Talented Perth-based sprinter Barakey has been retired from racing after he finished fifth behind Dawn Approach in the Listed Northam Toyota Stakes (1100m) in Western Australia on Saturday.
Barakey finished 11th behind Shamexpress (pictured) in the 2013 edition of the Newmarket Handicap. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Barakey has suffered from knee injuries for the last few years and trainer Jim Taylor revealed after his defeat on Saturday that the seven-year-old had no cartilage left in his knees.
The Key Business gelding pulled up with an elevated heart rate following the Northam Stakes and was clearly still trying his best, which led connections to retire the talented sprinter from racing.
Barakey made his racing debut with a dominant four and a half lengths victory at Belmont Park on June 21 and he moved through the grades in flawless fashion to win seven straight starts before he made his black-type racing debut with a five and a half lengths romp in the 2012 edition of the Northam Toyota Stakes.
The sprinter extended his winning stream to ten when he took out both the Festival Club Sprint (1000m) and the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at the start of the 2012 Perth Summer Racing Carnival before he recorded the biggest win of his racing career in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) to take his record to 11 wins from as many starts.
Taylor elected to send Barakey to Melbourne for the 2013 Melbourne Festival Of Racing, but he was scratched from the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) after being injured in the gates and was unable to perform at his best in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m).
Barakey returned to winning form when he took out the 2013 edition of the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1200m), but he suffered his first defeat in Perth in the 2013 edition of the Winterbottom Stakes and injuries kept him out of racing until August the following year.
The seven-year-old made his long awaited returned to racing with an upset victory over Smoko in the Listed Goodwood Sprint (1300m) at Belmont Park on April last year, but he continued to be plagued by knee problems and he was beaten by Elite Belle in the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1200m) in October before he returned to the spelling paddock.
Barakey finished his racing career with an impressive record of 13 wins from 17 race starts and he accumulated $832,000 in prizemoney for connections.
