We lost Best Mate and Persian Punch so publicly on the racecourse. Kauto Star's death this week following a paddock accident is no less heartbreaking but somehow, perhaps stupidly, I'm grateful his sad demise was not the result of a fall at the track, even though the outcome is no different.
Racing fans can remain grateful that he lit up our lives for so long and I'll always remember him for that special day at Kempton, which I wrote about on this blog at the time and will repeat here in his memory. What an absolute star he was.
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On
Boxing Day, Hugh and I went to Kempton with Alcalde. Arriving early,
the first horse we saw as we entered the stable block was Kauto Star,
whose picture below is kindly supplied by George Selwyn.
What struck me most about him, apart from the fact that he really is a
beautiful horse, is how calm he was through all the preliminaries. The
Kempton stables are close to the track and the sound of the crowd
roaring others home in earlier races may have been enough to unsettle
some.
Kauto
Star, the consummate professional, stood and waited, his ears flicking
back and forth but otherwise hardly moving, as if he was mentally
preparing himself for battle and conserving every bit of energy needed
to win a fifth King George from a horse who stole his crown last year
and wasn’t even born when he won his first race in England.
As history relates, he did just that. As we led Alcalde out to the parade ring for his race, the last on the card, Kauto Star was led back in past us, tired but triumphant.
Later, after darkness had wrapped up the day and cars queued to leave the car parks, the five-time King George winner grazed quietly at the side of the stable block, waiting for his moment to get back on the lorry to Ditcheat, every now and then lifting his head to watch his many fans heading home from the course he has made his own.
I stood for a while, hardly wanting to take my eyes off him. The image of that perfect racehorse so calm and content after giving thousands people their most memorable day at the races is imprinted on my mind forever.
Kauto
Star, the consummate professional, stood and waited, his ears flicking
back and forth but otherwise hardly moving, as if he was mentally
preparing himself for battle and conserving every bit of energy needed
to win a fifth King George from a horse who stole his crown last year
and wasn’t even born when he won his first race in England.As history relates, he did just that. As we led Alcalde out to the parade ring for his race, the last on the card, Kauto Star was led back in past us, tired but triumphant.
Later, after darkness had wrapped up the day and cars queued to leave the car parks, the five-time King George winner grazed quietly at the side of the stable block, waiting for his moment to get back on the lorry to Ditcheat, every now and then lifting his head to watch his many fans heading home from the course he has made his own.
I stood for a while, hardly wanting to take my eyes off him. The image of that perfect racehorse so calm and content after giving thousands people their most memorable day at the races is imprinted on my mind forever.
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