In Memory of (cont.)

El Tango

El Tango, parading in Cologne, Sep. 2007

It is in the very natur of the game that the loss of some horses is so much harder to take, and the wonderful El Tango, who died in only his third start over fences, in Auteuil on sunday, 4th of may 2008, is clearly such a horse. A near-black son of Acatenango, El Tango was a smashing racehorse on the flat, a dual St. Leger winner in his native Germany and winner of over 230,000€ in prizemoney; he even held his own in England when finishing a gutsy and honourable 6th in the 2007 Ebor-Handicap. El Tango was switched to France over winter to be trained by Francois Doumen, and was held in very high regard. But it was not meant to be for the 6-year-old, who, as an entire, would and should have been able to pass on his talents.
A heartwrenching loss, RIP boy.

Ivy Creek

For some reasons unknown even to myself I love to see the colours of Mollers Racing, maybe it was Teenoso who helped. Ivy Creek was a smart and gusty horse who carried the brown and beige colours to 4 victories, and it was by far the saddest sight of Ascots Victoria-Cup meeting (10th of may 2008) to see the dreadful injury occuring to him in the frist part of the days opening race. Only 5, he had raced 14 times to that date, being in the first three in 8 races. Always trying, Ivy Creek will be sadly missed by his fans.

Mr Aviator

He was a typical "Hannon-Horse", and that must have been the reason why I liked him so much when I first spotted him in Ascot in july 2007. Mr Aviator was due to contest a big Heritage Handicap, and he performed with credit to finish 4th that day (and kept us in the placepot!). I followed him faithfully ever after, and as a 6-time winner (he took the Royal Hunt Cup and the scalp of another favourite Welsh Emperor in his last ever completed race) it is safe to say that he more than "repaid" my trust - but as usual my affection was not money-related; it was just him - his alert behavior and his lion-heart!
Mr Aviator was pulled up in Lingfield, 22/11/08, and had to be put down. Only 4, there would have been so much more to come; and he will be very sorely missed! RIP, boy.

letter:

Dear Catrin,
The yard sent on your kind wishes of sympathy on the very sad loss of my beautiful brave Mr Aviator, he was such a star.
It's such a tribute to him that he had followers as far away as Germany.
Many thanks for your kind wishes. I know that the Racing post had no detail, how did you manage to discover his loss?
Best wishes
Sue Brendish (owner)

Wichita Lineman

Racing does have its highs and lows, and it hit an all-time low when dual Cheltenham Festival Hero Wichita Lineman died when taking a horrible fall at the first fence in the Irish Grand National, on April the 13th 2009. Getting home by a short head in what for many was at least the ride of the Festival, if not the Season, the tough and gutsy Wichita Lineman was simply a wonderful performer for J P McManus, and, still only 8, there would have been so much more to come. Another horse that racing can ill-afford to lose. We met Wichita on one of his summer breaks (see Chapter Martinstown), and he has been very close to our hearts. Our commiserations to his connections.

Exotic Dancer

Our last photo of one very special horse

Exotic Dancer shot to fame a couple of seasons back, and, once he graduated from Handicaps had the unfortune to spend a career in the shadow of Kauto Star and Denman. He would never be able to beat one of them, but never went down without a fight. He fought all the way too, in his last ever race at Aintree, thursday 2nd of april, and finished an honourable second to Madison de Berlais. His lass wasnt happy with Exotic Dancer after the race and did present him to the racecourse vet, but on arrival at his stable the horse laid down, and died. A true figher, gone.

Tropical Strait

A great warrior and a huge favourite of ours - gone in front of our eyes....

Urban Sea

Urban Sea, photo courtesy of the Irish National Stud

For those who can listen, horseracing is magical and far more than mere facts and numbers. Horses touch us on a higher Level; having created the Thoroughbred, men marvels in his own creation, but sometimes seems to forget he not simply produced a new toy, but a living creature, a wonderful animal who gives his all for our pleasure. Unlike dogs, horses refuse to be pets, but we are still able to form a bond with them if we are able to understand their nature. Its in the nature of life that some horses touch us deeper, for whatever reason, sometimes as simple a reason as awe. Urban Sea (*1989, by Miswaki - Allegretta) was an awesome racehorse, she conquered the world and won races gallore, culminating in her breathtaking victory in the 1992 Prix de L´Arc de Triomphe. But her magic did not stop there. Unlike many top-class racemares, she delivered results in the breeding shed as well, arguably taking her record to even greater heights than she did on the racecourse. Immortal after her son Galileo took the Epsom Derby in 2001, she produced further Black-Type performers and in 2006 gave birth to a little brown colt by Cape Cross, eventually named Sea The Stars, who on a damp but glorious saturday created his own little piece of history when becoming the first horse since the mighty Nashwan 20 years earlier to add Derby success to his first Classic Victory in the English 2000 Guineas.

Sadly these are posthumos laurels for this great mare. Urban Sea haemorrhaged and died while giving birth to a little colt by Invincible Spirit, on march 2nd 2009.

from wwww.bloodhorse.com:
Urban Sea, winner of the 1993 Ciga Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) and a Broodmare of the Year in England and Ireland, died March 2 at the Irish National Stud following foaling complications. The 20-year-old daughter of Miswaki produced a healthy Invincible Spirit colt, which has been placed on a nurse mare and is reported to be doing well.

“Everybody at the stud is absolutely gutted,” said farm stallion nominations manager Julie Lynch about the mare who produced seven stakes winners. “We were all immensely proud to be associated with such an outstanding broodmare. A mare like her comes along but once in a lifetime. Her foal is such a smashing colt--he weighed in at 130 pounds--and his nurse mare has accepted him without a fuss.”

Bred by Marystead Farm, Urban Sea was foaled at Craig and Holly Bandoroff’s Denali Stud near Paris, Ky. She was sent the year of her birth to Haras d’Etreham in France. The following year, she was consigned by that farm to the Deauville sale, where she was bought for $47,796.

Racing for Hong Kong businessman David Tsui, Urban Sea stunned the international crowd at Longchamp the first Sunday of October 1993 with an Arc triumph at 37-1 over English invader White Muzzle. She was assigned the top weight on the French Free Handicap for older mares at 11 to 14 furlongs.

Urban Sea also raced in England, Germany, Japan, and North America. Her best showing in North America was a runner-up effort in the 1992 E.P. Taylor Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine.

Urban Sea earned her Broodmare of the Year titles in 2001, the year her 3-year-old son, Galileo, was voted a Cartier Award and was an English and Irish champion. By Sadler's Wells, Galileo won that year’s Vodafone Epsom Derby (Eng-I), Budweiser Irish Derby (Ire-I), and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (Eng-I).

From the cover of Sadler’s Wells, Urban Sea also produced group winners All Too Beautiful and Black Sam Bellamy. The latter was an Italian champion and a group I winner in Italy and Ireland.

Urban Sea, who was out of the Lombard mare Allegretta, also was the dam of Irish champion Urban Ocean, Saratoga grade I winner My Typhoon, 2008 Irish group II winner Sea The Stars, and English stakes winner Melikah.

My Typhoon, who won the 2007 Diana Stakes (gr. IT) at the Spa, set a world record for a weanling filly when sold for $1.8 million guineas ($2,942,730) at the 2002 Tattersalls November foal sale. Consigned by the Irish National Stud, she was bought by Michael Youngs, agent for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud.

Utmost Respect

Jimmy with Utmost Respect, april 2009

It really is with utmost sadness that we have to add this name in this section. One of Jimmys all-time favourite horses in training, Utmost Respect was a highly progressive sprinter from Richard Faheys yard, in fact Fahey hailed him as "the best I have trained". A late- developing sort, he was looked after by connections and, as a five-year-old in 2009, had only raced 16 times, of which he won 8 races and would have won more but for his dependancy on soft ground. Unbeaten in 2009, Utmost Respect had to be treated for corns in his hoofs, but contracted peritonitis and couldnt be saved. A cruel blow for connections, and his many many fans!

from www.racingpost.co.uk:
RICHARD FAHEY paid a glowing tribute yesterday to his four-time Group-race winner Utmost Respect, who has lost his fight against peritonitis, writes Rodney Masters.

As reported in yesterday's Racing Post, the Danetime five-year-old had undergone successful surgery to remove gravel that had become deeply embedded in a foot, but he later succumbed to a secondary infection that was diagnosed as peritonitis.

He was under intensive care at a veterinary surgery, but nothing could be done to save him and he died on Sunday night. According to the acclaimed book Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners by Captain Horace Hayes, the majority of cases of peritonitis in horses prove fatal. The illness causes swelling of the lining membrane in the abdomen.

"He was the best I've trained," said Fahey. "Everybody here is devastated. We all thought the world of him.

"As his record shows this year, he was still improving and we were confident that this season he'd win the Group 1 he so richly deserved. He was the easiest horse to train, but then the majority of the good ones are."

The sprinter had won both his starts this season, the Group 2 Duke of York Blue Square Stakes at York, and, in May, the Group 3 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes. In all, he won half of his 16 starts, earning prize-money of more than £240,000.

Owned by theRumpole Partnership, he contested three Group 1 races last season, and was beaten just over half a length when third to African Rose in the Ladbrokes Sprint Cup at Doncaster in September. He was also a creditable fourth at that level to Marchand D'Or in Deauville's Prix Maurice de Gheest.

LETTERS:

"THE Rumpole Partnership would like to thank everyone for their sympathy over the loss of our champion Utmost Respect.

As you can imagine, he was our Phar Lap and Seabiscuit rolled into one - a people's racehorse who ran his heart out every time and never let anyone down.

It is so sad he has lost his life without winning a Group 1, which we felt he would achieve this year.

Special thanks go to the Rumpole Partnership's great friend Mark Dwyer, who found the horse for us, and to Richard Fahey and Robin O'Ryan for their wonderful training and management. Also to Vicky Fahey, for the love and attention he received under her care. They had faith in him and he paid them back big time.

Thanks also to Paul Hanagan, who loved him to bits; Utmost gave him everything back in return.

Finally, our gratitude to Con and Graham and everyone else at Musley Bank.

Great name, greathorse.

The Rumpole Partnership"