Five-time Group 1 winner retired

Five time Group 1-winning squaregaiter Wobelee (Down Under Muscles) has been retired after the discovery of “another suspensory injury”.

Thetrots.com.au reported last week that the seven-year-old had pulled up lame following a third placing in the Aldebaran Park Lenin Trotters Free For All at Melton on June 4 and there were fears about a back suspensory problem.

The injury was confirmed by vets and trainer Alison Alford – in conjunction with owner Colin Murphy – then decided to retire the horse from racing.

“The hardest part of loving a horse so much is when doing the right thing is also the hardest thing to do,” Alford posted on Facebook.

“It is with a heavy, but thankful, heart that we hang up Wob’s bridle for the final time. To ask him to come back from another suspensory injury after everything he has done for us isn’t fair on him.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think he would achieve what he has. Going from a horse who ‘might win a few’ to giving us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He is quirky, he is stubborn and he has challenged every inch of our being. Oh man . . . the number of nights we have laid awake thinking of him.”

The gelding finishes a glittering career with 24 wins from 65 starts and more than $500,000 in prizemoney.

He was a champion two-year-old during 2017 when he won four races at Group 1 level, including the Redwood Classic and Vicbred Super Series and Breeders Crown finals. He only won one elite level feature following that standout juvenile campaign, but remained a consistent performer at the highest level.

“It took a village to race Wobs… from stable staff, to vets, to farriers, to body workers, to track attendants and clerks, to everyone in between… thank you for the role that you played in helping us to get the best out of him,” Alford said.

“He is everyone’s horse… he is our family. It will take a very long time for us to get used to him not being here and we will all miss him… including his mate Sunny.”

WOBELEE’S LAST WIN

by Tim O’Connor, for HRV