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Disappointing, but money talks; I see Coolmore splashed out over 2 million at the sales last week, so the money has to come from somewhere. I fear that the breeding tail wagging the racing horse may be the death of flat racing; there is so much competition now from other sports, retiring the champions at 3 and 4 makes no sense.
Bring on the NH!!Agreed, horses are retired all too quickly and easily these days. Even Garswood was retired this term off the back of winning one of the worst main European group 1 events I can ever re-call.
They can not be that desperate to replace Pivotal & Medicean already? They already have Garswoods sire Dutch Art standing and having one of his best seasons with the likes of Slade Power and Lightning Thunder.
Cheveley Park are as bad as any, win a group 1 and it is guaranteed retirement if you have any tackle
Quel surprise!
Hoof injury apparently.
I’ll try to keep this to an Australia’n post Joni!
Get fed up with any well intentioned, slightly negative thread about flat racing turning in to a tedious Jumps Vs Flat thread.I was sceptical at first, but Australia was a Champion even if not proven to be the "best horse trained" from AOB. Not far off and didn’t get the number of chances as some.
Not many Derby winners go as close as he did in a good quality Guineas. Putting up a better form rating in third than Camelot did in winning at Newmarket.
Won the Blue Riband at Epsom in June, with a bit more in hand than the 1 1/4 lengths and 3 1/4 margins from subsequent Leger one/two Kingston Hill and Romsdal; a further 3 3/4 lengths back to the pack. The second and third had the Leger between them from some way out; franking the Derby form in no uncertain terms… As Kingston Hill did again by finishing only 4 lengths behind Treve in the Arc despite poor draw.
Australia won a poor quality Irish Derby, but did it effortlessly. Then came his best yet… International win at York, again not "all out" in beating French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby 2 lengths, with an admittedly below form King George runner-up Telescope (beaten 3 lengths by Taghrooda) 2 1/4 lengths further back.
Which result gave their true running? International or Irish Champion? York first and second took each other on again at Leopardstown; this time The Grey Gatsby just prevailing by a neck. In my opinion Australia can be forgiven his one ond only defeat. Raced widest of all throughout, giving away a lot of ground, where as Ryan Moore on The Grey Gatsby kept more to the inner. In a race where leaders went off too quickly for their own good, the pair wisely kept towards the rear; Australia moving like a winner. However, Joseph made his move too soon. Again coming around the whole field in to the straight and take it up. Moore gave no ground away and – after Australia’s efforts took their toll – came through to nabb the verdict from the long odds-on favourite. Joseph’s one of the worst rides of the season. It’s a shame we do not have the same technology in Europe as in USA, how many more lengths did Australia run than The Grey Gatsby?
Up to the unlucky defeat last time out, his form was of progression and it’s not inconcievable more was to come with experience and could’ve even proven the Master Of Ballydoyle correct in being their "best ever"…
But Australia’s unbeaten run was over and had been on the go since early May. Never ran on a soft surface and his action suggests it may not have suited. Autumn campaign might have caused more heart-ache for connections. Trouble with big reputations is they’re easily knocked and a loss on rain softened ground on top of an admittedly unlucky defeat may have swayed connections. People would not have taken any notice of going excuses. Like it or not, stallion prices do need to be taken in to consideration.
No matter if he is or is not retired, we should appreciate the horse. Certainly 2014 Champion middle-distance colt of any age (not just 3). Toss up between him and (with her sex allowance) Taghrooda and Treve for the over all middle-distance title. Latter not at her best this year. However, Kingman gets my vote for horse of the year.
Whether it is a genuine excuse for Australia’s retirement? Probably… And once a horse has had an injury it’s less likely he’ll return to his best.
Value Is EverythingQuel surprise!
Hoof injury apparently.
I’ll try to keep this to an Australia’n post Joni!
Get fed up with any well intentioned, slightly negative thread about flat racing turning in to a tedious Jumps Vs Flat thread.Hear Hear. It is sooo dull reading the rubbish the pure jumps fans write. This is a racing forum not a Flat or Jumps racing forum. Childish to slag off the other code. Most of them do it every year. Ok guys – we get it.
You don’t like flat racing.
I personally think it’s been a really good season. Some top class colts in Kingman and Australia, a superb Oaks winner in Taghrooda who goes on to win the KG, Kingston Hill running in well in all the classics and getting his just reward in the Leger and the return of the Champ in the Arc. Just a shame about that old donkey Ectot making me look like …..a donkey.
And for those who like their horses to stay around how about the 8 year old Cirrus winning the Coronation?!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
When was the "Golden Age" of top-class flat classic winners staying on to race at 4, 5 or 6? Horses do get injured – even top-class ones!
I’ll try to keep this to an Australia’n post Joni!
Get fed up with any well intentioned, slightly negative thread about flat racing turning in to a tedious Jumps Vs Flat thread.Australia would probably have received more plaudits if he hadn’t been hyped to the nth degree.
Aiden O’Brien claimed the horse was doing things from day 1 that they had never seen before, speed etc blah blah. Anyone who saw the horse make his debut will have seen a horse crawl out of the stalls and not show one particle of this "speed" he allegedly possessed. The story was similar when he ran next time at mega short odds but made heavy weather and was workmanlike in winning, again without this holy grail of speed ever surfacing.
It was not until his third run that we saw some potential of perhaps living up to his exceptional pedigree, when he slammed the favourite Free Eagle in a small field. There was then no doubt that the horse progressed strongly over the winter, although I always felt he would do well to be sharp enough for the Guineas. He ran a cracker, although I still wonder how Kingman didn’t win that race in good style.
Australia proved his point in The Derby and as you say the second and third were best in The Leger and Kingston Hill ran a superb race in the Arc, seeing off horses who were a third of his odds and from a poor draw to boot. I think the Irish Derby was a donkey fest this year but he did the business.
I feel Australia’s best performance came when seeing off Telescope and Mukhadram. I had concerns for him that day but he proved himself capable. I don’t think the ride was that bad next time and perhaps he was starting to taper off when The Grey Gatsby reversed the form under a strong drive from Ryan Moore. It was my intention to oppose Australia on his final start but we’ll never know now.
I rate him as an above average Derby winner, he certainly performed much better than Camelot and Ruler Of The World in terms of what he beat and subsequent successes. I doubt he’d have troubled Kingman but that horse should have been ending his own season as an excellent Guineas winner with a superb turn of foot. It would have been nice to see Australia end his career with a tilt at the Arc but perhaps connections wanted to settle for what he had achieved this year and then go off to stud after an easier swansong to his racing life.
I wish him well at stud and look forward to seeing some Aussie based names for his progeny.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
One over-rated horse if ever there was.The moment he was beaten in the 2000 Guineas the ‘Best horse ever’ tag exploded with Aidens credibility.
One over-rated horse if ever there was.The moment he was beaten in the 2000 Guineas the ‘Best horse ever’ tag exploded with Aidens credibility.
He wasn’t the best ever but if he’s "overrated" then so is Kingston Hill.
I reckon Australia would have beaten that old cuddy Tapestry any day
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
One over-rated horse if ever there was.The moment he was beaten in the 2000 Guineas the ‘Best horse ever’ tag exploded with Aidens credibility.
He wasn’t the best ever but if he’s "overrated" then so is Kingston Hill.
I reckon Australia would have beaten that old cuddy Tapestry any day
That cuddy
Tapestry
beat
Taghrooda
Steve!!
And we wonder why some say the flats a joke these days, I remember watchingKingston Hill
winning the Racing Post trophy last year and thinking 3m Chaser.
Since then though this fellow has wore his heart on his sleeve over 1m,11/4m,11/2m,13/4m and what you see is what you get,he’s as genuine as they come.Australia
on the other hand was a horse we were all told would deliver and he’d do it pulling trains and doing handstands….Yeh Right!He was bred to win the Derby and did just that.Sadly he did absolutely nothing else and will be remembered for being the most over-rated horse ever to set foot on a Racecourse.
With the world market exploding China will become a major player and Derby winners will be invaluable.John Magnier can hear the cash registering.
One over-rated horse if ever there was.The moment he was beaten in the 2000 Guineas the ‘Best horse ever’ tag exploded with Aidens credibility.
He wasn’t the best ever but if he’s "overrated" then so is Kingston Hill.
I reckon Australia would have beaten that old cuddy Tapestry any day
That cuddy
Tapestry
beat
Taghrooda
Steve!!
And we wonder why some say the flats a joke these days, I remember watchingKingston Hill
winning the Racing Post trophy last year and thinking 3m Chaser.
Since then though this fellow has wore his heart on his sleeve over 1m,11/4m,11/2m,13/4m and what you see is what you get,he’s as genuine as they come.Australia
on the other hand was a horse we were all told would deliver and he’d do it pulling trains and doing handstands….Yeh Right!He was bred to win the Derby and did just that.Sadly he did absolutely nothing else and will be remembered for being the most over-rated horse ever to set foot on a Racecourse.
Taghrooda wasn’t right that day Gord. I said that coming into the Arc and advised the lads to swerve Tapestry on the quest for value.
I think Camelot was a lot more overrated than Australia and he almost lifted the triple crown. Australia’s Guineas run, his Derby win and the Juddmonte success were all superior runs to Camelot efforts and they mark him as a good Derby winner to my eyes. Not the best, and a good way behind recent high water mark Sea The Stars, but he was decent and far from a plodder.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
So the sad reality is that they at Coolmore never intended to race him at four.His hoof would surely have healed over the winter.
They would only miss one season of stud fees.
Think where ever possible a horse should be raced at four when it is more mature and meets the cream of the three year old crop.
He would have been better at four and could have proved to be "one of the greats", now we will never know how good/poor he was.
He should be given the opportunity to redeem himself, but I knew after his defeat he wouldn’t run again, hoof or no hoof.They would only miss one season of stud fees.
Think where ever possible a horse should be raced at four when it is more mature and meets the cream of the three year old crop.
He would have been better at four and could have proved to be "one of the greats", now we will never know how good/poor he was.
He should be given the opportunity to redeem himself, but I knew after his defeat he wouldn’t run again, hoof or no hoof.I agree entirely but I suppose that it’s one of those self perpetuating things. Nobody wants a champion at four when they can have a champion at three.
If there was an incentive or a prestige to winning races with older horses then prospective stallions would probably stay in training longer to demonstrate the likelihood of their offspring achieving same. But there isn’t so they don’t. In any case, manufacturing prestige is a challenging enough task as it is and seemingly inconceivable when faced against an additional season of stud fees and the risk of fee reduction.
I see some people haven’t changed since I’ve been away.
A triple Group 1-winning, dual-Derby winning horse is apparently "The most over-hyped horse of all time".
AOB started it with the ‘best I’ve ever trained’ tag. Now he, and others have ended it, I’ll guess we’ll never know. But not a great way to end a racing career with a defeat at long odds on, on home soil to The Grey Gatsby.
AOB started it with the ‘best I’ve ever trained’ tag. Now he, and others have ended it, I’ll guess we’ll never know. But not a great way to end a racing career with a defeat at long odds on, on home soil to The Grey Gatsby.
There can’t be many "Greatest Ever" horses who met defeat 3 times in an 8 race career, so it’s safe to say the trainer overstated the horse’s talent to some extent.
If we look at his achievements we can probably discount the Irish Derby, as he was 1/8 and I don’t think his main rival that day, Fascinating Rock, ran to form. I can’t think of a Classic that took less winning than that race and it does nothing to enhance the profile of Australia, other than as a statistic on a CV.
I think we can define his career as a terrific effort in the 2000 Guineas, when giving fitness advantage to the two horses who finished ahead of him, a convincing Derby win with decent form boosts afterwards and a Juddmonte win from the French Derby winner, the Eclipse winner and a seven length Hardwicke winner.
It would obviously have been more satisfactory to have signed off with a win but that’s racing and it’s seldom that it goes to script.
I’d say it was difficult to pin down his best trip and it is certain that he’s not going to be a legend but it’s pretty harsh to label him the most overrated horse and we should all be taking the "He’s the best horse I’ve trained this week" utterances with a large Siberian salt mine by now.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I remember watching
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