Chris Waller’s veteran stayer Who Shot Thebarman has been retired from the race track and will return home to New Zealand to roam the grassy paddocks of Whangaehu.
Veteran stayer Who Shot Thebarman, above, has been retired from the race track. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Waller released a recent press statement saying that Who Shot Thebarman would be returning to New Zealand where he began his long career and will be remembered as one of the toughest stayers to race in Australasia.
The ten year old warhorse was the winner of the 2014 Group 1 $460,000 Auckland Cup (3200m) before he arrived in Australia and joined the Waller stable after finishing ninth in the Group 1 $1m Sydney Cup (3200m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Who Shot Thebarman claimed his second Group 1 winning trophy as a nine year old in the this year’s Sydney Cup before heading to Melbourne in the Spring to compete in his fourth Group 1 $7.3m Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
Who Shot Thebarman’s best result in ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’ was a third in 2014 at his first attempt over the gruelling two miles at Flemington.
Waller said that Who Shot Thebarman had been a special member of the stable over a long period of time and he heads to the retirement paddock in good condition.
“He has been a wonderful horse for the owners, the punters, racing fans and of course my staff and I,” Waller said.
“He has gained a huge public following during his career and we will certainly miss the orange and white entourage on race day.
“We have many special memories of Thebarman who has gone to the paddock as a happy, healthy and sound 10 year-old and will be remembered in New Zealand and Australia as one of our best stayers in the past decade.
“There is some discussion that he may spend time in Melbourne however he will eventually return home to New Zealand and retire on the lush pastures in Whangaehu where he spent many of his younger years.”
Who Shot Thebarman graced the race track for the last time with a seventh in the Group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on November 17 during the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Who Shot Thebarman’s Race Record
57 starts, 11 wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds with $4,587,446 in prizemoney.
