Colin Scott has confirmed that Speediness has been retired from racing and the passionate trainer paid credit to the consistent galloper that he considers of his best mates.
Speediness finished a very close second behind Gordon Lord Byron in the 2014 George Ryder Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Speediness was set for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) during the 2015 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, but Scott and connections elected to retire the seven-year-old after he failed to fire in both the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at the Gold Coast on April 25 and the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 9.
Scott told Racing.com that he was sad to have to retire Speediness, but he said that the Testa Rossa gelding was now giving up in his races and it would not be right to continue to press his star galloper.
“He’s sound, he’s not very good in the wind anymore but he’s just given it up,” Scott said.
“We dropped him back in grade and James (McDonald) got off and said when this horse is right he would’ve cantered past these.
“The horse actually enjoys everything else about the industry but doesn’t have the vigour to race anymore.
“I really look back at last preparation those few runs on those really hard tracks – they were just sort of the end of him.
“He just doesn’t want to do it anymore.
“It’s a sad day but it’s the right thing to do.”
Speediness made his racing debut with a win at Sale in August 10 he worked through the grades as a three-year-old, finishing second in both the Hawkesbury Guineas and the Scone Guineas, before she made he made his debut at Group 1 level in the 2012 edition of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
The tough gelding recorded his maiden win at black type level when he took out the Listed Pink Ribbon Cup (1400m) at Caulfield on April 20 and he proved that victory was no fluke when he beat a strong field in the Scone Cup.
Speediness started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a fast-finishing victory in the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 7 and he went on to be narrowly denied in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m).
He produced another strong performance without winning in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) in February of 2014 and he looked as though he would finally record a win at Group 1 level in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m), but he was caught in the final stages of the race by Gordon Lord Byron.
Speediness recorded another placing at Group 1 level in the 2014 edition of the Toorak Handicap, but he was disappointing in the Emirates Stakes and never got into the race when sixth in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).
Scott believes that Speediness was desperately unlucky not to record a win at Group 1 level, but he said that it was an absolute privilege to be able to train horse like Speediness and he is hopeful that he will continue to have an association with the seven-year-old.
“He’s been an absolute champion and realistically, other than his last four runs, there’s probably not a single race where at the 400 you were thinking he couldn’t win,” Scott said.
“He was probably seriously desperately unlucky not to win two or three million (in prizemoney).
“He beat a lot of good top-liners on their day he just never, unfortunately, got to poke his head out at the right time.
“Hopefully I’ll end up keeping him and he’ll live in my backyard until the day he dies.
“He’s just been an absolute gem to me.
“He’s the nicest, most gentle-natured horse.
“He’s one of my best mates, I love him to death.”
Speediness finished his racing career with seven wins from 39 race starts and he accumulated over $1 million in prizemoney.
