Three-time Horse of the Year retired

Part-owner-trainer Greg Scholefield said decision was made after the three-time Horse Of The Year was unplaced at Globe Derby Park on Saturday night.

“He has been too good to us,” Scholefield said.

“I won’t race him if there is any chance his reputation will be tarnished.”

Emain Macha goes into retirement with a fantastic winning strike rate of nearly 50 per cent.

He won 35 races from 71 starts with 11 seconds and seven thirds earning $296,403 in stakes.

Since the Horse Of The Year awards began in South Australia in 1986, Emain Macha is the only horse to win three, bettering stars such as Whirley Dream, Pappy McCoy, Keep It Up, Hes A Corka and Conte De Christo which had two each.

The seven-year-old won 16 feature races during his 35 wins.

He had Group 3 successes in the Golden Nursery Stakes at Globe Derby Park, Victoria Sires Classic at Melton and Stawell Cup. There was as listed win in the Mark Gurry & Associates Cup at Mildura.

Emain Macha’s other features included three Christmas Cups at Globe Derby Park, two Italian Cups at the same venue, a Kindergarten Pace and Tankard Mildura Guineas.

More Cup wins included Victor Harbor, Wedderburn, Swan Hill Anzac and St Arnaud plus the Minor Derby Free For All.

Scholefield, who lives at Naracoorte in the southeast, said “Fritz” would spend a month in a paddock letting down from racing before being broken to saddle.

“He will spend his life roaming around my property.

“He has had back muscle issues for most of his racing career so has done an amazing job.

“I would say his back problems have also affected him mentally and he just can’t run up to his ability.

“On Saturday night when he settled one-out, one-back I thought he would be right in the finish, but Wayne (driver Wayne Hill) said he sprinted only for 100 metres.

“At his best, he would have been very hard to hold off, so I pretty much decided there and then to end his career.

“After sleeping on it, I decided it was the right decision. He had nothing left to prove”