Sea The Stars - Retirement Announced

OTB said:
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....
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The two sports within a sport are different. Flat racing produces stallions and those stallions that don't make it end up siring the national hunt breed who have no value other than the pure sport of it. If I had something of substantial value I would look after it. So I can completely understand why they are retiring him. If the racing public want to fund the diminution in his value if he got beaten next year, that would be something different. But he is very valuable so why bother other than for the pure sport (or stupidity) of it.
 
Grey said:
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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And all of those horses were admirably consistent. Another trait of Oxx. Alandi is another example.
 
Grey said:
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.
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He did ok with Azamour too :)
 
Grey said:
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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Very good post
 
I really think he has nothing left to prove. he proved he is the best by far of his generation, and the current older generation. he would beat the same horses in the first half of next year, and then would we wait for a three-year-old to beat him? why? we saw history being made, in front of our eyes, and as I just missed Dancing Brave live, can now say I have seen a proper racing Great.

I am just reading a book called "Headless horsemen" about "chemical colts" etc in american racing, and after reading that retirement for Sea The Star is an even more correct decision.
 
Lets hope Zenyetta does not thump the Coolmore boys - sounds like he was perfectly able to run (Oxx himself said the sweating at Longchamp was his coat just needing a clipping - I remember Banks Hill turning up in America looking like a hairy goat and pissing in) but they did not want to take a risk. I am disappointed I will not see him again but salute a great champion and great trainer.
 
OTB said:
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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Did Nijinsky stay in training? Did Sea Bird? No. This is not a new phenonemon.

I'd have hated for him to have run as a 4yo and either get injured like Peintre Celebre or have a patchy season like Montjeu.
 
Maybe not the decision the fans wanted but probably the right one.

Let's hope we have dozens of little 'starlets' gracing our G1s in the years to come.
 
Glad it's finally over, and delighted that the Flatties have had something to froth over for a change.

Any chance we can now archive this and other summer topics, to concentrate on vastly more interesting races like claiming chases from Kilbeggan?
 
I don't accept for a moment that he was over the top in the Arc . He pulled because they were not going anywhere fast enough for him . He was warm because he was going in his coat. He took the preliminaries supremely well .

He put in an electrifying burst to cut through G1 winners as if they were platers and won in a common canter.

There was no need at all to go to Santa Anita . Commercially , it will mean nothing and when RVW wins the race he will be the moral winner anyway . It is possible that he could have gone over the top by then and running a horse in his winter coat in 90 degrees after all he has done would have been totally unnecessary and probably unfair.

I have no doubt that had they decided instead for a lap of honour at Newmarket on Sat that we would have won in a canter again . He is the best horse I have ever seen and am likely to see and it is an honour to have seen him and to have had unshakable faith in him since backing him to win the Guineas .

It was fascinating to read the RP profile of Clare Balding and see that Ian Balding thinks STS ( and not Mill Reef) is the best he has ever seen . I think he is right and the rantings of ratings junkies like John Randall are utterly irrelevant . His piece in the RP was an amazing example of narrow minded arrogance.
 
SteveM said:
...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.
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Shame you didn't get it until after the Arc ! :lol:
 
Ardross

nowdays I tend to disagree with you in almost every post


Sea The stars was over the top in the Arc and put his worst nce of the season for me, I think he would have been beaten in many Arcs with that performance even being better horse than most of the winner if not better to all of them




About the horse
truly great champion but the decision of retirement is the right one, has everything to be a top class stallion, I wait to see the price darley will pay for him.
 
Sunybay,

What Arcs exactly would he have been beaten in lately?

Also, would you not agree with a lot in hand?
 
Wise decision - looking forward to his offspring. Interested to see who he covers, will they have the class of Urban Sea?

Flat racing and the jumps are 2 different sports- each to their own!

Congratulations to John Oxx for keeping his fresh all season
 
I was lucky enough to see him twice in the flesh, and although I only saw the Arc on television, I thought he was truly awesome. I actually thought Kinane knew he had done enough and let him ease home, which flattered those behind him. He was a fabulous animal, in every way, and I hope he has a long, happy and healthy retirement, and consider myself fortunate that I was able to witness one of the best athletes of the equine world ever.
 
So, let me get this right - you are saying his performance in the Arc was inferior to Mubtaker? You are therefore saying Mubtaker would have won the last 3 Arcs on a line through Youmzain..
 
G-G said:
I actually thought Kinane knew he had done enough and let him ease home, which flattered those behind him.
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Maybe I have a different view but being there and watching it in the flesh, I thought Kinane nursed him home after his burst clear from the field. His stride was shortening when he passed me 150/200 yards out and IMO his performance in the Arc just showed how brilliant he was as I think he was out on his legs near the finish. And I think it was a remarkable performance not because he won but because he didn't lose when IMO everything was against him except the ground.
 
SteveM said:
...still to their credit they didn't duck anything thus far.
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Just the St Leger ;)

Reading between the lines of the 'fishul announcement, I suspect he's fit and healthy enough but not sparkling, therefore the decision probably wasn't a difficult one. Would Chris Tsui accept my drop-dead-gorgeous 22yo daughter as his wife? She'd only cost him a quarter-share in the horse.
 
It's a shame that we won't be seeing him race again, but it seems to be the right decision. That'll be something to talk about when I'm 80 and in a rocking chair I guess; that I was there for his Derby and Eclipse, at least!
 
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