Retirements & Departures 2011

More shite news: the 14 y.o. KAPPELHOFF, trained by Lydia Richards, was destroyed after breaking a leg in his only fall at Fontwell Park, where he'd become quite a star. It took him until he was a teenager to find winning ways, and this course was plainly his performance favourite. Stinking outcome.
 
Posted by Blazing Walker on the "horses you would like to see retired" thread :

He may have won the Hennessey a few weeks ago but Mattie Batchelor did not cover himself in glory today forcing old Kapelhoff round Fontwell till he fell 3 out!!! Not sure why he persisted with him as he was riding along all the way & at 14 years old maybe he was trying to say something!!! Just hope the old horse is ok,maybe someone can update.
 
Sad!! Mattie Batchelor may be a cheeky chappy,loveable this that & other & everybodies mate but he has effectively,& stupidly,IMO,ended the horse's life.
 
Because horse, trainer (and jock) are locals and because old Kappers did his best at Fontwell, I emailed Lydia to ask after him (not knowing what had happened). She replied and said he'd been ambulanced to Arundel Vet Services where an ex-ray had shown a 'catastrophic' break in his femur and, as he was in a lot of pain, she took the awful decision to have him pts. The yard had had him since he was three, so, she said, they were all devastated. I would sometimes ask what a trainer thought of a certain ride but, I think in this particular case, I'll let sleeping dogs lie. It would be too painful for her to be asked if Mattie should have PU and saved the horse, even if that's what we think. RIP dear old boy.
 
VETERAN sprinter The Tatling will be retired at the end of an extraordinary career after running in his 176th race under rules at Wolverhampton on Monday.
Trainer Milton Bradley is callingtime on the career of the 14-year-old, who has won 17 races, including the King's Stand Stakes, and was second in the Nunthorpe Stakes three times.

"He has got a little bit steadier and it is unfair to run him after he has been such a good servant to us," the trainer said on Sunday. "He has just lost a bit of his sparkle."

Bradley has had The Tatling since claiming him in 2002 and nominated The Tatling's 2004 victory in the King's Stand - then a Group 2 - as the highlight.

He said: "It was a big field and they didn't give us a lot of chance, two furlongs out he had three behind him but he won going away, it was no lucky win."
 
Seconded! Brilliant horse - still got the cleanest legs you could wish for, very refined head, and lovely conformation. He'd pass for 5 if you didn't know any better - and that's without any Botox! (At least, I think it is... )
 
Yes, it really is. I hope he comes back in to a very warm round of applause, regardless of where he finishes - it's hard to think of a horse keeping up his sheer enthusiasm for racing coupled with the ability to still knock in wins and places for so long.

Over the sticks, THE NEWSMAN was another who refused to be retired 'early', making his last appearance at 14, I believe. He fussed and fidgeted in his field whenever he saw others heading for the horsebox, and only settled once embarked for a course, where he jumped with gusto, even if his gallop slowed with time.
 
He's only gone and bloody won it! Feeling unashamedly emotional here, what a fairytale result for the old boy and his connections.

Here's to a long and contented retirement keeping the youngsters in the yard in check.
 
Absolutely stunning! Yes, I had tears earlier on when ATR showed him arriving, looking relaxed but still keen and alert with his long-term girlfriend - I mean lass - Liz Batchelor chatting to Simon Mapletoft about him. Lousy draw, but run in his typical fashion of hanging off the back, running through the midfield off the last turn, and burning up the straight to nose out the Songsheet-bred NOVABRIDGE, forcing a photo finish.

All kudos to dear old Milton Bradley, who's cared for him since claiming him years ago, and now he'll be in the care of one of the young stables lasses, who'll be fun-riding him later on in the year - when he'll be an evergreen 15!

It was my huge pleasure to be able to give him a few pats at Brighton when he appeared there, and he remains a superbly good-looking horse, clean legged and refined, a credit to his trainer and stable staff care.
 
:lol::lol: I'm sure there'll be loads of calls for that! The way he ran and won - like a fresh 'n' frisky youngster! Just astounding.

I'm afraid that triumph has now given way to disaster in the 4.15 with ASHAMMAR, 6 y.o. owned and trained by Paul Webber, incurring a fatal injury and seemingly bringing down David Probert on BLUE COSSACK, the latter two returning safely to the ring, while Matt Chapman on ATR advising that ASHAMMAR had definitely incurred a fatal injury, which looked to me like a back leg gone.
 
Glad to see The Tatling retired safe and sound. The win is a lovely bonus. I managed to see him for the first time on his penultimate run at Brighton, a plus for me as it was on my birthday!!
 
Two grand horses retired safely this week: DENMAN and THE TATLING. Let's hope that many more will enjoy the same caring treatment that these two much-loved horses will receive, although we'll be seeing them in future at parades, no doubt.
 
granger said:
Poor Kempes put down after the fall today
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We were looking at some of the runners being saddled up and my mate said to me there was something wrong with Kempes. I looked around and didn't think much of it until the race when he said to me passing the stands with a circuit to go that there was something amiss with him. Not sure if it had anything to do with his fall, but it was very strange when he did fall and shatter his knee. He had been jumping very poorly before that.
 
Did your mate say what he thought was wrong Cantoris? Cannot believe WP would send one out to race in a G1 or any race for that matter with something wrong with the horse...

The Tatling was superb today and Novabridge also for you two fine ladies. He seemed to be still enjoying his racing which was the most important thing. I sincerely hope he adjusts well to a life of complete leisure now. Well done old fella!
 
Awwww.... sweet thought, Colin! He'll be making some appearances later with his groom Hannah, apparently, under the 'retraining of racehorses' banner. He'll probably wonder what the hell's going on when he's paraded round a ring and doesn't go down to the start!
 
On The Bridle said:
Did your mate say what he thought was wrong Cantoris? Cannot believe WP would send one out to race in a G1 or any race for that matter with something wrong with the horse...
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I wasn't really paying enough attention but with was when he was walking into the box he thought he looked a bit lame. He's a horsey man through and through and wouldn't be saying things for the craic. Maybe its just the way he walks or whatever. maybe it was just a coincidence. Who knows. I just thought it was strange.
 
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