Ex hurdle/chase racehorse just off the track for eventing...?

[Neemo]

Sorry I posted this in another section yesterday but I'm just trying to get as much information as I can as I want this next horse to be the one!

Basically I've been looking for another tb or ex racer for a little while after mine was diagnosed with spavin last year.

I saw an ex chaser advertised, last race last week. He did 5 ptp races, think he fell at one and was pulled up at 3, not a good early record. Then over hurdles then chases he has been pulled up once I think and the rest they say he's just to careful and tires and when he's leading he doesn't like being crowded behind so drops back.

He can be fully vetted etc and apparently is good to hack/goes out alone and never stops at jumps.

Does this sound like a good prospect or is there something in his record that would make you suspicious. His advert said he's a good jumper and would suit sjing or eventing which is why I was interested. I like the sound of him but I am trying to think sensibly !

His record : http://www.racingpost.com/horses/ho...=horse_race_record&bottomHorseTabs=horse_form

Thank you

 

[be positive]

I looked through his racing record, you can click on each race and see how he ran, he has at times set off in front running freely then tired, other times he has been held up and still doesn't run on, he has been raced enough to show he probably lacks the talent and desire to do any better rather than having a specific problem.
I would look at him as you would any horse, if he is cheap enough and passes a basic vetting, have a good look at his feet, then he could be worth it, as for his jumping you really will not know how he takes to coloured poles and jumping alone in cold blood until you try.
We have one here that is being retrained, he jumped exceptionally well racing although he apparently schooled badly at home showing little ability yet he won 7 pt2pts , 2 chases with plenty of placings, he never fell and retired due to bleeding in training and having a "bit of a leg", he is being very slowly introduced to small fences having done loads of pole work and seems to be getting the hang of picking his feet up over them.
Temperament is all important, if they have a nice attitude and can physically cope with what is going to be a whole new way of going then there is no reason to not take a look.

 

[Neemo]

I looked through his racing record, you can click on each race and see how he ran, he has at times set off in front running freely then tired, other times he has been held up and still doesn't run on, he has been raced enough to show he probably lacks the talent and desire to do any better rather than having a specific problem.
I would look at him as you would any horse, if he is cheap enough and passes a basic vetting, have a good look at his feet, then he could be worth it, as for his jumping you really will not know how he takes to coloured poles and jumping alone in cold blood until you try.
We have one here that is being retrained, he jumped exceptionally well racing although he apparently schooled badly at home showing little ability yet he won 7 pt2pts , 2 chases with plenty of placings, he never fell and retired due to bleeding in training and having a "bit of a leg", he is being very slowly introduced to small fences having done loads of pole work and seems to be getting the hang of picking his feet up over them.
Temperament is all important, if they have a nice attitude and can physically cope with what is going to be a whole new way of going then there is no reason to not take a look.

Thank you I didn't realise you could see race comments, that was useful, he's not that cheap to be honest...
He apparently hacks alone with a nervous rider and is good to do/no vices and has never refused a fence and is sound/careful jumper.

It's something to think about though, with the one you know who is schooling badly at home. I guess naively I thought buying a jumper racer it would be bold enough to BE but of course it's a huge gamble.

 

[glamourpuss]

He's definitely worth a look. He sounds like he's a good prospect for eventing & I'm a strong believer that an 'easy' horse should carry a premium in price.

As a tangent, you say he isn't actually that cheap & this pleases me a lot. I think that we need to get away from this idea that ex-racers should be cheap. A good horse is a good horse irrelevant of where it has come from.
My bug bear is the ridiculously cheap, crap ex-racers flooding the market. They often end up in unsuitable homes, causing problems & damaging the ex-racer rep. They also devalue the good ex-racers out there [step off soapbox]

 

[Neemo]

He's definitely worth a look. He sounds like he's a good prospect for eventing & I'm a strong believer that an 'easy' horse should carry a premium in price.

As a tangent, you say he isn't actually that cheap & this pleases me a lot. I think that we need to get away from this idea that ex-racers should be cheap. A good horse is a good horse irrelevant of where it has come from.
My bug bear is the ridiculously cheap, crap ex-racers flooding the market. They often end up in unsuitable homes, causing problems & damaging the ex-racer rep. They also devalue the good ex-racers out there [step off soapbox]

Thank you I've bought him subject to betting

 

[be positive]

Thank you I've bought him subject to betting

Great news, I hope you are vetting not betting as that part of his life is over!

Cheap to me is a relative term, I think he should not cost the same as a horse that has not raced but certainly if sound in mind and body should hold a value especially one that has not been messed about with being run into the ground, this chap has not raced too much so the best years are still ahead of him.

 

[Neemo]

Great news, I hope you are vetting not betting as that part of his life is over!

Cheap to me is a relative term, I think he should not cost the same as a horse that has not raced but certainly if sound in mind and body should hold a value especially one that has not been messed about with being run into the ground, this chap has not raced too much so the best years are still ahead of him.

Haha definitely vetted!
Thank you he's probably more than what I should pay for a racer.. But I rode him in a normal saddle after hurling on his back (got threw on to hard!), had a pootle round starting stopping and turning etc and apparently goes training alone also and he'll jump all the ditches etc alone all day and he's never stopped. saw him on the gallops, he was generally chilled out, just a bit grumpy in stable but nothing to worry about, so fingers crossed.