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#1
01-19-2008, 09:52 AM
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Lets hope it's nothing too bad for him. I suppose it isn't as bad as if he'd done a tendon again.
Terrible luck for the trainer, I have no idea how he must be feeling right now.
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Avatar ~ Nicky Whelan  and now we murderers because we kill time 
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#2
01-20-2008, 01:18 AM
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Last edited by my miss storm cat : 01-20-2008 at 03:16 AM.
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#3
01-20-2008, 10:59 AM
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Xcellent a once in a lifetime horse
Sunday, 20 January 2008: Paul Moroney tried to put up a philosophical front on Sunday as he confirmed the retirement of star galloper Xcellent. Moroney, who trains in partnership with his Melbourne based brother Mike, said Xcellent's racing career was over after he broke down following his win in the Group Three Trentham Stakes on Saturday. Xcellent was transported on Saturday night to the renowned veterinary clinic at Massey University in Palmerston North. But the vet report was not good, Moroney said. "He has a severe suspensory damage in his left ankle and a couple of bone chips at the front of the fetlock," Moroney said. "They have said in their opinion it is a career-ending injury. The damage is severe. "I think we just have to face the facts that Xcellent's stellar career is over." Saturday's incident completed a sad two days for the Moroney stable. On Friday, the stable's former top two and three-year-old Jokers Wild was put down in Melbourne after failing to recover from a blood infection. Paul Moroney said he would try to put the two events behind him when it came to the routine of trackwork at Matamata on Monday. "Tomorrow morning you get up and you go to the training track and there's 55 other horses there to be trained and nurtured through their racing careers," he said. "Life goes on but certainly losing two horses like that leaves a big hole in the stable. But you just have to put it behind you and carry on." There was, however, a lump in Moroney's throat as he spoke of Xcellent who was cut down in his prime by tendon injuries after finishing third in the 2005 Melbourne Cup. "He was a once in a lifetime horse, especially after what we had already been through," he said. "The disappointing part, I believe, is we never saw what he was truly capable of. "While he was described as a freak and super star earlier in his career, he probably missed the best two years of his career." Xcellent was sidelined from racing for 20 months with the tendon injuries and then incurred a shoulder injury when being prepared for spring racing last year. Moroney said Xcellent was the most talented horse with whom he had been associated. "Without any doubt. To win at Group One level from 1400 to 2400 metres and to be placed in a Melbourne Cup at just his ninth start - he was just an absolute freak." Xcellent won the 2004 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and the following year took out the first leg of the Hawke's Bay Group One spring treble, the Mudgway Stakes before scoring in the third leg, the Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m). Two starts later he was third to Makybe Diva in the Melbourne Cup. This season he suffered his only defeat from nine starts on New Zealand soil when second to Sir Slick in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on December 26. His overall record is 13 starts for eight wins, one second and one third. Moroney said a splint had been placed on Xcellent's injured left front leg which would enable to the horse to be sent home on Monday. The recovery period could be up to six months. "We'll probably get him back up to Matamata tomorrow and care for him at the stable for a couple of months and another four months in a confined space. "It's going to need a lot of management to heel the injury to a stage where he can have quality of life, where he can get out and be in a paddock like a normal horse." http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=119446
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#4
01-20-2008, 05:23 PM
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Sorry I'm so late coming to post here, took a while to get over this (although Seachange's dominant G1 win later in the day helped).
His racing career is definitely over, but the trainers want to keep him at the stables for now because they love having him around. So I think it's safe to say he'll be well looked after in his retirement. Hard to believe one horse could be so unlucky with injuries though.
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#5
06-23-2008, 11:57 AM
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From his diary...
http://www.xcellent.co.nz/diary.page Monday, June 23, 2008 Hi fans. Yes, it's me Stanley, not typing as well as before but finally able to put hoof to keyboard after a very long six months. No doubt you are all well aware of the tragic injury I suffered when winning the Trentham Stakes late January, an injury that has finally put paid to my racing career. I was in no state physically nor mentally to write up my diary until now and I've broken the shackles and flicked on the laptop switch after an emotional visit from three of my favourite people last week, my number 1 fan, co-owner and co-trainer Paul, my devoted strapper Chrissie and my jockey Mickey Coleman. It was so good to see them again and to hear their friendly voices and it made me realise that I had to stop sulking about the end of my career and know that there's heaps of people out there who still care about me. Paul's been out a couple of times like he used to when I was rehabbing at Seaton Park from my tendon injuries. But, I hadn't see Chrissie since the day I left Ballymore Stables, about a fortnight after that bad day at Trentham when I limped off the track on three legs after rupturing my left front leg's suspensory ligament on my way to victory. Chrissie cared for me so well afterwards but I understand that she couldn't bring herself to come and see me until I was much better as she didn't want to see me in pain and there's been a fair amount of that over the last six months as my suspensory has calloused and I've had to learn to walk on the leg again which is an odd feeling as my left pastern sinks a lot as the suspension has basically gone. Just like last time, Scotty and his team at Seaton Park have been absolutley marvellous even though I am a cantankerous patient but I suppose they know my quirks by now and have been there to comfort me through the bad times and encourage me to get back on my hooves and walk again. The last time I'd seen Mickey, he'd unsaddled me on the track and Trentham and given me a special hug with a tear in his eye. We both knew it was all over and through the searing pain I remember him walking away ashen-faced and head bowed. He had a tear in his eye when he came to see me last Tuesday but this time he said it was from joy at seeing me again and because I was still around for him to visit. I know what he meant. It was touch and go there for a while and the Ballymore team and the vets feared for the worse for a while but thankfully I pulled through. I've basically been in solitary confinement for five of the last six months and it was great to get back outside a couple of weeks ago when the vets gave me the all clear and I'm now outside weather depenedent in a small paddock and also on the walker for 30 minutes a day as part of my physio and continuing rehab. Paul told me that I'll be shifting to a new home in about three months and that I'm going to be co-star of a special horse show with a real racing legend named Rough Habit. Paul says this "Roughie" was a superstar on the racetrack a few years back and that there's also some other top horses who used to pull carts at the farm as well. Apparently I'll be on show to the public a couple of times a week and that will suit me fine and I've always been a bit of a show off. I'd far rather be strutting my stuff on the racetrack but I suppose this will be better than nothing. It's at a place called Cambridge Lodge and not far from here so all my friends will be able to come and see me lots which is great. Well, it was a great ride while it lasted with a few hiccups along the way but I wouldn't have missed it for quids. Of course it's disappointing that my career was so brief but I'm proud of what I achieved and also for the opportunities I had to travel and meet so many nice people and other top horses. Life will never be the same and I'll sorely miss all of my fans and friends, equine and human alike. Thanks to all of you for coming along for the ride with me, especially Team Ballymore at Matamata. It was all very special but, like all good things, it's come to an end. Farewell and love to all, Stanley the Xcellent racehorse
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#7
06-24-2008, 09:21 AM
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Quote:
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Hybrid Mode
