All the best starting off for the season, hope ye enjoy it wherever ye go and all back safe every time. Couple nice Class 3 novice chases at Ascot in late November.
Not a course I would want to run a novice chaser on. I find the fences to cause plenty of issues for chasers.
WIshing you the very best of luck. I won't burden him with my money but will be watching along with interest. Hope he does you proud but most importantly comes back safe and sound
Good luck Nass. Hopefully a nice introduction over the fences I think I would back Saladins Son ew in that race, so that's one out of the way
Best of luck, hopefully it doesn't turn heavy over there or it can take its toll..Nice hack around and a lovely education. Safe home.
Isn’t Fos Llas heavy a whole different grade of sloppy conditions? Tough assignment on seasonal debut. Hope Rocky goes well for you both.
There you go, and ended up 15/8 fav Hope you were happy with Rocky's chase debut Nass, and that he returned home in good shape
Morning, I will deal with the race and my views over the weekend. I just wanted to flag how nice it was to go racing on a Thursday afternoon in Ffos Las, and whilst it was relatively busy due to Christmas parties and the South Wales massive being on a session.... it was a lovely day of proper NH racing. The course were very accomodating and friendly, from arrival in the wrong car park (does my car not look like an owners car?), through the owners and trainers portacabin entrance, right through to leaving through the same portacabin. I think it was just what I needed as a day out, I am more positive about the sport today than I was before going, and that is a good sign!! Food review to follow too!! (hint, this may be why I am happy)
The what could have been section As you all know, we have decided to retire Rocky after three disappointing runs this season. This might seem a sudden situation change, so wanted to put some flesh on the bones of the decision and our approach. Rocky came back from his summer holidays, and all was well, he was being prepared for an October start, and to go chasing. He schooled and seemed to take to the fences "ok" but not as natural as we would have liked. I then went up to the yard, where I was joined by the Man in Spain (or as he was, the Man Out Of Spain) and had a chat with Kaitlin his regular rider and Tom Broughton (who had been schooling him). Both said that he had been feeling stiff since starting schooling and that they wanted him to be checked over. As you would expect, we said this was to be done, and went to talk to Sally (assistant trainer) to confirm this. I popped up to the yard a week or so later and asked about what the results were of this check up. Suffice to say, it hadn't been done, and I hit the roof. One thing I don't like is people not doing as they had promised, and this hadn't been done, but not only that they "hadn't heard of the issue before today". Absolutely furious, I told them I was leaving the yard and to talk to me when I had calmed down. Later that week I got a message saying the back specialist had been in and suggested that it was a conformation issue that was causing the stiffness and the best route of action was a cortisone injection. Personally I thought this was just a masking of an issue, rather than looking for a solution, and I raised it with the syndicate. Everyone agreed that we needed to find out more before going down the injection route, so vets scanned and came back with nothing obviously wrong. He was passed fit to carry on, but he was still sore. Again the yard suggested the injection, and we felt we had very little other option. He then was fit, or we had thought... Until we got the message that he had knocked a joint at home, and that it had swollen up. Another niggle. This was soon followed by a message about Colic. I hate colic with a passion, it killed another horse I had been involved in, and as we saw this week, it was what caused the death of Delta Work. I feared the worse, but thankfully he got through this and the knock had reduced too. So it was Ffos Las, with a pretty poor trach wash beforehand (same as Hexham), and we thought he had run well enough after a lengthy break and the above issues... Something to build on. Except, his leg had swollen again, and it was another case of niggles preventing him from progressing. He was fit enough to continue training, so it was Market Rasen next. Then it all began to go badly wrong. He ran terribly. He had blood from both nostrils and we all worried that this was the end of the line. He was surprisingly fine at home the next day, and had another scope a week later which showed no illness or concerns. So we decided it was fair to roll the dice once more and take him to Leicester. At Leicester the plan was to go to the front and see how he went. This was soon out of the window, he couldn't keep up on a steady pace. He was clearly saying that something was wrong, but again there was nothing to see wrong at home. As such, on the day we made the decision that he should retire from racing. We had done everything we could to see if there was an obvious issue with his physical wellbeing, but I fear the injections, the colic and the knocks had taken their toll, both physically, but most importantly with Rocky, mentally. He is a lovely boy, who we hope is going to enjoy a long and happy retirement at a grand mansion in the Cotswolds. He is off for a trial with them, and if they are happy and he is too, he will continue his journey as a happy hacker. I think it is the end of the ownership experience for many in the syndicate, the journey has been hard, and lots of sourness has come from the nail situation, and the knocks and issues this year. Personally, I can't wait to get involved again. That day at Hexham will live long in my memory, and the whole journey has been pretty awesome, in a educational manner, as well as personally. I hope the Man in Spain thinks I've done a decent job!
Thanks for sharing Nass and clearly it has been a far from easy journey with him. In the end I think you did everything right in terms of the horse’s welfare and I share your hope that he will have a happy retirement from racing. I am surprised and quite shocked at what you wrote on his back examination seemingly being forgotten. This could have just been a mis-communication but from someone on the outside looking in, it doesn’t put the yard in a good light at all.
Yes, and I am sure Stick will have a stronger line on the yard than I do. Personally I think in racing, you can tell a lot by how results and the season are going with yards. This year hasn't been a good one for them. Since that situation, Fergal has been brilliant with me, he has really stepped up and that is why I would be happy to have another horse with them. However, I think I am in the minority with that view from the syndicate.
What an insightful but disappointing end to the Rocky story. I too am pretty shocked but not overly surprised about the treatment of the horse and ownership group. I’ve observed FOB at a few meetings and he always cuts a very jovial figure with his owners. Not following up on feedback from work riders/owners is really piss poor though. I do wonder if trainers feel they can operate differently with syndicated horses. The old divide and rule approach. I can’t see him getting away with a similar casual attitude to Mr Giles’ horses.
