Better Than Ever Retired

Champion galloper Better than Ever (6 g French Deputy - Songfest, by Unbridled's Song) has been retired from racing, Te Akau Principal David Ellis announced today.

Purchased for $80,000 from the draft of Blandford Lodge at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale Yearling Sale, Better than Ever won his first race on Aug. 2, 2009, at Kranji racecourse in Singapore, and went on to win his next eleven races in succession to establish a record.

In 2010 he picked up the title of Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Miler in Singapore, and retained the miler title while also claiming Champion Four-Year-Old in 2011.

Better than Ever suffered a bleeding attack on May 6 last year in his lead up race to the Singapore Airlines International Cup and owner Mr Tang Weng Fei elected to send him to Te Akau Racing Stables in Matamata, New Zealand.

Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman had prepared Champion Two-Year-Old Warhorse (General Nediym) for Mr Tang to win the Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) and Eclipse Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) and subsequently Catalonia (Commands) [raced as Vilanova in Aust.] to win the Wentwood Grange Stakes (Listed, 1100m).

Fresh-up on Dec. 22, Better than Ever finished second to dual Horse of the Year Mufhasa (Pentire) in the weight-for-age Manawatu Challenge Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) and after placing in both the Haunui Farm Classic (Gr. 1, WFA, 1600m) and Lindauer New Zealand Stakes (Gr. 1, WFA, 2000m) he went out on a winning note in the Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr. 2, 2000m).

Better than Ever established a record of 17 wins from 31 starts for stakes earnings of NZ$3.1 million. In Singapore, he recorded four Group One wins: Kranji Mile (1600m) twice, Raffles Cup (1800m), and Patron's Bowl (2200m), one Group Two, and seven Group Three.

Returned to work with a spring preparation in mind, a decision was made to retire the horse sound following routine X-rays.

“The wear and tear of racing at the elite level has seen him at a point now where there is a high risk of injury and given the risk factor it was decided, in the best interests of the horse, to retire him,” said Jason Bridgman.

“He is happy and sound, but it is saddening that we see the end to the career of this terrific horse.

“Even though he was in my stable just a short time, he still exhibited the tremendous attributes he had shown as a champion racehorse and he was certainly one the best horses I've had anything to do with,” said Bridgman.

“We were privileged to have him in the stables and see him racing here in New Zealand, and thrilled for him to have ended his career with a win. He had a great personality and charisma about him and will be missed around the stables.

His half-brother, Om (3 g Darci Brahma - Songfest), has won three of his eight starts to date for owner Sir Owen Glenn and Te Akau trainer Mark Walker in Singapore. 

 

 

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