RIP Kauto Star

minesadouble said:
The horse made himself public news, this would have happened whether Clive Smith or Joe Bloggs owned him! I don't understand why people seem to think that his owner should have had no say in his future upon retirement. Paul Nicholls didn't train him for the love of it, Clive Smith paid him to do so. His horse, his choice!
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Of course it is his choice, every decision was ultimately his choice, however owners do not often make good trainers, which is why they pay someone to do so, because the trainer is a professional. The racing community is a tight knit bunch who welcome owners, big or small, and give them the benefit of their experience and try to make their experience a happy one, having a winner is a bonus. The trainer guided owner and horse for seven years, there was no reason to suddenly disregard his advice when the career was over, and falliing out publicy was not good for anyone.
There have been instances where owners with a good horse have scuppered that horse's career due to their pig headedness, and instances when trainers would rather not train for someone, it does happen, not infrequently.
It's not a business where the customer pays and the goods are delivered, its a businesss where the client is welcomed for breakfast, dinner and tea, meets the family, joins after work for a party, its not usually a normal business relationship.
 
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I greatly enjoyed the moving tribute which was written and beautifully presented by Alistair Down. His interviewer touched on pertinent questions at the end of the interview, the response being that once in the public eye then those who followed the great horse, were entitled to an understanding. That was the point when the interview was curtailed!

As another has said on here, there's little point in going round in circles. It's better to remember the horse as he was, put behind us the times since his retirement, and live in the hope that others may learn a lesson.

Alec.
 
It wouldn't have been the first time the owner of a great race horse ignored his trainers advice to the detriment of the poor horse. Take Dawn Run, the most successful mare in the history of National Hunt. Having gone from hurdling to chasing - winning both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup - her owner decided she should switch back to hurdles. Her life long trainer Paddy Mullins disagreed and felt it wouldn't work.

The owner was obstinate and sent her to France for the Champion Hurdle. She misjudged a fence and broke her neck and all Paddy Mullins could do was to be with her and pray for her as she was shot. Her stable stood empty afterwards in his yard as he couldn't bear to see another horse in it, and I think it was a very long time before he got over it.

It must be the biggest downside of training horses, to see things go wrong and horses hurt and destroyed because owners won't listen. Especially horses like Dawn Run and Kauto Star where so much effort has been put into them and they are so greatly loved.
 
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Kauto Star and Dawn run both fell victim to tragic ACCIDENTS. No one intended to cause them any harm. They both had a better life than many, many racehorses.
I think we should celebrate the life of Kauto Star and save our sympathy for those racehorses who give their all despite not being terribly talented then go for slaughter as relative babies, or spend the remainder of their lives being passed from pillar to post, ending up with inexperienced owners who have no idea how to ride or care for them.
 
It's not hindsight, in both cases the owners were forewarned by the trainer that their plan was not in the horse's best interests. In both cases they chose to ignore the advice with tragic consequences. Dawn Run died in an accident, sure, but her trainer had warned that she should not go back hurdling as the transition was not likely to work which could then lead to an accident - which is exactly what happened.

Agree that all the racehorses sent to slaughter is a terrible waste and a shame.
 
Alec Swan said:
I greatly enjoyed the moving tribute which was written and beautifully presented by Alistair Down. His interviewer touched on pertinent questions at the end of the interview, the response being that once in the public eye then those who followed the great horse, were entitled to an understanding. That was the point when the interview was curtailed!

As another has said on here, there's little point in going round in circles. It's better to remember the horse as he was, put behind us the times since his retirement, and live in the hope that others may learn a lesson.

Alec.
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It was the most wonderful tribute done only in the way AD can do, the master of the written & spoken word. It brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face. I still love the shots of the 4 Ditcheat greats on top of Cleeve Hill

And I had forgotten just how good his 2006/7 season was. Unbeaten over all the championship distances.

What a wonderful horse. For a horse I never knew personally I can honestly say I will miss him terribly.
 
Like everyone, I am so sad by Kauto Star's death. He was the most thrillingly exciting horse to watch. But he did have some crashing falls in his career. It is just possible that he had niggling injuries that were just waiting to become life-threatening ones after a stupid field/fall/whatever it was accident.
He jumped like a cat. Maybe he just used up too many lives.
The aftermath of his death has been mismanaged. But cut them some slack. Laura is 24! Don't think I'd have managed as well at her age. Owner should know better. So perhaps he deserves more of the wrath.
 
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