Reflection

We had something very nice happen on Tuesday, which was that when Filemot went to Ascot Sale she was lucky enough to find a very good home. She's a nice filly who, although running a very promising second on her debut in a maiden race at Folkestone in the spring of last year (pictured, coming in off the course afterwards) has had a few minor problems along the way and, for one reason or another, has not been able to fulfill the promise of that run. Under the circumstances - and bear in mind that we are in a time when the costs of racing horses are huge, and the potential returns are not good - we reached the point mid-season where it was clear that she would be better employed doing something else. She had been here idling her time away for a couple of months since we decided to take her out of training, but it seemed possible that it might take years for a suitable home to present itself unless I were a bit more proactive. So I entered her for Ascot Sale, knowing that she wouldn't fetch much but hoping that she'd find someone who would have a use for her and would make her welcome: she'd be more likely to find such a person if I put her on the market than if I sat back and did nothing. Anyway, the perfect solution presented itself. She was bought, on one bid, by the ex-jumps jockey and ex-trainer Buck Jones, who I think has always had a riding school as well as a small racing stable, and apparently also keeps a couple of broodmares. So she is set to join his broodmare band, is sure to have a nice life there under the care of a very decent and sound horseman and, as a half-sister to numerous winners including the multiple Listed winner Angus Newz and as a horse who has shown some racing ability, could well breed Buck a nice horse one day.


That was very pleasing because it is always a worry what to do with horses when we decide not to continue racing them. And that decision, obviously, is one which has to be taken eventually (one hopes) with every horse, because none of them keep racing forever. Sadly, very often it is a decision which has to be taken sooner than one would chose, because horses go amiss. Like every other stable, we have our share of disappointments, and it is always sad to conclude that physical frailty has made a particular horse unsuitable for the rigours of racing. At such times it is often useful to remember that it happens to everyone, and unfortunately this week I had one such reminder when Richard Sims let me know that Kalatruce (pictured at Caulfield earlier this year) bowed a tendon in his work last Saturday and consequently has been retired. He is a fine horse, a four-year-old who only began racing at the end of last year and who had already won a race, as well as showing good placed form behind Berlioz, who was placed in a Group One race shortly after beating him. Richard is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable owner who really looked as if he could be within sight of (part-)owning his first city winner after 20 years of trying. Sadly that much deserved landmark is now not to be; or not with this horse anyway.

However, such disappointments pale into insignificance beside matters of life and death, and further sad (much sadder) news came out of Caulfield a couple of days later with the announcement that Jacquie Little, wife of Kalatruce's trainer Colin, had finally succumbed to the brain tumour against which she had been so bravely fighting the unwinnable battle. It is great that Jacquie lived long enough to have her very enjoyable novel 'Starting Price' published earlier this year and to see their horse Ista Kareem win this year's Sydney Cup. If he can win the D'Urban Quality Handicap at Caulfield tomorrow, or the stable's 2007 Cox Plate winner El Segundo - back racing after a tendon strain, which gives hope to us all - can win the Memsie Stakes, that would be a most fitting victory.