La Crique, arguably the most consistent horse in Australasian racing, has been retired.
The dual Group One winner has been hampered with foot issues over the last couple of years, with a decision made on Monday morning to bring the curtain down on her racing career following her fourth placed run in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
“She is still putting in some terrific races and even on Boxing Day she ran a terrific race,” said Katrina Alexander, who trained the seven-year-old mare in partnership with her husband Simon.
“However, she hasn’t pulled up from that as well as we would have hoped so we x-rayed her foot this (Monday) morning, the same foot that has caused her problems for the last two years, and she has degeneration of the foot tissue inside the hoof capsule.
“I have been waiting for a sign for her to tell me that this (racing) just isn’t possible anymore, so it was a really easy decision in the end.”
La Crique flashed onto the scene as a three-year-old, winning five and placing in three of her eight starts that season, including taking out the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), and she was a beaten short-priced favourite when runner-up to Asterix in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
She got her Group One redemption seven months later in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) before heading across the Tasman where she ran fourth in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
She added a further two Group One placings to her record later that season before foot issues, resulting from an abscess, led to ongoing problems for the mare.
The Alexanders’ hard work behind the scenes led to La Crique returning to career-best form, with the mare going on to win the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) before posting six consecutive Group One second placings.
Alexander has a particularly close affinity with La Crique, riding her in all her work, which she said has helped her monitor her soundness issues.
“She has never in her career put in a bad race for any unknown reason. She is an incredibly tough horse that just races through a pain barrier that a lot of horses would give up on,” she said.
“Behind the scenes you are constantly working at things. I ride her pretty much every day and I have done so for the last six years. I do that so I have an understanding of what I am asking her to do and her reaction to that.
“I had a feeling going into Boxing Day that we probably weren’t as good as where we would want to be and she has still run a blinder of a race, albeit a strangely run race. She has finished on incredibly strong and pulled a shoe in the running, which has probably added to our problem this morning.”
La Crique has had plenty of highlights throughout her career, but one race that particularly stands out for Alexander is her first stakes victory, the Desert Gold Stakes, which she won by an eye-catching 4-1/2 lengths.
“The thrill of her Desert Gold win, and how convincing that was is one that comes to mind,” she said. “We go back and look at photos of that and seeing her at full stretch is just as impressive live as it is in the photos. You get a true understanding of her stride length and the mechanics of her.
“She was so convincing in that age group, and she did bring that forward, but some of those tough battles have also been admirable, and I am very proud of her for putting up a fight like she did and making some of those races exceptionally good races to watch.”
Bred and raced by John and Jan Cassin, La Crique will be retained by the couple as they look to breed their next star.
“The Cassins have always shown an interest to retain her to breed from,” Alexander said. “They enjoy their breeding and they obviously bred her, and we have a sister there as well.
“She will most definitely, at this stage, be retained by them. The luxury of having her retire at this time of year, they don’t have to make any quick decisions on that. It came as a bit of a surprise to them this morning when we broke the news of our findings. We have also known that this was probably going to be her final preparation.
“She now has a good amount of time to letdown, have a good rest in the paddock and she should hit the breeding season fairly early. It will be interesting to see who she goes to, I wouldn’t want to be making that decision myself.”
While sad to be farewelling her stable star, Alexander said they have a few exciting prospects in the barn they are looking forward to, including last Friday’s Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) winner Rise Companions and impressive debut winner Aksil.
“We have got a couple of really exciting horses, with Aksil and Rise Companions,” she said. “We have been extremely fortunate in our careers that we have always seemed to have had a good horse coming through. We are not a big team, but we always seem to get one at the right time. Hopefully either of those two horses can continue.”
Three-year-old gelding Aksil will resume in the New World Mount Maunganui 1400 at Tauranga on Friday where he will carry the colours of OTI Racing after the syndicator recently purchased into the horse.
Aksil was eye-catching when winning on debut at Taupo in October before running eighth at Ellerslie last month behind subsequent Group One performer Affirmative Action, and Alexander said he can be forgiven for that run.
“He had a bit of time in the paddock and is a horse that has continued to grow and develop, and we do really feel like he needs more time yet,” she said. “However, we will continue to lightly race him.
“He has just had an ownership change, with OTI buying 50 percent, so that is exciting to have them onboard, and he will stay in New Zealand.
“It will be nice to see him do a good job at Tauranga. I am a little bit concerned about the weather as to how much rain they get there because we have opted to kick him off over 1400m. Hopefully we have pulled the right rein there, but we will just have to keep an eye on the forecast.
“We will give him a short prep again now and just see where he gets to.”
Alexander is also excited about the prospects of four-year-old mare Prominere, who will resume in the Saddlery Warehouse Cambridge 1100 at Te Aroha on Saturday following an 18-month hiatus from racing.
The daughter of Ardrossan has had just the one start to date, finishing seventh in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late two-year-old, and the Alexanders have given her plenty of time to develop.
“She is quite an exciting horse,” Alexander said. “She is a big, masculine, strong filly. She showed us a lot as a two-year-old and then we have had to put her aside, she is a very big horse. The dam was a big mare too and took time.
“We have just had to look after her a little bit. She had a lovely trial the other day at Avondale and we will keep her to the shorter distances.
“She won’t mind a little cut in the track if that is what happens during the week. She won a trial at Te Rapa as a two-year-old on a Heavy track.
“She is quite exciting going forward, I have got a lot of time for the horse, and I think she could be another nice horse for the Cassins.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
