Retirements & Departures 2012

The Minack suffered a 'career-threatening' injury in his fall today at Ascot. Believe it's a knee fracture.
 
Royal Academy RIP

I really liked this horse. I was at the Curragh when he won his maiden by 10 lengths and had a decent bet on him when he won the Breeders Cup. It was an amazing story.


Royal Academy, winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile for Vincent O'Brien and Lester Piggott, has died aged 25. He was at Coolmore Australia.


"It's very sad. Royal Academy has been a tremendous servant to Coolmore, wherever he's been based. He spent the last five years of his life here, the last two years in retirement," said Tom Magnier.

"Particular credit must go to our head stallion man Gerry Ryan, who looked after him with great care and attention. He has been wonderfully prolific, siring more than 160 Stakes winners and his progeny earnings are the equivalent of more than US$120,000,000.

"He sired major winners over a wide range of distances, at all ages. I suspect, though, that his greatest legacy is the speed he passed on to the best of his Australian descendants - the brilliant Black Caviar is by one of his sons while champion sire-elect Fastnet Rock is out of one of his daughters."

Royal Academy first hit the headlines when Vincent O'Brien bid a sales-topping $3,500,000 for him at the 1988 Keeneland July Selected Yearling Sales. In addition to being a very handsome individual, he had the attraction of being out of Storm Cat's grandam Crimson Saint.

He proved a very sound investment for Classic Thoroughbreds Plc, winning the July Cup, finishing second to Dayjur in the Ladbroke Sprint Cup before ending his career in a blaze of glory when carrying a back-from-retirement Piggott to a memorable victory at Belmont Park.

Royal Academy began his stallion career at Coolmore at a fee of IR30,000gns in 1991. His four first-crop Group winners were headed by Oscar Schindler (Irish St Leger) and there was at least one Gr.1 winner in each of his first five Irish crops, thanks to the efforts of Ali-Royal (Sussex Stakes), Carmine Lake (Prix de l'Abbaye), Sleepytime (1,000 Guineas), Zalaiyka (French 1,000 Guineas), Val Royal (Breeders' Cup Mile) and Lavery (Phoenix Stakes).

Royal Academy also stood at Coolmore's American branch, Ashford Stud, resulting in among others, Bullish Luck, a star in Hong Kong who also won the Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan. His Gr.1 winners in Australia included Black Caviar's sire Bel Esprit, Serious Speed and Kenwood Melody.

He reminded us of his talents in 2007, when the English/Irish 2,000 Guineas double fell to his grandson Cockney Rebel (by Val Royal) and the English/Irish 1,000 Guineas double went to Finsceal Beo, out of a Royal Academy mare. Last year's European champion 2yo Dabirsim is another product of one of his daughters.
Other sons of Royal Academy have also sired important winners. Ali-Royal's son Tout Seul won the Dewhurst Stakes, while Ihtiram was responsible for Miss Andretti, winner of the King's Stand Stakes and five Gr.1 races in Australia.
 
Oh gosh; what memories. The days when the Breeders Cup was on terrestrial television and watching it in someone's house [he lived across the road from my cousin; never saw him again!]. Didn't O'Brien say he bought him because he reminded him of Nijinsky, and I thought that hsi career, up to Breeders Cup day was slightly disappointing given how much he cost? That night is etched in memory forever; Royal Academy, Vincent O'Brien and Lester Piggott. What a combination, and what a fairytale. RIP. [reaches for hanky...]
 
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Reported in RP today that Blue Ronnie was fatally injured in his fall at Ludlow yesterday,the same fate befell Danehill Willy in the Hunter Chase :(

Sounds like Brave Alliance (N Henderson) didn't make it at Huntingdon today.Heard commentary & they were unsure but someone as tweeted otherwise.

Commiserations to all connections of those horses.
 
Colin Phillips said:
Ollie Magern retires.........well done, old boy.
Click to expand...

I was at Wetherby for all of his Charlie Hall runs...I've never seen a Wetherby crowd so animated as when he looked as though he was going to win his third, only to be overhauled by State of Play and Tamarinbleu in the last 50 yards. Fabulous, bonny little horse who always put himself there to be shot at.

I loved his owner's quote saying he'll be able to see Ollie in the paddock from his window; well done Mr Nicholls for retiring him when he cried 'enough' and for giving him what I hope turns out to be a long, active and healthy retirement.
 
Pendoun of Polly Gundry's at Bangor,first run under rules. Paul Webbers King of Keys went wrong in the bumper but unsure of the outcome.
 
I feel a bit like the harbinger of doom updating again but I suppose someone should :(

Bad day at Taunton yesteday with 3 horse's losing their lives.
Moving Wings,Bygones in Brid & Marigolds Way.
 
Well Blazing Bailey wanders off into the sunset after retirement from racing. A fine servant to connections.

Unfortunately Deferto Delphi at Wolves on Friday was fatally injured,luckily Laura Barry escaped any serious injury in what was a very nasty incident.

Today we lost poor old Rougham at Hereford,well when I say old he was 6. He had apparently schooled 'really well' according to ATR today.The Hobbs chasers have been poor this season & only 2 wins from 31 runs in Jan/Feb.Marufo won at Newbury Saturday but I would be steering well clear of his chasers at Cheltenham especially when you look at how Menorah & Captain Chris have jumped this season!! RIP Rougham :(
 
Drybrook Bedouin the other day, and news coming through of Massini's Maguire. Does anyone know what's happened. Very much fancied him for the National.
 
RP reporting that Chester barnes is quoted as saying

"Our ultra game eleven-year-old is out of the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals. "He came back not right after his brave Ascot success and subsequent tests mean that he will miss the remainder of the season."


You panicked me there moehat - love that horse I was worried he has a goner.
 
Phew; someone on another forum had been told by a bookie the horse was dead when he asked why he'd been taken out of the betting. He'd disappeared off my radar screen until he won the other day and I realised he was one of the horses in the Aintree race that Chief Dan George won. A horse with so much potential; I really thought he'd run a big race in the National. Sorry to scare you, but I couldn't find any news anywhere. What with The Niche being out for the rest of the season, my Aintree ante post bets seem to be the kiss of, not death but injury this year.
 
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Sad news indeed. Several of us on the Grand National forum backed him for the Irish National, and continued to follow his exploits, made even better by the fact that Graham used to come on our forum and tell us what was happening to him. He was actually injured in the National 2 years ago but, with such a good weight this year there were hopes of improving his fifth place of last year. He felt like 'our horse', and a grand stamp of a horse he was and a superb jumper. Thanks for the memories, The Niche; have a long and happy retirement and good luck to Graham with his new horse. A hard act to follow, though.
 
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