i know i am. fans clamor for something, and when they get it but it doesn't turn out right (according to them) then they go nuts and bite the hand that just fed them.
it's like when azeri was winning, so many enjoyed it, and wanted more, more. then she lost. oh, they should have quit while they were ahead, she's done enough, don't run her more...fickle fans.

I hope you're not suggesting i am one of those fickle fans.

I wanted this horse to run, just not in the Classic. Anywhere but the Classic. Nothing to do with the injury, but i wanted to see him in a race he actually had a chance in. The Champion Stakes at Newmarket for his for the taking the weekend before, why oh why choose the f'ing classic?

Eagle Mountain was beaten a head in the Champion Stakes, he George was 10 lengths better than he is!

I'm annoyed because the Classic shouldn't have been even a possible for the horse. Especially a classic on a dreadful track. No one over here thought he had a chance after the rain. He was being driven hard by Mick Kinane after three furlongs, and if you have seen any of his races before, you will know that is not him AT ALL. He is usually pulling his riders arms out in the early stages of ANY race.

There are awful similarities between this and Horatio in the Epsom Derby, doubts at the start and then it happens.

I have to agree with Rollo here.

As i write this i see yet another brake down on the track :(

no, not saying that at all....i was referencing the fans who would have vilified go for wands connections had they done the very thing they wanted, run her in the classic. you questioned george and dylan running all along. sadly, in georges case, you were right.
but altho there are similarities between horatio and george, i don't think there was a question about georges soundness just before starting, as there was in horatios case.

It is just a tradgedy that the horse broke down. I do not think that you could fault any of the connections involved. We all complain on this board that we lose our stars to the shed way too early. They brought back a four year old to the races. What would have been said when things didn't work out in the shed and then they just put him away in a field at 4 to graze for the rest of his life. I think people would have been clamoring for them to bring him back. As far as the choice of going in the classic, I personally would have rather seen him in the mile. But from what I remember, he didn't have the best trip in the classic last year and he was chasing at least one monster home. He was on the rail the whole way and then had to go 5 wide and he also got bumped. Maybe the owners thought that last years race was much deeper than this years and thought they had a legit shot to win or at least hit the board. Bottom line is that you can bitch and moan all you want, we all lost a wonderful horse.

RIP big fella, you will be missed.

On what planet does this happen fairly often ?

I can't even recall another top-class Grade 1 turf horse running in the mud in the past 5 years. I'm sure it has happened, but very very rarely.

ohhhhh...so now it's top class grade 1 turf horses in the past five years. your original post was about running a turfer in the mud. they ran a turf horse on a dirt track, owners decision. it turned out to be muddy. my contention was that any time a turf race is moved to the main track, it's due to rain, and that quite often the horses entered run regardless, which would mean in the mud.

but had i been able to read between the lines of your original post, no doubt i'd have realized that you meant only grade 1 top class turf horses. my apologies.

Not sure you have read MMSC's post in international, but the vets have suggested that with an injury of this nature, it usually starts with a small injury first.

He could have done the first piece of damage very early in the race. I'm not saying he did, but it's a possibilty after the vets have said that and he was getting pushed along very early.

Ah! Another Cup goes by, and still nothing has changed.

You contadict yourself. On one hand racing him this season is "greedy" yet you later lament the early retirements. Because they brought GW back for reasons you felt were "greedy" they are %*$@(*&'s but had they left him in training at 4 and come back to the BCC they'd have been "sporting." By your definition all owners are greedy. They race to make money. It's the nature of the game.
If SS or HS is sterile and returned to the track next season are the owners greedy or sporting? The net result is a 4yo race horse, the fact that he spent an unsuccessful seaon in the shed before returning to the track is irrelevant. Should we be happy or angry?

I really didn't see why he was running where he was. It made no sense to me, but I have no reason to think that Coolmore sent "GW to his doom" with any intent other than his running well.