Connections retire Rebel after freak incident on gallops
by Tony Elves
COCKNEY REBEL, winner of this year's English and Irish 2,000 Guineas, has been retired after being injured in a freak accident when cantering in Newmarket on Monday morning.
The Val Royal colt had been putting in some sparkling work on the peat moss and Cambridge Road polytrack recently in preparation for a return to action in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 29 but those hopes have been dashed and connections are considering options for him to stand at stud.
Trainer Geoff Huffer said: “Cockney Rebel was cantering this morning and spooked at a piece of paper and hit his near fore leg with his hind leg as he finished his canter, when he went back to the stables there was a slight swelling on his near fore.
“The vet was called to scan him and on his advice he said the horse would need three months rest. After consultation with owner Phil Cunningham, Phil took the decision to retire Cockney Rebel, as he quite rightly points out the horse has proven himself to be one of the best milers for many a year. Whilst we all at Grange House Stables are saddened by this, Cockney Rebel has given us and many people such wonderful memories and I am sure his progeny will do the same as he is one horse in a lifetime.”
Huffer had never made a secret of how highlyhe regarded Cockney Rebel after he first burst onto the scene when a convincing winner on his debut at Newmarket in July last year.
The trainer still believed his stable star was an embryo of a horse when finishing a highly creditable third to Vital Equine in the Champagne Stakes at York on final start as a juvenile and that impression was borne out on his reappearance in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.
On that occasion, Cockney Rebel came from virtually last to first to comprehensively reverse the form with Vital Equine and any thoughts that the performance was fluke were dispelled in Irish 2,000 Guineas when he followed up with a length defeat of the Jim Bolger-trained Creachadoir.
Huffer confidently ploughed onto Royal Ascot for the StJames's Palace Stakes but, after travelling well into the straight, the luck ran out for the even money shot when he suffered a stress fracture to his pelvis and finished only fifth behind Excellent Art.
Cunningham paid tribute to both the horse and the team at Huffer's stable. He said: “It has been an absolute dream for me to own Cockney Rebel and in the interests of the horse, I believe this is the right course of action. I would like to thank Geoff and all of the team for giving us so many wonderful memories that can never be taken away.”
“I would also like to thank the team at Rossdales for all of their help and advice they have given me and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement in the near future with regards to where Cockney Rebel will stand.”
轉自racing post online
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本帖最後由 taxi2003 於 4/9/2007 11:59 PM 編輯 ]
