Equiano Retired

Nulty

Equiano retired after setback rules out Abbaye
By Paul Eacott 4:28PM 15 SEP 2010

EQUIANO was on Wednesday retired from racing prompting trainer Barry Hills to hail him "a very special sprinter."

The James Acheson-owned five-year-old won seven of his 27 starts, the most recent success coming in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot this year, a race he also won for previous trainer Maurico Delcher-Sanchez in 2008.


Having subsequently finished second in the Darley July Cup, he finished last in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York last month on what proved to be his final start after a setback meant that he will not be able to take his chance in next month's Prix de l'Abbaye on Arc day.

Hills said: "Equiano was one of the fastest horses I have trained and the exceptional speed he demonstrated in winning this year's King's Stand Stakes marked him out as a veryspecial sprinter.

"He was also a very sound horse and a perfect horse to deal with in every way."

The son of Acclamation won £571,273 in win and place prize-money.

Equiano will now stand at Newsells Stud, with a fee to be set at a later date.

This was his best season and its a wonder what happened to him last year considering. His Kings Stand form has gotten a boost too with Markabs win at Haydock. If I thought he was going to run next year I'd consider an ante post punt on the Kings Stand.

UrbanSea

Inconsistency was his problem.

longshotvalue

nnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

he was super this year in fairness, and couldnt have been more consistant apart from his last run.

His best run ever was second to SSB, he was even coming back at the end again..

One of my fav sprinters ever, bullet speed on his day..

UrbanSea

Sorry,I should say,inconsistent until this year.

x PyRo

I knew Aidan would be gutted. :pac:

Great horse when he wanted to be.

UrbanSea

He was only great this year,he was mediocre up til then. Hadn't won from june 08 til april,and was put in his place by some much better sprinters.

hucklebuck

That's a shame I quite like him

Nulty

greetings wrote: »

He was only great this year,he was mediocre up til then. Hadn't won from june 08 til april,and was put in his place by some much better sprinters.

It makes you wonder what did that. Went downhill from that first Kings Stand to then perform like he has done all this season.

UrbanSea

Some horses just improve with age,one could say the same about Harbinger,and to a similar extent,Twice Over. Some are just slow maturers and they temperments probably improved too.

Nulty

You can't call that improving. He beat Takeover Target and Fleeting Spirit when on top of their games in that King Stand. Takeover Target has 6 G1s to his name. (Legend of a horse who might be back in training. Whether thats a good thing or not is another matter.) Maybe seasonal affective disorder and acclimatization had something to do with it

UrbanSea

I meant that he improved this year from his last year,not from his winner at 3. The horse ran out of his skin that day,end of. He won't be the last horse to have done it,and finally came good this year.

Nulty

greetings wrote: »

I meant that he improved this year from his last year,not from his winner at 3. The horse ran out of his skin that day,end of. He won't be the last horse to have done it,and finally came good this year.

And I mean that something was up with the horse last year...he was this good all along but something made him under perform last year. I think I remember hearing Barry Hills admitted to doing something wrong or at least taking the blame for something that he perceived was responsible for the horses poor form last year.

It would be great if I could find a reference but...

UrbanSea

I dunno,I still wouldn't put him up with Borderlescott,Marchand D'or or definately not Natagora. Why they stepped her up from 6 is beyond me.