RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
Yep, they're in short supply. Which is for the best for me, probably. Someone would need to tie my hands behind my back if I found another...!
Retraining ex-racers thread
- Thread starter TheMule
- Start date
Yep, they're in short supply. Which is for the best for me, probably. Someone would need to tie my hands behind my back if I found another...!
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
Just looked at Doncaster and median price is £12k for them!! The Xtensions are much better value.
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
I'm no genius with pedigrees, but interesting to look at these 3 (and my boy's...)
Gold Nugget (current 4* horse, winner of INROR class this weekend) - https://www.pedigreequery.com/gold+nugget9
Dream Big (current 4* horse, 2nd in INROR class) - https://www.pedigreequery.com/dream+big4
Our Old Fella (current 3* horse, winner Barbury ON ROR) - https://www.pedigreequery.com/our+old+fella
Mine - https://www.pedigreequery.com/king+louis4
Common thread is Danzig in all of them. But that's not hugely surprising as was very commercial.
Elf On A Shelf
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Your Champs Elysees is the only one with a pedigree racing people would want. The Misu Bond would be mildly attractive at the sales if he was a good looking horse. The others would be bought more based on looks and the hope they would win a few at a low level.
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
Gold Nugget was a 62k yearling, so definitely not to be sniffed at. Mine was the most useless on the track of the lot!
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
Gold Nugget is the same sire as mine and he was 60,000 guineas first time through the sales though was useless as a racehorse and been a bit anxious and stressy out. His favourite environment is an indoor school. Very good looking horse though.
https://www.pedigreequery.com/pro+valour
This was the one that everybody got excited about from a sports horse point of view. Had a shoulder problem before he came into his own but perfect for attitude and ability.
https://www.pedigreequery.com/saint+francois
Another stallion no longer with us but I'd love another Tobin ded Champs.
https://www.pedigreequery.com/pro+valour
This was the one that everybody got excited about from a sports horse point of view. Had a shoulder problem before he came into his own but perfect for attitude and ability.
https://www.pedigreequery.com/saint+francois
Another stallion no longer with us but I'd love another Tobin ded Champs.
Elf On A Shelf
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Elusive City's first couple of crops showed promise hence the price tags, you wouldn't get them now.
Plus he was disqualified from his first 2 races (in which he was first past the post) because he has banned substances in his system. Whoops!
Eta - it was only Gastroguard. It has a 72hour withdrawal period but obviously some horses process things faster than others so may well have had a slower metabolism hence why it was still in. Or the trainer did it knowingly. Who knows but at least it wasn't something worse!
Plus he was disqualified from his first 2 races (in which he was first past the post) because he has banned substances in his system. Whoops!
Eta - it was only Gastroguard. It has a 72hour withdrawal period but obviously some horses process things faster than others so may well have had a slower metabolism hence why it was still in. Or the trainer did it knowingly. Who knows but at least it wasn't something worse!
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
I think Tigger's dam produced a couple of useful half brothers before him so that might have bumped the price up. He put paid to that streak.
I think he was at Godolphin when there was the steroid thing, the vet mentioned at the time gets a name check in his passport but he didn't run at that time.
I think he was at Godolphin when there was the steroid thing, the vet mentioned at the time gets a name check in his passport but he didn't run at that time.
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
I used to ride Elusive Flame quite often working at home. She was decent and quick... 90 rated on the flat. But a TERRIBLE mover - trot was more like a crab scamper...
Elf On A Shelf
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Godolphin had 2 main trainers at that point. Saeed bin Suror and Muhammad Al Zarooni. Bin Suror's yard tested clean. Al Zarooni's yard had a LOT of positive steroid tests. Including the horse that denied Camelot the Triple Crown 10 years ago. Encke tested positive when the yard was tested but he was in the dope box after he won the St Ledger and did test clean that day. So the Britain's wait for a new Triple Crown holder goes on. So it depends which Godolphin yard your horse was in as to whether it had the chance of being on the naughty lost or not.
Elf On A Shelf
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I find Holy Roman Emporer's like that. Horrific movers! It's not until you get them down long and low into the true, full gallop that they then surprise you at how well they can stretch out. The rest of the time it's like sitting on a jack hammer.
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
I don't think he's on the naughty list as I suspect he wasn't worth wasting expensive drugs on but he was with Al Zarooni according to his passport. I think he was there earlier though assuming that when they weren't doing it before they were caught.
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LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
There is a tonne of Robin horses eventing through his son Robin Des La Maison who has focused sporthorse. They don’t do it for me admittedly.
I like Dream Big pedigree the most for eventing.
I like Dream Big pedigree the most for eventing.
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
Anything bred as a sports horse will be out of my price range and presume the mares are WB/ISH so more of a range of types.
What I need is a nice slow lazy one bred to race but useless, eating some poor trainer out of house and home. But not right now as I don't have time or money for another.
Like Frankie.
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JBM
Well-Known Member
Getting really tired of seeing all the posts of people looking for horses and seeing no TBs ??
They’re genuinely such sweet babies
They’re genuinely such sweet babiesMcGrools
Well-Known Member
Agree. They are missing a trick. I’ve got an absolute superstar for a fraction of the price of the ish/ wb’s.Getting really tired of seeing all the posts of people looking for horses and seeing no TBs ??
Elf On A Shelf
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Getting really tired of seeing all the posts of people looking for horses and seeing no TBs ??
People who think like that don't deserve them anyway.
J_sarahd
Well-Known Member
Getting really tired of seeing all the posts of people looking for horses and seeing no TBs ??
I’ll be honest, I was like that before I started looking. I was adamant I’d never want a thoroughbred, having briefly shared one before and hearing horror stories of ulcers, field injuries and kissing spines. But I couldn’t have asked for a better mare than Nova. She’s basically everything I wanted in a youngster (and more) that I would’ve paid triple for (easily) if she were a WB or ISH.
JBM
Well-Known Member
So many people warned me off tbs! It’s awful
I’m glad I’m so stubborn!
humblepie
Well-Known Member
Criso - Frankie was seriously nice looking horse. Lovely pictures x
J_sarahd
Well-Known Member
I’d heard people say that ex racers are good at hacking but I genuinely didn’t realise how good until Nova. We got our saddle last week and have done two short hacks with company - one on a route she’s walked in hand and one a bit further with a bit more to look at. At 3 years old, she was genuinely so much better behaved than my 9 year old. She’s not a fan of standing still/waiting for others to catch up though (as she has a bit more of a forward walk than them).
Also, every professional who I’ve had out to her (vets, physio, bit fitter, saddle fitter…) has said she is going to be such a cracking horse, which just makes my heart sing.
Also, every professional who I’ve had out to her (vets, physio, bit fitter, saddle fitter…) has said she is going to be such a cracking horse, which just makes my heart sing.
BACR
Active Member
I think the 'no tbs' is a bit of a topical debate. I, as I assume the vast majority of us in this thread, am a massive fan, but I can see from other peoples point of view why they may not understand what ownership of a tb involves. I'm just speaking from the point of view of owning my current lad.
Pros, incredibly athletic, beautiful temperament, excellent manners on the ground, incredible ridden horse with massive potential (huge paces and so smooth to sit up there), he has excellent brakes (I pop him up into whatever gait and he stays where he's asked to until I ask for something else), a complete dude to be around a real people person (as long as you are calm and gentle, he will reciprocate), real life Duracell bunny (goes forever and enjoys it ears forward and happy), easy to fitten up (basic fitness work in walk and trot and he looks like he's ready to go round badminton), forward thinking (I am a lazy rider, I want to put minimal effort into my horse moving forward, default mode is go), brave and bold (sometimes too bold by just going for things and frightening himself, I always give him time to think and reintroduce himself so he understands the particular situation) and I personally think he's the most beautiful horse I've ever seen in my life.
Cons, feed bills (we live in the East of England, no rain for months so eating almost an entire conventional bale of hay a day in addition to 2x hard feeds), vet bills (we've had an unfortunate series events over the last 3 months, reaction to vaccination, cellulitis infection from a minor graze and fly strike) all caught early so bills are relatively small but he's a little accident prone/unlucky, saddle fitting (mine is tall but short backed 16.2 but only 6ft 3 in rugs, he has a big shoulder and high sloping withers so a 17 inch jump saddle is the max he can take), weight issues (not everyone can keep trim enough for it to be fair to ride a tb, I know exceptions exist but the majority are not weight carriers), forward going (not everyone will have the skill or want to ride a very onward bound horse), regular work, which is pro for me really but not necessarily for everyone, (I generally ride 6 days a week, he's fine after a week off but the more he works the more enthusiastic he is about everything - apart from food, he's always enthusiastic about food), potential wear and tear (mine has raced 40 times to the age of 7, I'm prepared to go through whatever is fair on him to keep him sound but I'll retire and keep as a beautiful field ornament whenever that is the best situation for him).
I understand my view is bias towards my horse in particular but I made sure I could comfortably afford this sort of upkeep before buying him. As I said before I'm obviously a massive fan, the pros far outweigh the cons for me but I appreciate they are not for everyone. In fact, there are a few people I know who I would despair to see owning a tb! Apologies for the essay, I'll share my wine with anyone who gets through it!
Pros, incredibly athletic, beautiful temperament, excellent manners on the ground, incredible ridden horse with massive potential (huge paces and so smooth to sit up there), he has excellent brakes (I pop him up into whatever gait and he stays where he's asked to until I ask for something else), a complete dude to be around a real people person (as long as you are calm and gentle, he will reciprocate), real life Duracell bunny (goes forever and enjoys it ears forward and happy), easy to fitten up (basic fitness work in walk and trot and he looks like he's ready to go round badminton), forward thinking (I am a lazy rider, I want to put minimal effort into my horse moving forward, default mode is go), brave and bold (sometimes too bold by just going for things and frightening himself, I always give him time to think and reintroduce himself so he understands the particular situation) and I personally think he's the most beautiful horse I've ever seen in my life.
Cons, feed bills (we live in the East of England, no rain for months so eating almost an entire conventional bale of hay a day in addition to 2x hard feeds), vet bills (we've had an unfortunate series events over the last 3 months, reaction to vaccination, cellulitis infection from a minor graze and fly strike) all caught early so bills are relatively small but he's a little accident prone/unlucky, saddle fitting (mine is tall but short backed 16.2 but only 6ft 3 in rugs, he has a big shoulder and high sloping withers so a 17 inch jump saddle is the max he can take), weight issues (not everyone can keep trim enough for it to be fair to ride a tb, I know exceptions exist but the majority are not weight carriers), forward going (not everyone will have the skill or want to ride a very onward bound horse), regular work, which is pro for me really but not necessarily for everyone, (I generally ride 6 days a week, he's fine after a week off but the more he works the more enthusiastic he is about everything - apart from food, he's always enthusiastic about food), potential wear and tear (mine has raced 40 times to the age of 7, I'm prepared to go through whatever is fair on him to keep him sound but I'll retire and keep as a beautiful field ornament whenever that is the best situation for him).
I understand my view is bias towards my horse in particular but I made sure I could comfortably afford this sort of upkeep before buying him. As I said before I'm obviously a massive fan, the pros far outweigh the cons for me but I appreciate they are not for everyone. In fact, there are a few people I know who I would despair to see owning a tb! Apologies for the essay, I'll share my wine with anyone who gets through it!
TheMule
Well-Known Member
A little whippity 2 year old that has just been in a production line on Epsom or similar is going to be a very different horse out of training compared to my 8yr old hurdler who has been done in a lovely small yard where they're hacked, get turned out and are treated like 'normal' horses. I do think people need to pay more attention to how they've been produced and attribute more to that than a breed stereotype
JBM
Well-Known Member
Elf On A Shelf
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To be honest I wouldn't be overly worried. He ran over a mile or less which is the equivalent to a piece of work. 28x in 3 years, most of which were in 2021, is a fair number of races but flat racing is a lot easier than jumping. He was clearly a very sound horse to run so often. Are you in the Britain or Ireland? If Britain you can't do the Elite RoR series's with him as he only ran in Ireland.
JBM
Well-Known Member
We are both in ireland
that’s perfect thank you for the info..can’t say I know a lot bout racing
Elf On A Shelf
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We are both in ireland
Your OK then ? are you heading to Dublin to watch the racehorse class on Saturday?
JBM
Well-Known Member
Can’t I work weekends ? Dublin is also about 4 hours away and hotels there at the moment are..insane ?
Elf On A Shelf
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It's a good line up this year of Invitees. A Scottish horse is heading over that has picked up 2 HOYS tickets this year - as a racehorse and a hunter - and I suspect he will be very hard to beat. But of course we will all be rooting for Arthur ?
RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
The Epsom horse hasn't been in a production line - the Newmarket horse has.
An Epsom horse has likely seen plenty of traffic, dealt with all sorts of random lunacy that you see on the (public) downs and will have had turn out.
I will always advocate for the Epsom ex-racehorse specifically, as they've had much more life experience than those from any of the major training centres. It's a small and strange training centre, but it does have some positives!