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Sea The Stars has really nothing left to prove in his 3 Y O season but would’ve had everything to prove at 4
This is exactly my thinking. I am in the ‘nothing to prove’ camp in so much as the BC classic was a lose-lose proposition for the horse right now. STS already is proven as a superstar 3yo, a victory at SA would merely seal the deal that STS is a "superstar" 3yo. A flop would have a great impact on his rep however. It would rub off that brilliant superstar lustre the horse has right now.
I would have loved to see him return as a 4yo too, but £60m is a lot of money in anyone’s book. The question you have to ask is would he be worth more as a stallion after winning a KGVI, Arc, et al, as a 4yo? Suppose that next year’s crop are not all that? I can see all the "he beat nothing" arguements now. Another lose-lose proposition.
The real money is in the breeding side of racing. As seasoned followers of the sport, we all know that. Don’t we?Erm, the real money, to me, is in the betting ‘n’ winning side of racing
He’d be worth more in the hearts of millions of racing fans if, let’s say, he reigned supreme at 4 years old. I’m prety sure he’d be worth more as a stallion if he conquered all at 4 too.
Racing is about seeing our favourite horses run against each other. Stud, in my opinion, is a well beaten second.Sea The Stars has really nothing left to prove in his 3 Y O season but would’ve had everything to prove at 4
Seriously though, I’m disappointed by his retirement. It’s no wonder that top flat races (the King George being a prime example) are now losing their appeal due to the lack of brilliant 4 Y O’s.
….. not greedy owners who’re only interested in lining their own pockets with money.
Grrrrrr!
the Tsuis don’t deserve that comment – they had too many brushes with mortality with the dam:
– Urban Sea was raced into her fifth year before a (thankfully not-major) injury forced her retirement.
– they have been through seeing her original rider – son of their French trainer – tragically killed by a truck.
– they have been through her death earlier this year after foaling an Invincible Spirit.
I wasn’t specifically refering to the Tsuis. In general, it seems (or comes across) like some kind of rule that 3 Y O champions have to be whisked off to stud just because of.
What happened to Urban Sea and her original rider is just fate I’m afraid. Who knows, if Urban Sea retired at 3 instead of 5, perhaps STS may not have been born?
Well, if I owned Sea The Stars, I’d want to keep him in training as a 4 Y O
Yes, he’s won six groups 1’s on the bounce. Beaten all that’s opposed him. Won over a variety of distances. Of course it is proof that he’s a champion … for this year! …
But then, for a horse to come back the following year and do it again against new opposition and potential new champions … it takes something extra special. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … what if Zarkava had been kept in training thus resulting in a more-than-likey clash with Sea The Stars? What a mouth-watering showdown that would’ve been!
To me, retiring perfectly good champions or brilliant horses at the end of their 3 year old career (just for stud) is a bloody shame and relects a rotten greed for money. I want to see great horses from different generations clashing in top races and not greedy owners who’re only interested in lining their own pockets with money.
Grrrrrr!
I was in my nappies when Brigadier Gerard graced the turf and so I can only rely on peoples opinions, video footage of his races and his racing stats. Mind you, my dad speaks very highly of BG and often says that nothing would’ve beaten him at a mile.
All of the palaver about which horse has ran the fastest times makes me laugh. I’m just gonna blame it all on Youmzain!
Anyway …
Sea The Stars is certainly the best horse I’ve seen
since
Dancing Brave and but I think they’re very similar in spirit. Both horses were amiable in nature, could go with any pace and were versatile regarding distance (I strongly believe that both STS and DB would’ve stayed the St Leger distance but I do think that the latter could’ve been a sprinter too).
Also, both appeared to do ‘just enough’ after hitting the front … although DB idled. Regarding this, I do think that STS had bigger heart to battle back as he showed in the Eclipse while DB nearly gave me a heart attack when he idled in the King George.What I adore about STS is the fact that nothing fazes him and he has more gears than a range rover. His Arc was proof of this as he sliced through the field with anaesthetizing strides and the race was instantly over. A cool gladiator he is! I’m now beginning to think that the Breeder’s Cup is there for the taking for Sea The Stars.
Dancing Brave, on the other hand, appeared to have fewer gears but possessed a nitrus oxide boost instead so to speak. With him, it was like "light the fuse and stand back" as his races unfolded. I’ve never seen a horse with such a ferocious finish like DB … he captured my imagination more with his spectacular wins.
Thing is folks, I’m always gonna love this argument about our favourite horses because it brings out our passion for racing and the admiration for our equine heroes/heroines we’ll love to our dying days …
Ya know, if God decided to put us all out of our misery and, somehow, created the ultimate race regarding the 140+ warriors of the flat, there’d be a colossal amount of disappointed people due to the result of the race … and then what?
I think a rating of 140 is realistic for Sea The Stars. Anything higher than that appears too much IMO. I even think Sea Bird is overrated.
When you look at the race statistics regarding those two horses Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef, their ratings seem bang on.
I’m backing Art Connoisseur (single) to pull it off at his lucky track
Mind you, I do think Dream Eater will run a solid race (seems suited to 6 furlongs IMO) and I’ll drop him in a Lucky 15.
Oxx has said Tsui doesn’t want him running in both, I’d say he wont be going to California.
That makes sense and I don’t see the logic in running STS in both the Arc and BC.
Dancing Brave went for both. He ran like a buckled wheel in the BC and never showed his true colours. The long, arduous season appeared to have caught up with him.Anyone remember the 3 runner 1985 Prince Of Wales Stakes … when Bob Back sprung a 33-1 shock by beating Pebbles and Commanche Run?
I thought Zacinto was gonna pull off a similar shock in the QE2
I think comparisons can be made between the way Rip Van Winkle beat Zacinto today and the manner in which STS beat RVW in the Eclipse.
Conduit, to me, still looks the chief threat to Sea The Stars. He’ll be more at home with the 12 furlongs and his turn of foot will be far more potent. I can see him getting to STS but not going past him.
Having said that, Sea The Stars looked as though he was peaking in the Irish Champion and I suspect the Arc will be the race where he’ll really turn on the style.
Arctic has only looked impressive in boggy ground and so, if the going turns out to be good, I fancy Dick Turpin to maintain his unbeaten record.
DT for me
Missed Al Zir’s win at Doncaster yesterday. I did try to find it on Racing UK but it wasn’t shown.
Bugger!
Thats because Doncaster is an ATR track. The replay will be on the attheraces replay site.
Ahh, so that’s where I went wrong
Many thanks for your guidance
