Retirements & Departures 2012

Gosh. Thought his hurdles run was really promising [has he ran since then?]. Wonder what they'll do with him, being a bit of a Heathcliff* character. Vision of him up on't'moors with his friends the sheep, for eternity....[*or perhaps, Cathy..]
 
Stacelita and Misty For Me both retired to stud - the former off to Japan after visiting Smart Strike (sire of Curlin) and Misty For Me to Fastnet Rock up from Australia.

Sarafina off to Japan too and will be covered by Deep Impact.

(Some of this could go into Bloodstock too!)
 
MONTEGONIAN, 4 y.o. juvenile hurdler from the small Renee Robeson yard, fatally injured in the first at Kempton today. Just his second attempt at hurdling after debuting on December 27, and a fairly brief and unpromising career on the AW.
 
I owe an awful lot to Don't Push It he was my biggest success ever as a punter having backed him for months leading up to the race. Don't think I'll ever get a bigger thrill if I live to be 100.

Really really pleased they decided not to keep him in training for a pointless go at the National when some would have.

Always nice to know people like Jonjo,JP,and owners,trainers and Jockeys in general care so much about their horses.
 
Did Gary O'Brien mention one gone at Punchestown? The only one I could see not accounted for (i.e. getting up) was ANDREA'S ANSWER, who took a hard, rolling fall.
 
I won't, Arkers, until something's confirmed, but there was nothing on any results/analysis that I could find.
 
I read on Atacanta that Gigginstown has lost their talented BEAUTIFUL SOUND, pts due to a cancerous growth on his leg (Tweeted by trainer Gordon Elliott).
 
Paul Nolan's Alpha Ridge died this morning of a heart attack on his home gallop, according to Paddy Power radio this afternoon.
 
Yes, he sure was, c/l - we don't often think of cancer taking horses, and thankfully it's not as prevalent as it is in humans, or the ranks would be decimated much more than they are.

Sorry to hear of a sad end for ALPHA RIDGE - what a great record he had, good money won, just 10.
 
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A barely-there little life: the SULAMANI 3 y.o., GEORGEOFLANCASHIRE, fatally injured on Bruce Hellier's gallops this morning. He'd got his debut race out the way (finished last of 14), and that, sadly, is the sum total of his active life.
 
Not previously mentioned on here is that popular Devon and Cornwall Area Pointer / hunter chaser WALTER DE WODELAND broke down irreparably at Black Forest Lodge a week last Sunday.

This was a horrible reverse for the Jackie du Plessis / Nigel Edmonds operation which has been in excellent recent form both under Rules and in Points. More than even that, though, the attractive gelding was known to and loved by many for his depiction in a charity Christmas card a few years back;

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Walter-takes-shape-Christmas-card/story-11696296-detail/story.html

Sleep easy, Walter.

gc
 
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They were all devastated - it was awful to see and even though I've watched the replay, I have to cover the screen at that part. He was in the process of running such a good race too. Sadly that same spot claimed another fatality that day and last year the track had 2 leg breaks just on the winning line as I was standing there.
 
It's really shocked connections to the core, hasn't it, Jinny. The gentleman who covered Chipley in my absence caught up with Jackie and Nigel on the afternoon, and if I've understood him correctly they're still not really over it. Entirely understandable - the genesis of that Christmas card alone puts their involvement with the gelding in the realms of five to six years at least.

gc
 
Mastery

After this years Hong Kong Vase I wondered what had happened to the 2010 winner Mastery who has not raced since.

Asked Godolphin who told me he had been transferred to Darley so asked Darley who said he had been sold to a third party but no details given. Asked various racing newspapers if they could find out but all declined saying it was a private matter.

So I asked Yorton Farm who now stand his sire Sulamani if they knew and they informed me he had been sold to Russia which is a shame as the Nijinsky line is beginning to fade out in the main flat racing countries.

Also find it a little bit annoying when Group 1 winners who produce great kudos for their owners are then sold off without publicity.
 
On the other hand, what better country for the NIJINSKY line to pirouette to? :D Well done for persevering, DC - yes, I think we'd like to know where horses end up after multiple sales, and that isn't an unreasonable thing to want to be able to find out quite easily, just like other racehorse stats.
 
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