The owners of injured three-year old speedster Winning Rupert are reportedly weighing up an offer from a big stud, which could see his racing career of just six starts for five wins come to an abrupt halt.
While the feeling of having a gun colt taken from the track before time is familiar to racing fans, the loss of Winning Rupert would be jarring.
The Bjorn Baker-trained colt has scorched the earth in his races under 1400m, only disappointing in his Magic Millions Guineas run, which stretched him at 1400m. Before that fourth placing this season, he’d won twice at 1200m and once at 1300m by a combined 14.3 lengths, and looked to be set for a big autumn or winter carnival in Brisbane, before requiring surgery to remove bone chips.
“From a training point of view, if he is retired it would be gutting as he is the fastest horse I’ve ever put a saddle on and I truly believe he could have gone to the next level in the spring,” said Baker in comments reported by News Corp.
The colt has won $600,000 in stakes in his five wins, also pocketing a half a million dollar bonus after winning a series of summer races in Brisbane. However, he hadn’t won anything of note – a Group 2 his highest level.
Even with a bright future, how does $1.1 million in earnings and an immediate retirement compare to a big-time offer from a stud?
While a figure hasn’t yet been released, it’s likely to be in the early millions – I’d hazard a guess at a range between $2 and $5 million, based on whispers.
That’s cash on the table that you can hardly blame the legion of some 20 part-owners of Winning Rupert from being sorely tempted by.
It’s cold hard versus a return to the track after a few months on the sideline, gearing up to take on the colts in three-year-old sprint races, before the much bigger challenge of mixing it with the open class horses outside of restricted Group 1s. Banking now is a valid option, no matter how much we crave seeing the best horses challenge each other beyond just a few clashes.
While prizemoney grows, it seems the breeders’ pockets just get deeper – even for horses who haven’t actually won anything of real significance.
And if it’s not breeders, it’s money coming from overseas, from one jurisdiction in particular. Hong Kong riches continue to plunder Australia’s better horses. The Hong Kong Classic Mile was renamed the Ex-Australian Guineas by Dominic Beirne in a Twitter exchange, and was duly won by ex-Aussie Rapper Dragon, who was a fine two-year-old. At least he keeps racing, mind you, and Hong Kong racing is all the better for it.
Perhaps it’s another chance to thank our stars that we have champion mares, like Winx. Waller said that while 2017 is aimed at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Cox Plate again, 2018 will be the year that he sends her overseas, with Royal Ascot the likely destination.
UPDATE: Trainer Bjorn Baker has announced Winning Rupert will be retired to stud.
The FASTEST horse I have EVER had anything to do with. Injury has him retired to stud @newgatefarm.
Thanks for the memories WINNING RUPERT pic.twitter.com/AyMgk2V7in— Bjorn Baker (@BBakerRacing) January 24, 2017
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