While horseracing is so much about thrill and excitement, it sometimes is about tragic losses as well. The racehorse is a very fragile creature, and sadly sometimes has to pay the ultimate price for our game. The link to "Racehorse Memories" can be found in the Link-section, but here are some horses whose demise touched us even deeper.
Rest in Peace, Best Mate
Your Memories are golden.
Image: Best Mate
Accipiter did not grace the turf for long, as an injury forced him to be off the track since April 2004, after winning a Grade 1 race. Only a 6-year-old, Accipiter tragicly died in his comeback-race, Windsor 18th of Nov. 2005.
He will be not be forgotten by his fans.
Image: Famer Jack parading for the Paddy Power
Is there a truth in the old saying "that only the good die young"? Well, Farmer Jack was 9 years old when he died, clearly much too young.
Born in 1996, Jack started his racing career in 2001 - and with a bang. Under a certain T J Murphy he was the gutsy winner of a 2m1f Bumper race. 9 more wins and 4 places followed from a total of 27 runs, later in Philipp Hobbs´ care. Jack´s finest hour certainly came in the 2005 AON Chase when he beat a top-class field with Strong Flow, Ballycassidy, Celestial Gold and Sir Rembrandt among his opponents. 14 days later Jack added the Racing Post Chase at Kempton, again a tip-top performance. In his build-up for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2005 Farmer Jack suffered a fatal heart-attack on his home galopps, just like Rooster Booster was to die some 11 month later. We have to find consolation in the fact that they both died doing what they loved best, without suffering and in some privacy.
Image: The wonderful EiEi
Its hard to find the right words for Ei Ei, whose cruel death, at only 9 years of age, still hurts a lot. Ei Ei certainly had to do things the hard way, and a combined total of 92 life-starts (62 in jump races) shows just that. His bold front-running style and never-give-up attitude made him a great favorite. Ei Ei died, falling for the first time in his life, in Market Rasen on the 9th of june, 2004, at the last fence, with the race seemingly at his mercy. He is much missed!
Nobody forgets his first favorite racehorse, and that is just what Land Lark was for Jimmy.
Born in 1965 and trained by T.E. Pocock, Land Lark was a wonderful consistent servant for his little yard, completing a hat-trick of wins in 1973/74 and finishing in the frame 7 times from 13 starts in 1974/75. Land Lark died, apparently of a heart-attack suffered while jumping The Chair, in the Grand National 1975, won by L´Escargot, leaving Jimmy unconsolable for a long time. Land Lark is not forgotten to this day.
The Sky was the Limit for this highly talented young chaser, but he was never allowed to reach the heights we had hoped for. Having completed only the 9th race of his young life, his 6th over chases, Gloria Victis was controversially asked to compete in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, when many people, including me, felt the Novice Route would have been more suitable. Gloria Victis died in the Gold Cup Cup of 2000, still only 6 years old, after running a brave race until falling at the second last fence, breaking a leg. We mourned about him, and were left with the hollow feeling of a cruel and unneccesary death, when clearly too much was asked too soon. Gloria Victis will not be forgotten.
The Last Fling trained by Sue Smith was a wonderful chestnut gelding with a distinguishing big white face, and although he was only small he had the heart of a lion.
Originally owned by Michael Jackson (of Morley Street fame) and in the latter stages by Trevor Hemmings his career spanned 7 years and 55 races (of which he won 14 including the Edward Hamner, Peter Marsh Chase,De Vere Gold Cup and the Warwickshire Gold Cup, a win that earnt Warren Marston " National Hunt ride of the season 2001/02 ").
After two unsuccesful attempts in the Grand National he went into what was to be his final race in the 2002 renewal with a reasonable chance based on the Warwick victory.
For over a circuit under Ritchie McGrath he jumped the Aintree fences with aplomb leading the field a merry dance and appearing to be really enjoying himself.
However by the time they got to Bechers second time he was clearly tiring having only just survived a bad mistake two fences earlier.
I remember saying to myself at the time,''please pull him up''.
Alas it was not to be and he took a horror fall at the Canal Turn from which he was never to get up again.
To this day I still feel it was an accident that could have been prevented, yet unperterbed despite so much bad luck in the race Trevor Hemmings kept trying and was rewarded when Hedgehunter won this years' renewal.
'Flingy' is sadly missed.
(written by Paul Clark, but missed by us all!)
Image: Bacchanal winning the Stayers Hurdle
It was a rather hard decision whether to add Bacchanal in the "Racing Great´s" section or here, as he was one of our hero´s. A wonderful tough and durable performer, Bacchanal performed with so much credit in both spheres, winning the Stayer´s Hurdle at the Festival against the mighty Limestone Lad, and counting the Feltham Novice Chase as well as the Aon Chase as his biggest wins over the big obstacles. Bacchanal fell and died in Cheltenham, Jan.2003, having just turned 9 years old. His memories will stay with us forever.
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"BETTER ONE DAY AS A LION, THAN 100 YEARS AS A LAMB"
RIP in Peace, old boy. You are in our hearts.
Dorans Pride in the paradering, Cheltenham Festival 2003, just prior to his fatal fall in the Foxhunters Chase
(Photo: Lee-Ann Day)
Image: Dorans Pride Cheltenham 03
Dorans Pride´s death in the Christie´s Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival 2003, at the age of 14, cast a shadow of some proportions over the race and the whole meeting indeed. An old warrior dying in the battlefield of racing, but many felt that Dorans Pride, after 73 combined lifetime starts resulting in 27 (!) wins (of which 18 were Group-races including 6 Group 1´s !; and he did win on the flat,you know) over jumps, did not owe us anything. Dorans Pride crossed swords with many of the best hurdlers and chasers of his era, too many names to mention. He always tried his hardest and was a great servant for Michael Hourigan´s yard; we were told he refused to settle in retirement, but clearly other options could and should have been found than sending him to ultra-competetive Cheltenham, were the 2nd fence found him out already. Dorans Pride is sorely missed, to this day.
Unfortunatly the loss of high-class horses continued this weekend, see Ortolan Bleu´s section too. Saturday morning (Feb 4th 2006) news broke about the loss of a horse of outstanding ability in LINGO, who sadly broke a leg on his home galopps at Jonjo o´Neills Jackdaws Castle. Since toying with a good field after a long lay-off in the Greatwood Hurdle back in November 05, Lingo has been many peoples idea of a Champion Hurdle winner. Only 6, he was very lightly raced over hurdles and clearly had much more to give. Our condolences go to all his connections.
Ortolan Blue parading in Wetherby, Dec. 05
(Photo: Paul Clark)
Image: Ortolan Bleu in Wetherby
We sadly lost another young and immensly talented horse this weekend, Ortolan Bleu, in Musselburgh Feb. 5th. Being one of the better fancied horses for this year´s Triumph Hurdle, Ortolan, having just officially turned four (he actually was not yet four, as he was born on the 23rd of april), contested The Scottish Triumph Hurdle Trial, but broke his leg with over a circuit to go and could not be saved. Surely a cruel blow to all his connections.
The american-bred Shalako was a great favourite from Philip Hobbs´ yard, but his pedigree was all "flat" (being by Kingmambo out of a Vaguely Noble-mare), so it looked more like a great career in that sphere was beckoning when the horse was bought by Baron von Ullmann to run in his distinctive blue-and-yellow colours of Shirocco-fame in his native Germany. Shalako was a very useful Handicapper over here, winning four times in total,also being placed a couple of times. He was sold to England in 2002 however, and he started his new career for Philip Hobbs with a bang when winning first time out for new connections, in a Maiden Hurdle in Taunton. Two more wins and 12 more places (of which ten were 2nd places) tell the story of a tough and brave performer who always tried his best and many times just found one too good for him. Only an 8-year-old, Shalako fell fatally in Newbury on Saturday (4th of march), incidently the course where the only other fall of his all-to-short career came as well. It was a most horrific accident on a day when Newbury saved racing from the frost but good to firm ground and the resulting fast pace meant that, besides Shalako, two more horses lost their lives, Topkat from Martin Pipe´s yard and the german-bred Champion´s Day from Jonjo o´Neill´s yard. It goes to show that it´s speed that kills horses too, and this was clearly a very sad and tragic day.
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The german-bred Law Society-son OLASO was a wonderful racehorse over here, and a Group winner too. Many felt he would go all the way to the top as older stayer in Germany, but news came through that he was sold to England in 2004, bought by J P McManus. Joining Jonjo O´Neill for his new task over sticks, OLASO had only a short (and interrupted) career for new connections: he made it to the track for 5 complete races, winning two in decent class, but in his 6th start, when contesting the Pertemps Hurdle Final in Cheltenham March 16, 2006, he broke a leg after the 5th flight and had to be put down on the spot.
5 horses lost their lives in Cheltenham on this day (see Basilea Star and Holy Orders below), a very tragic and very sad day for racing. In a sport packed with drama and excitement the current high toll of equine life is increasingly hard to bear.
Basilea Star in the paddock at Cheltenham, just prior to his fatal fall
(Photo: Tracy Roberts)
Image: Basilea Star just prior to his fatal accident
Basilea Star was a very talented staying hurdler when being trained by Ferdy Murphy, and caught Jimmy´s eye early in his career. He joined Martin Pipe to run in the famous David-Johnson-colours for a new career as (novice) chaser. First start for new connections resulted in the first win, but Basilea Star sadly only completed on more start for Pipe. Basilea Star was, quite controversialy, asked to compete in a marathon 33f Amateur Rider´s Handicap chase at Cheltenham (March 16th) where he fell when going well 4 out, never to get up any more.
Holy Orders on his way to the start for the World Hurdle, Cheltenham 2006; his last ever race
(Photo:Tracy Robers)
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A quirky character, more than anything else a "character" - this was Holy Orders, my favorite Irish. Holy Orders did things his way, he was a rule to himself, something his trainer Willie Mullins freely admitted all the time, but still he was highly talented on his day, on the flat as well as over hurdles (Trainer Mullins was famously quoted:" He does not really like hurdles, but I am afraid he needs them nowadays"). Holy Orders last win came with stunning ease in a Premier Handicap on the Currragh in September 05, adding to his lifetime total of 9 wins on the flat and 3 wins over jumps. Still only 9, Holy Orders died in the World Hurlde in Cheltenham 2006, breaking a leg. He leaves a huge gap and is very sadly missed.
Photo: Paul Clark, with many thanks
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Friends clearly see a pattern in my affection for certain racehorses: they are rarely flashy, or very fast. I really like the "workmanlike" horse, that gives his all, but inevitably fails to score against the real talented ones. Sh Boom fits this category, he was a horse with much potential but ultimately failed to deliver glittering results; he WAS good though, and he was tough. Later in training with S H Brookshaw, Sh Boom was very highly tried, so winning was never easy, but he ran many honourable races in defeat, and yes, he won 6 races in a 24-start-career. Sh Boom contested the World Hurdle 2006 too, and was pulled up in the race. Sh Boom could not be saved from internal injuries, sustained during the race and his riderless spell. Vetenarians fought in vain for his life, but had to put Sh Boom out of his misery at around midnight. Sh Boom will be very sorely missed. RIP, little friend.
Horatio Nelson - Newmarket May 6th 2006
(Photo:Paul Clark)
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Flat Racing lost his first major star, when the young and immensly talented HORATIO NELSON died in the battlefield of racing, breaking a leg in the Epsom Derby, June 3rd 2006.
Bred in purple, this first son of the brilliant racemare Imagine was a tremendous 2-year-old, winning his first 4 races including the Group 1 former Grand Criterium on Arc-Day, before being a most unlucky loser against Sir Percy in the Dewhurst Stakes. We anticipated even more glittering heights in 2006, but cruel fate snatched his little fellow, small in body but huge in spirit, from us. It was a tragedy to be avoided, as Kieren Fallon, who chose to ride Horatio over 3 stablemates after a most impressive final workout three days prior to the Derby, was not happy with his little partner when they galopped down to the start, only to be overruled by a vet and the trainer.
Closely inbred to the most royal irish (Coolmore-) bloodlines, talent and tragedy came in a fateful package.
Extract from the Racing-Post:
Fallon had been too upset by events to talk at Epsom and on Sunday was still coming to terms with the loss of a colt who clearly held a special place in his affections.
"He was one of the best little horses I've ever been around,” the jockey added, “both temperament wise and ability wise. He wanted to do everything for you.
“That was his biggest strength. They are the ones you want to be associated with - the ones who can't do enough for you.
"He shouldn't have been beaten in the Dewhurst - although obviously Sir Percy has gone on to do great things, and good luck to them - and he was a horse everyone liked. I feel so sorry for the poor girl who rode him every day at home and was in tears."
Alluding to what Horatio Nelson might have finished in the Derby but for the injury, he continued: "He had a lot of ability and we expected big things, and Dylan Thomas was bang there - I know how much better than him he was."
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Death of a Hero: The saddest sight at Royal Ascot was the fatal accident that occured to Media Puzzle in the final furlong of the Gold Cup 2006. Off for two years after injuring himself in the 2004 Irish St. Leger; Media Puzzle had only recently been fit enough to race again and provided trainer Dermot Weld with a fairytale result when being able to even add a win to his record.
But it was one famous win that propelled Media Puzzle into the spotlight in 2002, a win as dramatic and breathtaking as they come. Bidding to become Weld´s second Melbourne Cup winner, Media Puzzle was scheduled to be ridden by top-australien jockey Damien Oliver. Oliver´s brother Jason had died in a riding accident earlier that week, so punters made Media Puzzle an emotional co-favorite for the race. Not to be denied, Media Puzzle must have been guided by stronger forces from up above when he stormed home to beat a class field by two length, giving Oliver one of the rides of his life. Oliver rode the race in his brothers breeches and paid a heartbreaking tribute to him: " I know you're up there watching Jason - and this one's for you !
The Melbourne Cup doesn't mean anything to me any more.
"I'd give it away right now to have my brother back.
"To my brother Jason, I know you're up there mate. I couldn't have done it without you buddy so this one's for you."
Media Puzzle met his own fate now; regular jockey Pat Smullen sensed his mount´s trouble and stopped riding quickly to dismount as soon as possible, supporting Media Puzzle in every way. But the sustained injuries were too severe and Media Puzzle had to be humanly destroyed.
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Photos by Quentin Lang, with many thanks:
19.06.2006: A sad fate denied Warrsan the luxury of a life off the track; a place that he graced for oh so many exciting season´s. I haven´t altered his entry in the "Racing Great" section, as we must remember him the warrior he was, full of energy and life. Rest in peace, old boy.
Letter: Wonderful Warrsan
Published: 29/06/2006 (Letters) Catrin Nack
I WRITE to mourn the sad and untimely death of Warrsan.
Even after all the things he did on the racetrack - not many horses win two Coronation Cups, two Grosser Preis von Badens and step back in trip to be a short-head second in an Eclipse - I still feel he was underrated and treated like an underdog.
Warrsan was a star, and if all racehorses gave what he did in his long and honourable career, racecourses would be even better places.
Warrsan was a few pounds short of being a true worldbeater, but courage, will, heart and good old battling spirit were his trademarks, and he displayed them again and again, when others cried enough.
How many horses are campaigned nowadays the way he was, over such a long period, with so many seasons in training. Win or lose, he would always come back, from gritty, hard-fought victories, and many hard races in defeat.
Following Warrsan became a personal issue when he was outbattled by Persian Punch in a little race in Salisbury on my birthday, and he made it another wonderful birthday present when he won the Grosser Preis von Baden, with me present to cheer him on.
I was in Baden last year too, when he took the race for the second time, convincing his lad beforehand that he would be unbeatable on the day (I backed him accordingly!).
I had some small hope for yet another season on the track, and when the news came that Warrsan had been retired due to his leg injury, I hoped for a long and honourable retirement for him, with the chance to pass on some of his wonderful qualities' horses like him are so rare in the modern breeding world.
It was not meant to be. My heart goes out to his connections and the staff at Carlburg, all the people who looked after him and made him the great athlete he was.
Catrin Nack
Hamburg, Germany
28.06.06: Lost for words we have to report the death of Mubtaker, who died in a routine galopp at Kingwood House Stable.
From the Racing Post:
"MARCUS TREGONING'S Derby-winning stable was in mourning on Tuesday after the death of Mubtaker, runner-up to Dalakhani in the 2003 Arc de Triomphe and who was acclaimed as one of the most popular horses in training.
The supremely dependable nine-year-old entire, owned by Sheikh Hamdan, shattered his lower off hind during routine exercise on Farncombe Down gallops in Lambourn.
His rider, John Kennedy, who is Derby winner Sir Percy's groom, escaped injury and managed to hold on to the stricken Mubtaker until assistance arrived.
Attempts were made to save Mubtaker,but veterinary surgeons called to the scene decided that it would be impossible due to multiple fractures. He was humanely destroyed.
Tregoning and his staff were distraught over the loss and their grief will be shared by many others.
Mubtaker regularly received fan mail at Kingwood House Stables, and there was another rush of cards after his latest, and, sadly, final victory, which came in April in the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at Newbury, a racecourse where he had an outstanding record over theyears.
His six wins there included three in the Group 2 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, for which he was being trained again this season.
Mubtaker was officially rated the best older horse in the world immediately after his three-quarter of a length defeatby Dalakhani in the Arc.
"Everyone at our yard is devastated by Mubtaker's death and it will take us time to get over it," said Tregoning.
"We adored him for his courage, his consistency and his wonderful outlook on life. I feel terribly sorry for Gino Gibbs, who has looked after him since the horse arrived at the yard six years ago."
The trainer added: "I doubt I'll see another similar to Mubtaker during my career. He kept the yard going through some otherwise thin times. When we needed a winner, up popped Mubtaker to save us. We relied on him. People may ask why a nine-year-old hadn't been retired, but the answer is simple - he loved the daily routine of a racing yard. He loved racing."
Tregoning said that the injury was similar to the one suffered by Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro in the Preakness Stakes. Barbaro was saved following prolonged surgery, but that was not an option for Mubtaker, who had more fractures over a wider area.
"And of course, Barbaro is a much younger horse," pointed out Tregoning, who added: "We had our greatest high this year with Sir Percy. Now, within a few weeks, we're suffering our worst low."
Mubtaker's career began under the Godolphin banner with David Loder in France. He raced there once as a juvenile,finishing runner-up at Deauville, and the following season was transferred to Tregoning. He won first time out for the stable, in a Newbury maiden at the backend of the 2000 season. In total, he won 13 of his 31 races, and accumulated more than £700,000 in prize-money. "
Oscar Schindler was a horse I held very dearly; I was present when he won his second Irish St.Leger, the first horse since Vintage Crop to do so; but this was pre-Vinnie Roe-times of course. His many gutsy performances in big races like the Irish Derby, The Arc, the King-George and even the Melbourne Cup earned him a place at Stud, where we were due to visit him during our Ireland-Trip in June 2006. 20 miles away from his new home the sad news that Oscar succumbed to a heart-attack "the other night" was delivered to us via phone, just another cruel blow we could have done without. RIP, old boy!
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