Kauto Pulled up

It must be difficult though. I have a pony who did extremely well in the showring, then he went a bit funny and we decided to retire him from the ring. But he hates hacking and hates standing in the field and hates seeing the box go places without him, plus he looks absolutely amazing. He trots up and down the paddock and takes your breath away - so obviously the temptation is there to show him again. So we did, and in his case it was obvious that it all now blew his mind and sadly we now just have to look at him rather than show him. But the temptation to show him, just one more time, because he looked so brilliant and was going so well at home, was too big. We had images in our mind of him going out, following a break, and showing that old spark, and he just didn't. If they look well at home and are going well, it is so difficult not to just try one more time. And we badly wanted him to go out on a high, and I think it's the same with Kauto. Obviously racing is more dangerous than showing, but I think the same sort of thing applies. But then, what race is he going to win now, like Down says?
 
I will just throw into the mix (by the way, I'm BIG fans of both the horses), the ground IS unseasonably hard at the mo (even on a watered race track) - that can't have helped theirs, or many other horses cause........
 
Down also says he didn't look at his best in the paddock, very 'end of seasony'.

I don't think he's been the same all season. His win at Down Royal was poor, then it wouldn't have mattered if God himself had been riding him in the King George, he wouldn't have won. The addition of AP that day didn't matter a blot. He was, however, still third in that and third in the Gold Cup (even with the 'great Ruby' on board this time) so he's not entirely useless, he's just not the young star we used to see.

The Racing Post headline - 'What now for the falling Star?' - brought a lump to my throat.
 
hey, I am a huge Kauto fan and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing him race (even if my heart has been in my mouth at times) and as he's a race horse, I've always believed that is what he should be doing for as long as he can. I agree with an earlier comment that he has been handled in the most exemplary way by PN - the fact that the horse has been so prolific over such a long time is testament to PN and his team and of course the horse himself is so robust.
But he is only a horse - flesh and blood - and not infallible and at some stage, the rigours of a busy life will catch up with him. Perhaps that time is now, even if in his head he enjoys it, the body isn't quite as quick as it was. So, yes maybe it is time to call it a day and for this magnificent horse to be celebrated for the superstar that he has been and still is. I'm sure the people who know him best, PN and CS, will make the right choices for him. After all, they've not done a bad job so far, so lets give them some time to reflect and make sensible decisions based on the horse himself and not our emotions.

I think its worth remembering that this horse is, in racing terms at least, a bit of a freak of nature. Most top horses have 2 or 3 big races in them and they are considered 'great' (Kicking King, Best Mate, Denman, etc etc). This horse has lasted 8 years in training and won 14 Grade One races. 14. That is quite extraordinary.

His epic battles with Denman and his demolition of good King George fields will go down in history and I am glad I can say I've been there to see it all. Time will tell but I think it will be another lifetime before any horse matches his record.
 
Kautostar 1 - I'm with you and also echo these sentiments for Denman (my favourite I'm afraid!). Both of these superstars owe neither PN or CS anything and as others say could do much to promote racing - I've lost count of the amount of times I saw Dessie in retirement.
 
I would like to see both Kauto and Denman retired, but I've a feeling they will run again next season.
 
I really think Kauto should go out with his head held high and being remembered as the outstanding horse he is. He owes nothing.

Gward help racing if something happened to Kauto when most people are of the opion that he should be retired from racing.

Remember gorgeous George Washington? Brought back from retirement (because of being infertile) even though he had amased a huge amount of earnings for his owner, only to break his fetlock back racing on that horrid track in america.

There is life for a racehorse outside of racing. One that Kauto just might enjoy :)
 
Some racehorses adapt to life outside the yard, others are retired as trainers hacks because they like the routine, eg Viking Flagship, others go on as hunter chasers like Earthmover, a more laid back life, its just the end of Grade one races for him, not the end of the line.
 
I think they (KS & Denman) would make cracking hunters!! Might need to be masters horses though.

I hope they are retired at the top and not left to fade into oblivion as their handicap drops.
 
I think Kauto really should be retired around now. He hasn't been racing at his usualy standard for a while now and there's no need to make him continue racing and retire on a sour note.

I loved that the Irish crowd gave him a standing ovation though.

As Ruby himself says, he's been one of the greatest National Hunt racers of our generation and now he deserves to live out the rest of his life enjoying it.
 
I feel that Kauto and Denman should both be retired now, and not to do so makes be feel slightly queasy because the smell of greed seems to hang over a decision to carry on.

His bad run that makes you retire him, PN, could well be a run that kills him. Please dont allow that to happen, he's not an 'ordinary' racehorse, give him the retirement so many racehorses never get to enjoy please.

I write this as a lover not opponent of NH racing.
 
Interesting that none of you have picked up about being French bred. So many of their racers, Martin Pipe had many I believe, are started much younger than ours and by nine or ten, have completely burnt themselves out or broken down.
Thankfully not the problem with KS, but I think it bodes well to remember how few French horses are racing much past this age anyway.

I hope he's retired now, him and Denman both but I also hope they do not go pointing, that would be totally unfair on the true amateurs of that sport.
 
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