Retirement plans revised

Press, 7 August 1989, Page 30

Retirement plans revised

By

DAVID McCARTHY

The Cambridge horseman, Kenny Browne, had one of his most disappointing days at Riccarton on Saturday but a post race ' inclination to retire Crown Star has been revised.

However it is unlikely Crown Star will run again at the meeting; Royal Hush will not do so and there is some doubt that Trelay Boy will run in the Grand National Hurdles, even though there is nothing amiss with him.

Browne, shattered by Crown Star’s inability to establish any sort of superiority oVer the opposition in the Korai Steeplechase before tiring badly from the 1200 metres, spared himself from something he would normally never miss — watching a video replay of the race. “It looks like it could be the end. Once he could jump away from the other horses at the fence and they wouldn’t keep coming back again. We had on a bit much

today but he didn’t feel as good as he should. I would hate the old horse to break down.” Crown Star did not jump with his old fluency at any stage which surprised Browne who had expected a supreme effort from the horse.

Howevery yesterday Browne said he may continue to campaign Crown Star in suitable races in the north and has not entirely counted out a Grand National start. “I’ll see later in the week but it looks very

doubtful. He’s not fit to get the trip and that’s all there is to it. I thought he was, yesterday.”

Browne’s reluctance to retire Crown Star is partly based on the example of Stipulation. Still alive, at 16 years, Stipulation did not take kindly to the easy life of retirement on the Browne property. “A horse in training is the best looked after horse anywhere,” Browne said. Trelay Boy is a starter in the National Hurdles

at this stage but the pace adopted by the frontrunners in the Sydenham Hurdles caused Browne to consider by-passing the race. He is unlikely, at this stage, to tackle the Grand National Steeplechase with him. Royal Hush bruised a foot on Saturday and is out for the meeting. Browne had been using plates with a bar on Royal Hush but could not gain approval to run in the special plate at Riccarton, though he has used them in the north.