Meurice ~ gone too soon

[my miss storm cat]

Star Gai Waterhouse colt Meurice dies


Thursday, 31 January 2008:

Gai Waterhouse has described the death of star colt Meurice as the saddest moment of her racing career.

The champion juvenile of last season had to be euthanased on Thursday morning after breaking his left shoulder in a trackwork accident at Randwick.

The three-year-old, who was being prepared for an ambitious autumn carnival campaign, suffered the injury during a routine track gallop.

He was quickly pulled up by jockey Nash Rawiller and rushed to the Randwick Equine Centre but could not be saved.

"It was the saddest day I have ever had in racing," Waterhouse said.

"Meurice had the most wonderful, open personality, the nicest of natures and most of all he was a supreme athlete.

"When the veterinarian told us that he could not be saved the boys and girls who have had the pleasure of working with this colt were devastated.

"Racing is full of highs and lows and this certainly shows that one has to enjoy the wins when they come along.

"We will miss Meurice enormously."

The three-year-old began his career under Rodney Douglas in Melbourne - where his performances included a win in the 2006 Debutants Stakes - before being transferred to Waterhouse's Sydney stable.

He contested all three legs of last year's two-year-old triple crown finishing third to Forensics in the Golden Slipper (1200m) and runner-up to Camarilla in the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) before breaking through for a deserved win at Group One level in the Champagne Stakes (1600m).

In total, the son of Strategic started seven times for three wins and four placings, amassing just short of $1 million in prizemoney.

Sheik Mohammed's Darley Stud bought Meurice for a reported $12 million last August but the colt never raced for them, with the equine influenza outbreak putting paid to Waterhouse's spring carnival plans.

General manager of Darley Australia, Ollie Tait, said Meurice never got the chance to show how good he was.

"It's very sad. He was a top horse and he had so much ahead of him," Tait said.

Tait said the Group One Randwick Guineas had been among Meurice's autumn aims.

The colt's death comes a day after West Australian pacer Christian's Spirit, who was to have contested Sunday's Group One Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley, was put down after suffering a serious shoulder injury in an accident at a beach south of Perth.

Dual Group One winner He's No Pie Eater also died after shattering his shoulder during trackwork at Randwick last April.

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=120022

[NoChanceToDance]

Poor boy.

It's a nasty injury to suffer. I hope he was without pain.