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^^I still remember the RSA / Gold Cup debate. Wasn’t Big Mac adamant that connections target the horse at the Gold Cup?
Gloria Victis was competing in his seventh race over fences (two in France) and his jumping was never an issue. He was a wonderful jumper and didn’t make a serious mistake until that fatal fall.
After his incredible weight carrying performance to land the Racing Post Chase (gave Marlborough more than a stone) the Gold Cup was always a huge temptation. The only question mark was the track.
Much could be said about Big Fella Thanks, who was competing in the Grand National on only his seventh outing over fences. He was far from fluent over park fences, yet still recorded a massive effort to finish sixth at Aintree.
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Hard to fault anything that Paul Nicholls said in the interview. I still find it hard to believe how Kauto can suddenly go from being joint favourite for the Gold Cup at 15:30 last Saturday, to people fearing for his life by 16:00!
Kauto will be competitive in the Gold Cup, mark my words. He shouldn’t be retired just because he faces an uphill task of winning the event.
Diamond Harry laughed at Denman in the Hennessy and, judging by the manner of his success, I find it hard to see how Denman can possibly reverse that form, even allowing for a big pull at the weights. Should connections retire ‘The Tank’?
The right decision has been made. I just wish there was more time between now and the Gold Cup. I would run him in the Racing Post Chase off 174!
^^I still remember the RSA / Gold Cup debate. Wasn’t Big Mac adamant that connections target the horse at the Gold Cup?
Gloria Victis was competing in his seventh race over fences (two in France) and his jumping was never an issue. He was a wonderful jumper and didn’t make a serious mistake until that fatal fall.
After his incredible weight carrying performance to land the Racing Post Chase (gave Marlborough more than a stone) the Gold Cup was always a huge temptation. The only question mark was the track.
Much could be said about Big Fella Thanks, who was competing in the Grand National on only his seventh outing over fences. He was far from fluent over park fences, yet still recorded a massive effort to finish sixth at Aintree.
——————————————————————
Hard to fault anything that Paul Nicholls said in the interview. I still find it hard to believe how Kauto can suddenly go from being joint favourite for the Gold Cup at 15:30 last Saturday, to people fearing for his life by 16:00!
Kauto will be competitive in the Gold Cup, mark my words. He shouldn’t be retired just because he faces an uphill task of winning the event.
Diamond Harry laughed at Denman in the Hennessy and, judging by the manner of his success, I find it hard to see how Denman can possibly reverse that form, even allowing for a big pull at the weights. Should connections retire ‘The Tank’?
The right decision has been made. I just wish there was more time between now and the Gold Cup. I would run him in the Racing Post Chase off 174!
Denman will reverse the form with Diamond Harry at Cheltenham, if Paul Nicholls gets him there in the same fitness he had him in for the Hennessy.
Diamond Harry is decent at Cheltenham but i’d say Newbury suits him better especially as the ground is rarely truly soft at Chelters.
Diamond Harry laughed at Denman in the Hennessy and, judging by the manner of his success, I find it hard to see how Denman can possibly reverse that form, even allowing for a big pull at the weights. Should connections retire ‘The Tank’?
Denman will reverse the form with Diamond Harry at Cheltenham, if Paul Nicholls gets him there in the same fitness he had him in for the Hennessy.
Reply in the ‘Cheltenham Gold Cup’ thread.
What a fantastic racehorse he’s been – and as he walked round the paddock to cheers before the race yesterday it felt like Goodbye.
Connections seem unsure though and it’s their call.
But that doesn’t stop us having our opinion!
I think the only argument Nicholls gave for keeping him in training was that Kauto would get bored in a field. If this is the case then by all means keep him exercising and send him to the races for the occasional parade.
However, I think that the question of whether or not he should be retired should be unanimously answered in retirement’s favour.
his owner i 90percent in favour of retirement, he owes them nothing, think however he would love an active retirement, as said maybe keeping him on yard and exercising the other horses
denmans meant to be going hunter chasing i heard when recovered, he is going to the people that had eartmover and sadly lost him
vf
I’ve voted for retire, although I agree he should have an active retirement as he’s obviously so fit and keen. I’m sure they could do more with him than just shut him in a field.
I can’t see what’s to gain by racing him again. It would be next season at least before we see him again, and I just can’t see him ever being as fit as he was this year again. He owes nobody anything, and the last thing anyone wants is for him to lose his skills and end up breaking something in a fall.
Quite right Burroughill. I’ll miss seeing those amazing leaps he does as he sails over the fences, but I’d much rather he has a happy and long retirement safe and sound. He doesn’t have anything left to prove and owes his owners and the public nothing so let him enjoy his remaining years. He’ll always be remembered as one of the greats.
I voted for ‘wait and see’, but I am closer to a yes really.
I understand that Paul Nicholls may want to try to win another King George, but he should listen to his own advice now. He said that Kauto Star will tell everyone when it is time to retire.
The horse is getting increasingly fragile. He had an infection which held him back in the King George last year, breathing problem in the Gold Cup, fell for the first time ever in home schooling this year and couldn’t recover from a muscle injury despite over two weeks of physiotherapy. He also struggles to run three times a season nowadays.
I know Paul Nicholls kept See More Business and Earthmover chugging along into their teens, but Kauto Star is getting very delicate. As Clive Smith said, another Best Mate tragedy would be awful. A young brigade of chasers including Bobs Worth, Sir Des Champs and Grands Crus mean Kauto Star will be fully tested if racing on next year. Nicholls would be foolish to think that the King George will be easy pickings.
Of course he should retire.
It was obvious he would not win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and anyone who backed him to do so was living in a fool’s paradise. There was never a chance he could win.
It didn’t come as any surprise whatsover that he had to be pulled up and I am not just being wise after the event. I predicted it that morning when people were asking me if he could win. I’m just amazed so many people were surprised when he was pulled up.
For McCririck to be talking as though he could run in and even possibly win another King George is just ludicrous, even by his standards.
Just let him honourably retire and don’t risk tragedy being the end result. There comes a time when even the best horses have to bow out and this is it.Retire. This ‘bored ina field’ lark does my head in. Yes, he’s a racehorse, he’s had the most military of routines since he was 18 months old. You can’t take him strait out of that and whack him ina field 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Keep him ina routine, but doing other stuff, working over some show jumping fences and learning some dressage tests. Just because he’s retired from racing doesn’t mean he can’t be kept ticking over.
I’d say retire, and treated like a king in the mean time!
If the horse is fit and well and still enjoys racing – race him.
If he does run again it will only be a couple of times and I don’t see why it should do him any harm. He just needs to be spot-on and get over that training fall first.
Zip
I wasn’t for running him in the Gold Cup but retire him? No way not quite yet. Clive Smith was very disappointed and people can say silly things when not thinking straight.
It depends on how serious his injury was and if there are any lasting after affects.
3 months ago he put up a fantastic performance to win a 5th King George then reportedly even in better shape he had that horrible fall.
His season is over he can be treated and if he responds well I would not dream of retiring him….I would run him one more time in the King George and if he is pulled up again then retire him. If he won it I would still retire him.
If possible, that’s the way and the race in which I would like to see him bow out.
I’m in the retire camp. Nothing left to prove, but agree with those who advocate an "active retirement".
As far as I’m concerned I was one of the 70,000 people at Cheltenham who said "au revoir" with our round of applause.
I’m ready for a change; we’ve had too many of the Kauto/Denman years where their participation overshadowed every other horse. I’ve grown to love the horse, but only started to enjoy the Gold Cup this year when he pulled up [safely, thank goodness]. Pleased to hear that Denman will have an active ‘retirement’ although it was pretty obvious that would be the case, given his connections. There will be a terrible void for a while. It happened when Dessie retired. Thought racing would never be the same, and then along came One Man and then Kauto and Denman. In years to come, people will look back on the past few years; those who aren’t around yet will envy what we have witnessed, and we are probably only just taking it in ourselves [other than a certain Hurdygurdyperson, who foretold the greatness that we were about to witness with this special horse]. All I ever wanted was a happy ending; I’m not brave enough for another season of racing, but greatly looking forward to his exploits over the years to come. And, from a purely selfish point of view, never having seen him in the flesh during his career, I so want to see him on a day when I can clap him and cry and not worry about him coming home safe. It seemed right somehow that the two horses fighting out the finish to the Gold Cup this year had white blazes…..Retirement, please. Elsie realised that about Des when he won his last race; everyone was eulogising about him, but Elsie just quietly said ‘he found it hard today’. Let Kauto finish now, before he starts to find it hard. Because, like Des, his bravery will hide the vulnerability that is creeping in. His trainer needs to see it.
An example of an active retirement: McDynamo
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/day-life-mcdynamo
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