Kauto Pulled up

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amage

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Started to tail off in Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown. I'd say that may have been his last race. Race was won by outsider Follow the Plan
 
Commentators already saying its his last race before connections have even spoken. He looked game and up for it on way to the start but tbh jumped very safe and ordinary and looked like he was going through the motions the whole way round. He looked too disinterested to throw one of his heart in mouth jumps
 
He's lost the spark that we all saw when the young Kauto was racing. It brought a lump to my throat seeing him cantering back in past the stands, enjoying the crowd and being led in by his owner - how things have changed since the 'good days'. At least he is safe and sound; thanks for providing me with so many breathtaking memories, old boy. I hope they put him out to grass now.
 
Nicholls/Smith are saying no decision to be made until after the summer :( Is that not just delaying the inevitable :confused: The horse has nothing to gain and everything to lose by training on, I really think the time has come to say goodbye :( Kauto could do so much to promote racing in his retirement and I hope that is where his future lies now :)
 
Clive Smith was speaking on ATR and I got the vibe that he thought it was time for him to retire, he said he'd had a great and long career and it might be time for new things now, and many happy days in the paddock. I think they'll retire him.
 
teagreen said:
Clive Smith was speaking on ATR and I got the vibe that he thought it was time for him to retire, he said he'd had a great and long career and it might be time for new things now, and many happy days in the paddock. I think they'll retire him.
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I hope they do :) I've been kind of on the fence about it all season, should they, shouldn't they, but I really do think it is time now :( And for what it's worth I think Kauto's run in the 2009 King George was as close to perfection as we will see for a very very long time, that is how he should be remembered :)
 
I am also hoping they retire him - the horse owes them nothing & he has been a truly magnificant horse over the years, it will probably be a long time until we see another like him. He deserves his rest now :)
 
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i agree, i dont really understand why they ran him today, after we never see him after cheltenham! i think both the heros shouldve been retired after this years gold cup
 
beth123 said:
i agree, i dont really understand why they ran him today, after we never see him after cheltenham! i think both the heros shouldve been retired after this years gold cup
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Clive Smith wanted him to run in Ireland, that's why he ran today but I think they left it too late in his career really. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.
 
It does sound like it's time for him to stop. I was sort of hoping this year's Gold Cup would be the last outing for both him and Denman. Kauto certainly seems to be losing his sparkle and I think it is only going to be downhill for Denman from here as well - better to stop to soon than too late, IMO.
 
Why do I get the feeling that the more the public express the view that Kauto should be retired, the more connections refuse to accept that the time has come.

Pure pig-headedness:mad:

PN is on record as saying that once he shows signs of not loving his racing he will be retired. What more of a sign does he need than to see his super star pulled up in a race where the field was not exactly top class. Mercifully he jumped well, and thank God Ruby didn't push him.
 
I do wonder though if Punchestown had come ten - 14 days earlier like it usually does (late this year due to late Easter) would some of them have run a better race. Nacarat & Kauto both looked to be bored yet both looked gamey and up for it going to the start, Kauto in particular had his ears pricked and took a hold. Ruby said it was the best jumping he's ever done yet I was kind of watching it thinking he looked too bored to throw any of his heart in mouth jumps and was being well behaved rather than showing off! I don't think he is a gold cup horse any more but having earlier on thought enough is enough I actually now think if he summered well there would be no harm in giving him a race in the Autumn. He always seems to be a different horse in Nov/Dec and perhaps it is because he is fresher going into those races! He never travelled at any stage of the race and if he had hit the wall I'd be all for retiring him yet having watched the race back a few times he looked like if he was a handicapper you'd stick on a set of blinkers and refocus his attention! There is no doubt he has done a huge amount and had a fab career and deserves a retirement but I would be interested to see how he would fair in training in the Autumn
 
Up to this point in his career, barring putting AP up for the KG ( I realise that's contentious for some, but it is what I believe), I think Kauto has been handled with such exemplary care from connections.
Today, Kauto ran well enough sat in behind, he even chucked in a couple of his exuberant leaps, but about 3 out Ruby got after him for about a furlong, he started to tail off and then all power to Ruby for pulling him up.

Then I listened to ATR and heard Clive Smith mention about a possible wind op. :eek::eek::mad:

WTF - how much, seriously, does this legend have to do to satisfy them? He is up there with the greats - perhaps CS and PN could take a leaf out of JP's book on how he and AO'B immediately retired Istabraq.

Whether they like it or not, he is now racing's horse, not just theirs. And to carry on with him is to jeopardise racing as well as the horse. I hope to god they announce his retirement soon.


ETA - with EXTREME horror - blinkers on KS??????

Speechless.............
 
Well said Caledonia.

I hadn't heard the comment about a wind op:mad::eek::mad::eek:
Dear God, that seems to be PN's answer to everything:(

I've been a fan of PN's for years, always cheer on his horses and support and follow them closely, but his inability to accept that retirement should be beckoning for both KS and Denman is beginning to colour my view.
 
They are both only 11 btw (denman and kauto star), thats not terribly old for NH, though have lost their form. Maybe something's changed on the yard...
deffo a few more years pointing in both at the very least! :D
 
I give you Doran's Pride? Or Armaturk (Not a GC horse, I know, but still a decent 2m chaser)?

Do you guys really want to see these horses reduced to running against yokes, and dying on the track for their trouble?
 
They tried retirement for Doran's Pride....he hated it which was why he went back racing. Yes he died but he died doing what he loved and that is far nicer then a horse that can't handle retirement
 
amage said:
They tried retirement for Doran's Pride....he hated it which was why he went back racing. Yes he died but he died doing what he loved and that is far nicer then a horse that can't handle retirement
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He didn't look to be enjoying it much when he ran at Cheltenham the time he died.

Much as I admired Doran's Pride, Kauto is more than just another good horse - he is up there with Dessie and Arkle, and whilst I absolutely agree some horses hate retirement, they don't need to go on the race track to keep their interest in their life up. But then, you'd be the clown putting blinkers on him, which kind of says it all...........
 
TelH said:
Nicholls/Smith are saying no decision to be made until after the summer :( Is that not just delaying the inevitable :confused: The horse has nothing to gain and everything to lose by training on, I really think the time has come to say goodbye :( Kauto could do so much to promote racing in his retirement and I hope that is where his future lies now :)
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Greed, greed, greed, greed!!!
 
Caledonia said:
.......WTF - how much, seriously, does this legend have to do to satisfy them? He is up there with the greats - .......

Whether they like it or not, he is now racing's horse, not just theirs. And to carry on with him is to jeopardise racing as well as the horse. I hope to god they announce his retirement soon........Speechless.............
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I'm with you. Well said. I suppose that we should be grateful for the fact that at least McCoy recognised that no more could be asked of the horse. I would hope that KS's connections will take a leaf, from the same book.

Alec.
 
It is a real shame that such a truely great horse is more than likely going to have to go out on a low.

I've thought for a while it was time really to retire them, if they don't like being a field ornament there's plenty of other things i'm sure the both of them would enjoy.
 
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