uh oh... from racingpost
AVID CHAPMAN has defended himself against criticism from a veterinary surgeon over his handling of Quito, the North Yorkshire trainer’s veteran sprinter with a strong public following.
John McKenna, who looks after the strings of Milton Bradley and Tony Carroll, claims in a letter to the Racing Post(see below) that continuing to run the popular nine-year-old after a long season borders “on abuse”. Quito, according to McKenna, “presented a sad spectre in the paddock“ before his 17th appearance of the campaign at Newmarket on Saturday.
Looking on that day, the Cheltenham-based vet later observed: “The horse had lost his neck, with his hindquarters falling away and his general listlessness clearly reflected a horse whose season was over - 50-1 SP rather supported this.”
McKenna went on: “I wonder what prevailed on connections to race this plucky competitor again 24 hours after his previous effort when last of 14, also at Newmarket?
“His mentors should look to their sporting and welfare considerations in this matter - I consider the foregoing to be bordering on abuse of a genuine horse who has already won twenty races.” Chapman, who excels with sprinters as the exploits of Chaplin’s Club and Glencroft proved, pointed out that Quito, beaten a neck by Reverence in last month’s Group 1 Betfred Sprint Cup, won the ‘best-turned-out’ prize at Newmarket on Friday, but failed to get the run of the race after breaking too sharply from the stalls.
Chapman said: “He came out the next day and still looked well- I thought he would win the ’best-turned-out’ again, but they probably thought once was enough - and he ran a bloody good race I thought (in finishing eighth to Sleeping Indian). He was only half length behind Art Museum for which there was a ton of money, and had good horses like Welsh Emperor, Jeremy, Aeroplane and Stronghold behind him.”
Admitting he had been “pig-sick the first day, and delighted the second”, Chapman has two more possible options for Quito with a mile race at Newmarket on October 28 and a 6f event at Windsor on November 4.
“We will have to see how he is, but at the moment he is wonderfully well and in fact the vet and his assistant came to the yard yesterday and remarked how well he is looking,” said Chapman, adding: “I suppose his form has deteriorated in his last three or four runs, but that is only circumstances, and at the moment I can’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be running again next year.”
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