The Last Lion

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Poor horse - was sent to stud but proved infertile so after 5 years off the track the poor thing was returned to racing, didn't show much in previous 3 runs, ran yesterday, broke down and is now dead

Why after 5 years did they make him race again. Why not find him another job to do if he couldn't be a stallion.

Bet this doesn't get investigated and will just be swept under the carpet.

I'd be interested to know the fatality rate of those being away from racing for a long time then having to come back.

There's so many other jobs they can do nowadays, his jockey said he was a gentleman of a horse. Well surely he could have done another job then?

Sounds like pure greed from his trainer and other owners who it sounds like brought out Godolphins share

https://www.racingtv.com/news/group-one-hero-the-last-lion-verging-on-racing-return

 

[Ratface]

Yet another brave horse exploited and now dead.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Some horses return to racing no problem. But that's usually after a year or 2 not 5. Snow Leopardess who is one of the favourites for the National ran some races, had a foal and has since come back and won over the big fences at Aintree in the Becher Chase.

When racing returned after few months off for covid the BHA vets were being super cautious about letting horses run if they weren't 110% sound. Obviously flat racing came back a month or so before jump racing and apparently quite a lot of flat horses got injuries in those first couple of months. When covid hit and we had no end date before we could race again all the horses were put on holiday. No point training for racing that isn't happening. The BHA vet I spoke to at the time thought a lot of horses might have been rushed through training to get to the track to make up for lost time which in turn caused the injuries.

Whether his injury was caused by bone degradation and fatigue having spent so long out of racing or if it would have happened regardless of how many years he had continued to race for we will never know.

 

[Ratface]

Elf, thank you for your detailed response.