware of any other issues?
 
Well, he last did any good more than two years ago - given that he'd be 6 then and had recurring foot problems, it might've been better to have taken him out of racing then. It might not have stopped the foot problems flaring up with some work, although the impact of competitive racing on a horse with chronically sore feet would seem to be logically linked. But hindsight is perfect vision, of course. As for being in a Seller - I don't think that matters a jot to the horse, other than that if he'd won and been sold on, you'd like to think they'd alert the new connections to his problems. Unfortunately, not all owners and trainers will be so transparent, hence many horses with legs of glass or well-filled feet appear in these races and go on to new yards ignorant of the difficulties they will inherit.

Perhaps all entrants in Sellers and Claimers should carry the equivalent of a vehicle's full service history, showing all the dates on which vets attended, and the reasons why the horse was out of racing for long periods of time. As things stand, much can be and is hidden, although sometimes this is down to the poverty of the current trainer's horsemanship knowledge. Animals which haven't ever won have been bought out of Sellers and found to have quickly curable conditions, such as sore withers, teeth problems, and so on. With Mark Johnston being a vet, I wouldn't think that HOGMANEIGH could have been in more knowledgeable hands.
 
I agree completely with the last part Krizon - and maybe the run in a seller was a way to see if they had managed to do anything with the foot before that? Unless we have a mole in his stable to let us know what really went on, it will be all speculation (none of it good!).

Some horses just have to be raced - its more dangerous for them to be put out to pasture or attempt to be retrained. Although being used a lead horse or donated to the Jockey School could have been an alternatve?

Still at the end of the day its a great shame.
 
Thanks, b/d - trouble is, sore feet is usually a chronic problem (i.e. long-standing - no pun intended!), which rather like many other foot problems (laminitis, for example) can flare up at any time, even when all kinds of treatments and regimes have helped previously. Horses' feet can suffer due to any number of things, like a tendency to extreme brittleness, shallow depth, too flat, too high and boxy, easily prey to fungal infections - you name it. Some bruise very easily (there's usually one in the last-minute withdrawals from the declarations list saying 'bruised foot') and just picking up a stone for a few strides can hurt some, where others have very hard, strong feet that never suffer. 'Tis all in the luck o' the draw (she says, with her very flat size 9s!).
 
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Must be a lucky girl then me - never had any trouble with my size 5s :) even if it meant wearning high heels to a flooded Brighton :)
 
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