Retirements & Departures 2011

Top Irish Point mare Media Queen has been PTS after fracturing a hind leg whilst working.

She'd had 13 starts for 7 wins and 4 placings for trainer Paurick O'Connor
 
Yesterday, poor VISCOUNT ROSSINI taking a very heavy crash onto his side; today, sweet JACK THE SOLDIER at Fontwell, where they were all going arse-out due to the course having been gritted to avoid becoming 'too soft'. His offhind went badly wrong after landing over the sodding last in a chase - he came down a bit hard and the ground met him like a brick. He'd been going well and was coming in for 3rd place.
 
KNOCKNAGOW LEADER, 9, killed after falling at the first fence in the Cavalry Hcap Ch at Leics on his first-ever race in the UK, having done reasonably well in Ireland until now. From the Jonjo O'Neill stable.
 
CAPTAIN KIRKON in the opener at Sandown - not noticed in the commentary and took till the Imperial Cup start that he had been lost. Front leg injury.
 
Ballydoyle said:
CAPTAIN KIRKON in the opener at Sandown - not noticed in the commentary and took till the Imperial Cup start that he had been lost. Front leg injury.
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The hopeless Cattermole again .

Very sad news looked terrible on screen so sadly no surprise
 
Considering the amount of Ch.4 presenters (three) available to scuttle round and find out what happened, even with Cattermole ignoring the incident or just not seeing it, there's no excuse for late information. I got a longer-than-wanted phone call when Warren Marston was shown in some bizarre get-up - is it aimed at futuristic racing, or specialist sex games?
 
Mike Cattermole knew that the horse has been lost - it was Mike who told me which horse it was behind the screens, so talk of him being useless again is bullshit, again. I suggest, Ardross, that you do some research before dishing out the gratuitous insults - maybe first try and find some evidence for delivering them?

As for the commentary not noting the horse, as most people know, racecourse commentators don't generally mention the demise of horses over the public address, this is something the racecourses themselves prefer. As Mike was the RACECOURSE commentator, he wasn't ever going to make announcements about the horse having been lost.
 
Shadow Leader said:
Mike Cattermole knew that the horse has been lost - it was Mike who told me which horse it was behind the screens, so talk of him being useless again is bullshit, again. I suggest, Ardross, that you do some research before dishing out the gratuitous insults - maybe first try and find some evidence for delivering them?

As for the commentary not noting the horse, as most people know, racecourse commentators don't generally mention the demise of horses over the public address, this is something the racecourses themselves prefer. As Mike was the RACECOURSE commentator, he wasn't ever going to make announcements about the horse having been lost.
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I know we are going off topic here but Cattermole is dreadful mate. He misses so much in races and uses so many stock phrases time and time again I cannot listen to him anymore. He regularly misses horses falling/making mistakes or making a forward move. I fear you a defending the undefendable here.
 
Did you read the posts I was referring to? Did you read my post? I am pointing out that in this case, as was being alleged, Cattermole was not "useless, again" nor had he missed that the horse was put down. He knew when many others did not which horse was behind the screens and it was him who told me who the horse was.

I know that Cattermole isn't as good at commentating as he is at presenting and I know that he - along with many others - misses things from time to time. That is not the point at issue here, as should be clear. I am responding to comments regarding this incident alone and also to Ardross' tiresome habit of name-calling and slagging off -usually, but not confined to - Cattermole, as well as other presenters, commentators et al in an increasingly insulting manner on such a regular basis they constitute the vast majority of his posts nowadays.
 
Cat's a first-class presenter, not just because he's stunningly good-looking (and I say that purely objectively, officer), but because he can deliver the factual goods as well as put interviewees at ease. He exudes a warmth which is missing from many others - you feel instantly that you and he are friends, and I doubt I'd feel that about 90% of the others. He seems to be genuinely that way, too, not just putting on a fake bonhomie for the camera.

As for race calling, I think we have to admit it's a difficult business even in smallish fields, let alone busy, bustling ones where it's not immediately easy to spot those leaving the field for one reason or another. I wouldn't say being able to report on a horse's welfare was the job of the race caller, though: as I said, there were other presenters on the ground whose jobs should've been to have found that out. It's not difficult to locate the vet when he returns and to inquire, then feedback. Sometimes, with the awful 'three and a swinger' scenario, it's instantly obvious that a horse is fatally injured and only the screens and gun await - most callers when they see that will say something along the lines of it looking very bad for the horse, but otherwise, it's best to await a final verdict.

For what it's worth, I've had an email today from Jayne Moore (as they're still locals to us, I emailed commiserations) that Gary and Jamie are still 'shell-shocked' and that Jamie, who rode CAPTAIN KIRKTON every morning, is 'still very upset' - it's good to know that most yards have a heart in these matters and that while they accept such incidents will happen, they're not just another loss.
 
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Yes I read your post and I take your point. I also took the view from your post that PREVIOUS talk of Cattermole being useless is bullshit, "talk of him being useless is bullshit, again", which it is not. He is useless.
 
Re : your comment on it not being the job of the race caller to report on the horse's welfare; I agree, that is what I was trying to say. Although this is a grey area in that, so far as I am aware (and I've had it on very good authority, and recently) it is the racecourses themselves who don't want announcements made regarding horse injuries. You'd possibly be able to add more, Kri - I was told that it's nothing to do with any sort of ruling within the industry, it's merely that the tracks themselves prefer that announcements of such nature not be made. Which would explain why nothing was said by Cattermole - him being on duty for Sandown yesterday rather than CH4 - but not why that hadn't been picked up by Ch4. It was obvious to most oncourse who were taking an interest what the fate of Captain Kirkton was, the screens were up for a while and the 'wrong' wagon went in to pick him up.

It hits most yards when horses are lost, there is little more depressing than coming home with an empty lorry.
 
There are far worse commentators than Cattermole, bloodnok. Some with more seniority as well. However the predictable comments about Cattermole are rolled out with impunity by some and as I have pointed out several times, they are getting more offensive and insulting every time they appear.
 
Interesting point about the courses, Shadz. Possibly they've taken stick in the past from owners or trainers - I'll try to find out. I'm at Plumpton tomorrow (just for fun, not working) and might get a chance to ask Mark Cornford, the CotC there, or Neil McKenzie-Ross, our CotC at Lingfield and Folkestone. I'd say that it's true that the tannoy would be an unlikely vehicle for broadcasting that a horse had died - although it is used to say when one is found to be okay. Certainly, we've given a loud cheer to fallen, winded horses which have eventually risen, with the tannoy announcing that so-and-so is all right. Simon Holt is very good at that sort of cheer - although he's pretty quick to call a bad injury when calling for tv - perhaps not for the public address system, though. Must ask him too, if I can - or maybe you can if you see him soon?
 
I like Mike Cattermole as a general rule, either as commentator or pundit but whilst respecting the course's wishes not to have fatalities announced, the comment of "it looks like X horse has pulled up at the back of the field" would cover it yes? With regard to the race specifically yesterday, it was obvious to those watching that a horse had gone wrong at the back but the angle/distance didnt clearly show which.

I am not into glamourising deaths on course, I hate them as much as the next race goer but at least to advise punters who dont have the benefit of a tv screen 2 inches from their nose that their chosen horse is out of the race is a courtesy too?

Its a hard call for the commentators but commentaries should be for the good and the bad in a race?
 
Yes, I think that if the race caller sees a horse leave the field, for whatever reason - PU, RO, F or any mix of vowels and consonants - it's right for all racegoers, wherever they are, to know their horse is out. It's also right to not surmise too much about the reason unless it's horribly clear, and then for the effect it might have on connections, not too much detail.

But the complaint here, by Ardross, was that the information about CAPTAIN KIRKTON came too late in the day. As I said, I don't think the race caller can announce 'the horse is dead' baldly over the tannoy, although presenters can find out the animal's fate and news can come through the tv services accordingly. After all, they're paid to do a post-racing wrap, which includes all the buzzed-in or beaten favourites, surprise wins, and should also include info on whether a horse is no longer with us for future racing.

I'm not sure how one could 'glamourise' horse deaths, though. They're pretty stark and if the viewer/racegoer can see a leg's gone, there's probably little point in saying too much. Although, of course, if it's an on-course death of a much-admired and top-rated horse, say like ONE MAN or BEST MATE dying in action, then some words need to be relayed to show the respect in which the horse was held. If that's 'glamourising' their deaths, then so be it.
 
Perhaps "glamourising" wasnt the right word but not sure gloryfying fitted either but I hope you get what I was trying to get at?

All Catt had to do at the end of the race was to say something about Captain Kirkton being pulled up and letting "us" know later. He isn the only one and normally he does report on them during the race.
 
Once the principles have crossed the line in a race the commentator's job is over - once they have finished talking about those crossing the line in front they have to finish quickly so the judge can take over to announce the result. There is no question of them being able to mention pulled up horses after the race.
 
On the happy retirement ,, i now have Mind Alert a all weather sprinter who won a fair few races now enjoying the easy life as a hack and he doesnt miss his racing at all ! a real joy to own
 
Meanwhile, at Warwick, the "struggling" SWEDEN, shoved along for some way, fatally injured at the second last. Very lightly raced, only his fourth chase. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but reading the RP analysis makes me think that the better option today would've been a PU on his form, whereby he might've lived to race a bit longer.

Good news, Wend64 - remember that one well, and glad to know you make a happy couple!
 
Mind Alert a all weather sprinter enjoying his retirement with me ,, now just plodding round the roads
 
You can tell him that some of the others he raced against are still plodding round the AW! I had to look him up as I know he appeared at Lingers a few times, but didn't specialise in that particular course - I see he ran a superb 93 times, mainly at the Midlands AW courses on account of being with Derek Shaw, but also Kempton and Lingfield with credit. I'm pleased to hear he's enjoying a slower pace of life with you, Wend.
 
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