Farewell Kauto, Hello Pendleton and a Rocky Week for Jockeys
An eventful week in racing as we bid a sad farewell to a legend of our game and a hero of the Cheltenham Festival, and welcome a legend of another sport into the fold. We also have news on a couple of flat jockeys to have overcome some unexpected obstacles this week and you can also check out our betting tips for the Coral Eclipse.
The One And Only Kauto Star
A terribly sad story to start off this week’s roundup. Tuesday brought us the shock news that Kauto Star had to be put to sleep following a freak accident at home.
There aren’t all that many horses that can truly be said to become household names, but such was the brilliance of Kauto Star at the track, it was inevitable that widespread fame would find him. The only horse ever to win five King Georges, and the only horse ever to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup, his sheer class saw him win at trips ranging from two miles to three miles two furlongs. A rare animal indeed. Ruby Walsh calls him easily the greatest chaser he has ever ridden. There can be few greater tributes than that.
The life of one of the greatest ever exponents of the chasing game may now have sadly faded away, but in the world of horse racing Kauto’s Star will never be dimmed.
Victoria Pendleton Gets Off Her Bike….
…and onto a horse. The dual Olympic cycling champion has set herself the challenge of becoming an amateur jockey in time to ride in the Foxhunter Chase in March. Having been riding out regularly at Lawney Hill’s yard for a good few months now, she had her first race-riding experience in a Charity event at Newbury on Thursday. Mighty Mambo came home in eighth but wasn’t beaten far and Pendleton certainly didn’t look out of place in the saddle.
Pendleton is approaching this challenge with the motivation and dedication one would expect of an Olympian, next on her to do list is learning to use the whip. It would take a brave man to bet against her being lined up at racings biggest show next spring.
Kirby Unscathed, Creighton On The Mend
Flat jockey Adam Kirby may not have to face quite the perils of his jumping cohorts, but he did have a narrow escape of his own this week. Awaking in the early hours of Thursday morning to find that the house in which he was sleeping was on fire, Kirby thankfully escaped unharmed. He took Thursday off to tidy up but was expecting to be back in the saddle on Friday – no rest for the wicked (well, just a day!)
One jockey who certainly didn’t escape unscathed was Irishman Eddie Creighton. Formerly based in Britain, the well-travelled Creighton is now plying his trade in Australia. It was on the Australian track of Warrnambool that Eddie’s mount The Walrus stumbled and fell around a furlong from the start. This was a particularly brutal looking fall, and illustrates the fact that the flat game is certainly not without its perils. Initially diagnosed with a broken wrist and concussion he deteriorated to the extent that he was placed in an induced coma. They are made of stern stuff these jockeys though and thankfully Eddie has improved dramatically over the course of this week. So much so that he has now been discharged from hospital. Good luck Eddie.
