Sea The Stars - Retirement Announced

Just seen that on sky news, shame I really would have liked to see him in the Breeders cup

First time I have seen news about a horse retiring going along the bottom of the screen as breaking news!!!!
 
typical flat horse rubbish....hopefully he wont be able to get it up and they can lob it off and get him hurdling...
 
John Oxx's brilliant colt Sea The Stars has been retired.
The six-time Group One winner had been in the mix for the Breeders' Cup Classic but connections have decided to call time on his career.
Oxx had intimated after his latest win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe that retirement was likely for the son of Cape Cross, and it was confirmed in a statement this afternoon.
Oxx said: "It has been decided after discussions with Mr Christopher Tsui (owner) that Sea The Stars will not take part in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on November 7.
"He's had a long season and has been in regular fast work from March 3, with his final workout on October 2. He's been in intensive training for seven months with only a three-week break after the Eclipse Stakes at the beginning of July.
"We feel it is unfair to keep him going any further given his unprecedented record of achievement in the last six months.
"He's come out of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in his usual good form. He is fit and healthy and has been cantering since the race.
"He is now retiring from racing, but I have no information on stud career details and an announcement will be made at a much later date when plans have been finalised."
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Gutted really but saw it coming. It's like Zarkava all over again. Just wished they'd squeezed the BC in on selfish grounds.

This is sadly the nature of the beast. Good flat horses will get packed off to stud but at least we see them running at their optimum throughout their careers rather than running when about forty stone overweight round a bog at Wetherby or Haydock in November.
 
Thank God they are retiring him now rather than go to the Breeders Cup. I was at Longchamp and it was a fabulous performance to end a spectacular year but it just struck me that he was heading over the top. The sweating on his neck reminded me of the day Brave Inca won the Champion hurdle. Same thing. He hadn't done it before but on the day he started sweating up. Colm says now, in hindsight, he was over the top for that race but got away with it and I feel STS was the same at Longchamp. Takes some horse to be over the top and do what he did though. Definitely the best flat horse I have seen, and I've never said that before!! If I had a nice mare I'd be booking my place to him already. A champion sire in the making.
 
Gamla Stan said:
This is sadly the nature of the beast. Good flat horses will get packed off to stud but at least we see them running at their optimum throughout their careers rather than running when about forty stone overweight round a bog at Wetherby or Haydock in November.
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Excellent point and something that puts me off the jumps a little.
 
Well done to Oxx, Kinane and the owner has come across really well throughout the season. It'll be a long time before we see the likes of him again, and there was just so much to like about him ... his ability to seem at ease in any type of race, regardless of pace, regardless of trip, his constitution. Lovely looking, and seemed to take everything in his stride. His ability to quicken when asked over a variety of trips is something i've never seen, and he was equally comfortable taking up any position in a race. A true one-off.

Credit to Oxx, as keeping any horse on the go and at such a consistently high level from early May to October takes some doing. I didn't realise it at the time, but leaving something to work on for the International no doubt made a massive difference to his final 2 victories.

Credit also to Kinane, who rounded off a superb career with flawless displays, always well-positioned and never panicked. Easy, perhaps, when you are on the best horse, but he himself knows only too well how easy it is to be in the wrong position.
 
Hamm said:
Can someone get rid of this clown?
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Explain to me why the horse has to be retired...ignore my tongue in cheek comment. WHy can;t they come back year after year and be REAL champions..

The reasons the flat sport is going downhill is that the public have no heroes to follow each year... Its BORING!
 
Gamla Stan said:
Gutted really but saw it coming. It's like Zarkava all over again. Just wished they'd squeezed the BC in on selfish grounds.

This is sadly the nature of the beast. Good flat horses will get packed off to stud but at least we see them running at their optimum throughout their careers rather than running when about forty stone overweight round a bog at Wetherby or Haydock in November.
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...still to their credit they didn't duck anything thus far. We shouldn't complain too much, he was well exposed... they do say leave them wanting more. He was pretty decent when all's said and done.
 
OTB said:
Explain to me why the horse has to be retired...ignore my tongue in cheek comment. WHy can;t they come back year after year and be REAL champions..

The reasons the flat sport is going downhill is that the public have no heroes to follow each year... Its BORING!
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The astronomic value placed on the very good ones ensures they are retired.
 
OTB said:
Explain to me why the horse has to be retired...ignore my tongue in cheek comment. WHy can;t they come back year after year and be REAL champions..

The reasons the flat sport is going downhill is that the public have no heroes to follow each year... Its BORING!
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If it's boring, and you clearly seem to have little time for it, then surely you'd be better off and happier sticking to jumps topics and saving us all the wisdom of your thoughts on flat racing?
 
Also, fair dues to Ballydoyle, who could have ducked Sea the Stars quite a few times, and looked for some easier Group 1s for their better horses - their willingness to take him on time and again, and mob-handed, helped him to be recognised as the horse he is.
 
Good answer? Ignore the question..... and then wonder why your sport is in crisis.... Is the point of the forum not to debate the issues? How do you expect your choice of sport to thrive when there are no heroes to latch on to....
 
WHy can;t they come back year after year and be REAL champions..
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He beat the best of his own age group and his elders over various trips in 3 different countries.He is a champion. How many jumps horses can say that.

If he gets a fatal injury while racing and has to be put down the Choi's will be down £££$$$€€€!!! and the breed will have lost one of it's greatest. It's pretty straight forward. I'd love to watch him run more but I can understand why he will not.
 
I agree with Cantoris, he was going over the top at Longchamp. The fighting for his head was another sign, I felt. He did it in the early stages of the Derby as well, but not to the same extent.

There was not a lot to be gained by going to California. He has been so consistently superior that STS will gain almost just as much in reputation if Fame, Mastercraftsman or one of his other victims wins the Classic as he would have gained by winning it himself.

The handling of the horse has been flawless. John Oxx has joined the list of greats, if he had not done so already for his equally faultless handling of Ridgewood Pearl, Timarida, Sinndar and Alamshar. Kinane was already there for being the first Irish-based jockey to become world class.
 
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