R.I.P. Xaipete 1992 - 2005
Hello everyone,
This has been an unusually protracted absence from updating the Blog, well over three weeks in fact. Truth is, I hadn't taken the sad, premature end of dear old XAIPETE particularly well. For those of you who may have missed it, he had his final ever race at Sedgefield on Friday, August 5th. Having finally been dropped into the mid-90s by the handicapper, he looked to have a fighting chance in a weak Class E Handicap Chase, especially having been given a good tow round by stablemate YORK RITE going up the back straight for the last time. However, as the field reached the top of the hill, and prepared to swing into the straight, with Xaipete just behind York Rite and going better than anything in the field, tragedy struck. He broke a hind leg and had to be pulled up. The diagnosis was as bad as it could be and the only fair option was for him to be put down on the spot.
An abrupt and terrible end, therefore, to a career which had taken in 130 runs and 17 wins (123 runs and 16 wins being for the Mason / Guest franchise after they'd acquired him from George Moore during the 1996 / 7 season), and which had realised £ 143,063 in win and place prizemoney. For a horse whose career rating stayed mainly in the low 100s / 110s for most of his career over hurdles and fences (bar a temporary over-reaction from the handicapper about 5 years ago), and never won a race of higher Class than Class D, this was no small feat. Indeed, of all the horses Mason / Guest have been associated with in an owning or training capacity, only RED MARAUDER currently stands above him in the all-time prizemoney list.
It was the intention of Norman Mason and Richard Guest to let the horse see out his days in luxurious retirement at Brancepeth Manor Farm once he'd finally lost the appetite for racing (something which, despite his advancing years, he was still showing no sign of doing). What a crushing blow for both concerned that he will not be taking them up on that offer now, although at least one small consolation of him dying at Segdefield might be that he could be taken home to be buried relatively easily if that is what connections wanted.
Rest in peace, Xaipete, old friend.
This has been an unusually protracted absence from updating the Blog, well over three weeks in fact. Truth is, I hadn't taken the sad, premature end of dear old XAIPETE particularly well. For those of you who may have missed it, he had his final ever race at Sedgefield on Friday, August 5th. Having finally been dropped into the mid-90s by the handicapper, he looked to have a fighting chance in a weak Class E Handicap Chase, especially having been given a good tow round by stablemate YORK RITE going up the back straight for the last time. However, as the field reached the top of the hill, and prepared to swing into the straight, with Xaipete just behind York Rite and going better than anything in the field, tragedy struck. He broke a hind leg and had to be pulled up. The diagnosis was as bad as it could be and the only fair option was for him to be put down on the spot.
An abrupt and terrible end, therefore, to a career which had taken in 130 runs and 17 wins (123 runs and 16 wins being for the Mason / Guest franchise after they'd acquired him from George Moore during the 1996 / 7 season), and which had realised £ 143,063 in win and place prizemoney. For a horse whose career rating stayed mainly in the low 100s / 110s for most of his career over hurdles and fences (bar a temporary over-reaction from the handicapper about 5 years ago), and never won a race of higher Class than Class D, this was no small feat. Indeed, of all the horses Mason / Guest have been associated with in an owning or training capacity, only RED MARAUDER currently stands above him in the all-time prizemoney list.
It was the intention of Norman Mason and Richard Guest to let the horse see out his days in luxurious retirement at Brancepeth Manor Farm once he'd finally lost the appetite for racing (something which, despite his advancing years, he was still showing no sign of doing). What a crushing blow for both concerned that he will not be taking them up on that offer now, although at least one small consolation of him dying at Segdefield might be that he could be taken home to be buried relatively easily if that is what connections wanted.
Rest in peace, Xaipete, old friend.
posted by Jeremy Grayson @ 12:48 PM
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