George Washington
George Washington, last year's winner of the 2000 Guineas and the QEII, appears to be infertile (like his namesake). Coolmore has decided to replace him at stud with promising 3yo Holy Roman Emperor, an early favorite for the 2000 Guineas.
from drf.com
Aidan O'Brien, who trained both Holy Roman Emperor and George Washington at his Ballydoyle yard in County Tipperary, Ireland, understands that Coolmore has obligations to clients who had signed on to breed mares to George Washington, and that their interests can be served by mating with Holy Roman Emperor who, like George Washington, is by Danehill (although Holy Roman Emperor is out of a Secretariat mare, while George Washington is out of a mare by Alysheba). Nonetheless, O'Brien was nonplussed by the developments. "Holy Roman Emperor was our best horse," O'Brien told the British Press Association. "He was the horse we were looking forward to for the 2000 Guineas and the St. James's Palace." O'Brien said he had spoken to "the boss," Magnier, "and the more I tried to persuade him not to retire him, the more he was convinced he had to retire him. It's a sickener."
Aidan O'Brien quote from bloodhorse.com
The lads and the boss (John Magnier) had to try and replace him. We were shell-shocked about it here because Holy Roman Emperor was our best horse. He was the horse we were looking forward to for the Guineas and the St James's Palace. Paul Shanahan was here at 11:30 a.m. and the box came and picked him up at 11:50 a.m. I spoke to the boss in between and the more I tried to persuade him not to retire him, the more he was convinced he had to retire him. The boss has his clients there and has to take care of them and obviously they are trying to replace like with like. It's a big shock to everyone here. We are a racing stable and everyone here does their best every day to make it happen. We have been very happy with Holy Roman Emperor and we were looking forward to the Guineas. What can I say? It was really out of our hands and there was nothing we could do about it. It's a bit like having a team getting ready for the premiership (soccer) and your striker is being taken away. He was by far our best horse, the others have to make the jump still. He handled all types of ground, he ran in the Dewhurst on soft when we were nearly not going to run him. He got into traffic trouble on soft ground and still only just got beat and looked very unlucky. Obviously, we were looking forward to going back for the Guineas and we thought he was ready made for the St James's Palace after that. That was made for him. It’s a sickener, but it’s a business decision. The lads have been in business a long time and have a lot of very important clients. He is a Danehill with a super physique, he has everything. With all the mares booked to George, they felt they had to pull out all the stops for the people. He had speed, he had everything. He was well forward, we were going along lovely. Hopefully, some of the others will improve - we'll keep trying.
Early retirement is the biggest problem with the sport today.
Too bad Coolmore didn't replace George Washington with one furlong record holder The Green Monkey. I guess by Danehill out of an Alysheba mare does not equal Forestry out of an Unbridled mare (though we have a Northern Dancer sire and a Raise a Native broodmare sire in both cases).
from drf.com
Aidan O'Brien, who trained both Holy Roman Emperor and George Washington at his Ballydoyle yard in County Tipperary, Ireland, understands that Coolmore has obligations to clients who had signed on to breed mares to George Washington, and that their interests can be served by mating with Holy Roman Emperor who, like George Washington, is by Danehill (although Holy Roman Emperor is out of a Secretariat mare, while George Washington is out of a mare by Alysheba). Nonetheless, O'Brien was nonplussed by the developments. "Holy Roman Emperor was our best horse," O'Brien told the British Press Association. "He was the horse we were looking forward to for the 2000 Guineas and the St. James's Palace." O'Brien said he had spoken to "the boss," Magnier, "and the more I tried to persuade him not to retire him, the more he was convinced he had to retire him. It's a sickener."
Aidan O'Brien quote from bloodhorse.com
The lads and the boss (John Magnier) had to try and replace him. We were shell-shocked about it here because Holy Roman Emperor was our best horse. He was the horse we were looking forward to for the Guineas and the St James's Palace. Paul Shanahan was here at 11:30 a.m. and the box came and picked him up at 11:50 a.m. I spoke to the boss in between and the more I tried to persuade him not to retire him, the more he was convinced he had to retire him. The boss has his clients there and has to take care of them and obviously they are trying to replace like with like. It's a big shock to everyone here. We are a racing stable and everyone here does their best every day to make it happen. We have been very happy with Holy Roman Emperor and we were looking forward to the Guineas. What can I say? It was really out of our hands and there was nothing we could do about it. It's a bit like having a team getting ready for the premiership (soccer) and your striker is being taken away. He was by far our best horse, the others have to make the jump still. He handled all types of ground, he ran in the Dewhurst on soft when we were nearly not going to run him. He got into traffic trouble on soft ground and still only just got beat and looked very unlucky. Obviously, we were looking forward to going back for the Guineas and we thought he was ready made for the St James's Palace after that. That was made for him. It’s a sickener, but it’s a business decision. The lads have been in business a long time and have a lot of very important clients. He is a Danehill with a super physique, he has everything. With all the mares booked to George, they felt they had to pull out all the stops for the people. He had speed, he had everything. He was well forward, we were going along lovely. Hopefully, some of the others will improve - we'll keep trying.
Early retirement is the biggest problem with the sport today.
Too bad Coolmore didn't replace George Washington with one furlong record holder The Green Monkey. I guess by Danehill out of an Alysheba mare does not equal Forestry out of an Unbridled mare (though we have a Northern Dancer sire and a Raise a Native broodmare sire in both cases).
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